With summer break fast approaching, Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda has announced the 2025 INDE Vacation Plan and the Summer Camps and Workshops Program by the state Department of Culture. These initiatives aim to foster sports and cultural engagement among children and teens across the region.

Speaking at her Wednesday morning press conference, the governor shared details of the cultural offerings, which will include five summer camps at state arts centers in Mexicali, Ensenada, Tecate, Tijuana, and Playas de Rosarito. Additionally, 34 individual workshops for children and teens aged 3 to 16 will be held, designed to blend creativity, play, and learning in an inclusive and dynamic environment.

The cultural camps will run from July 14 to August 8, with the exception of Mexicali, where they will take place from July 11 to 31. Camps are scheduled for the morning, while the individual workshops will be held in the afternoon.

In San Quintín, the workshop The Fantastic World of Leonora Carrington will offer classes in art, music, dance, and theater for youth aged 8 to 16, completely free of charge. Alma Delia Ábrego Ceballos, head of the Baja California’s Department of Culture, emphasized the importance of accessible, quality cultural programming across the region.

Meanwhile, the 2025 INDE Vacation Plan, set to run from July 14 to August 1, will offer a wide range of sports activities for children and teens aged 6 to 13, including participants with disabilities. The program will be hosted at Ciudad Deportiva in Mexicali and high-performance centers in Ensenada and Tijuana.

Participating youth will have the opportunity to train in athletics, wrestling, fencing, soccer, basketball, swimming, field hockey, taekwondo, archery, badminton, gymnastics, handball, and other sports depending on the municipality. Laura Marmolejo Toscano, Director of the Sports and Physical Culture Institute, noted that the activities will be led by professional coaches at top-tier facilities. Sessions will run from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a recovery fee of 1,495 pesos.

These programs reflect Baja California’s continued investment in the development, well-being, and creativity of its youngest residents during the summer months.

Mily Animal Sanctuary Expands Facilities in Mexicali

In a separate announcement, Governor Marina del Pilar shared updates on the third phase of construction at Mily Sanctuary, aimed at rescuing and rehabilitating abused or abandoned animals while promoting respect for all living beings.

She confirmed that work is underway on three new entry areas, increasing the sanctuary’s capacity from 109 to 270 dogs, along with upgrades to recreational spaces and the crematorium.

“Animal well-being is a key policy we’ve championed, solidifying Baja California as the state with the strongest animal rights laws. Mily Sanctuary is welcoming volunteers this summer to support our mission,” the governor said.

Mónica Vega Aguirre, head of the Department of Environment and Sustainable Development, reported that since its 2024 opening, 183 animals have been adopted, with over 670 volunteers joining the cause. Those interested in adopting or volunteering may call: (686) 591-6897 or (686) 591-7107.

RELATED VIDEO: Governor Marina del Pilar promotes “Women Behind the Wheel”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – The Capitol City has a new record, and its not related to Abraham Lincoln. The new dome at the Scheels Sports Park is the largest air-supported sports dome in the world, according to the project team.

“This marks a milestone for the park and for our city and it is a visible indicator of our progress in the city,” said Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher. “We are expecting the Scheels Sports Park to bring 250,000 new visitors to Springfield, providing 25 million in an annual boost to our local economy and over 50,000 new hotel nights.” 

The dome is more than 710 feet long and 275 feet wide. At it’s peak, the dome is 98 feet tall. 

“To give you a perspective of how huge this dome is, the entire Scheels store plus another half of the store could fit comfortably inside the dome,” said Chris Stritzel, project manage3r for the Scheels Sports Park. “Every soybean harvested last year in Sangamon County could fi inside that dome.” 

The project is on track to open for local school athletes this fall. The team hopes to host tournament starting in 2026. 

“The Springfield Clinic dome, anchored by Scheels Sports Park, will house one of the most sought after youth sporting venues in the nation,” said Ryan McCrady, CEO of the Springfield Sangamon Growth Alliance. “The sports park will include eight outdoor, all-synthetic, turf, lighted fields that will be convertible for multi-sport play, including up to 15 youth baseball or softball diamonds, which can also play as six full size adult baseball fields, if needed or eight full size soccer fields at one time.”

The dome is fully inflated, but not fully set up. First the team will install lights inside the dome. They will then install flooring and netting before opening the facility to the public.

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The Manchester Youth Soccer League (MYSL) is entering its 47th year of servicing the fall soccer needs of Manchester, Dorset, Rupert, Pawlet, and Danby. Although “playtime” is months away, “registration time” is now. Here are the specifics:

Grades Pre-kindergarten through third grade will begin on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 9 a.m.

Pre-kindergarten and kindergarten co-ed meet every Saturday morning through Oct. 25, while grades 1 and 2 (boys/girls) meet Saturday mornings and one night per week. Cost per player is $35.

Grades 3-6 (travel teams) practice twice per week (either Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday) at roughly 5:15 p.m. beginning Aug. 25. Games are played on Saturdays beginning Sept. 6 and ending on Oct. 25. The cost per player is $50 plus $25 for a uniform (jersey, shorts, and socks). However, if last year’s uniform fits or you have access to a hand-me-down, there’s no need to purchase a new one.

All boys and girls are welcome and participate equally regardless of ability or prior experience. Emphasis is put on learning the game; instilling good social values; and having FUN!

For additional information including online registration links, please contact Steve Houseman at myslvt@gmail.com.

A local organization wants to make sure all young people in the D.C.-area have access to sports programs, especially during the summer break from school.

“We see an increase in risky behavior with kids during the summer months because they have no place to go,” said James Kallusky, president of the organization Fight for Children. “Sports is more than an outlet for them, it can be a lifeline for them.”

Fight for Children collaborates with 40 non-profits in D.C., Northern Virginia, Montgomery County, and Prince George’s County, supporting the organizations through funding and advocacy.

The organization’s goal is to provide equitable access to youth sports programs, regardless of a young person’s circumstances or finances.

“These types of programs make a difference in kids’ lives,” Kallusky said. “The more types of programs and opportunities that we can get to families, the better. There will be a reduction in youth crime if we can make sure that all kids have access to these programs.”

Next week, Fight for Children will co-host a Youth Sports Town Hall with Council member Kenyan McDuffie. The town hall is being held at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library in Northwest on June 26. There will be a panel, small group discussions and networking opportunities.

“Let’s take a look at what’s working and what’s super positive about youth sports right now in D.C.,” Kallusky said.

Kallusky said the organizers hosting the town hall will be asking people about challenges their facings, concerns and what Fight for Children could do to help.

Then before school starts, its third annual Youth Sports Day will be held August 23 at the fields at RFK. Kids can get school supplies, wellness checks, haircuts and food at the free family-friendly event, which drew about 2,000 people last year.

Registration for the programs is available online now.

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The 2025 Tampa Bay Lightning locker room sale gave fans an opportunity to add to their team collection while also raising money to support numerous youth hockey initiatives that grow the sport in the Tampa Bay region.

The annual sale was conducted last Friday on the Pepsi Porch outside of AMALIE Arena and offered fans a chance to acquire player-used gear including sticks, helmets, gloves, team-issued clothing, skates, goalie equipment and more. There were more than 1,000 sticks up for grabs at this year’s event.

Leftover equipment from the sale will be available at next year’s event.

Around 1,000 people attended the 2025 sale. All of that money benefits the community and hockey development program run by the Lightning, one that engages area youth in the sport.

The event benefits Lightning fans through access to game-used equipment, and proceeds ensure young hockey players have access to a growing sport in the area, according to Tampa Bay Lightning community and hockey development coordinator Josh Dreith.

“It’s really crucial,” Dreith said of the sale’s impact on youth hockey, “especially for the sled hockey team. The funds are necessary for some of these programs.”

Enough funds were raised at this year’s sale to freeze costs for community hockey programming next season, according to Dreith.

This marked Lightning fan Andrew Hamilton’s fourth year at the sale. He and his brother, James, set their sights on some target items and didn’t leave it to chance—the brothers arrived at AMALIE Arena at 2 a.m. on Friday to secure the first spots in line.

Andrew arrived around 3 a.m. to previous years’ sales and ended up second in line, so he bumped up his arrival time for 2025 shopping. He was hunting this year in the Andrei Vasilevskiy department, or as he put it, “anything Vasy”. He hoped for one of the goalie’s blocker and glove sets, one of the goaltender’s stick and maybe leg pads.

Andrew’s job and hours in law enforcement can make attending games in person difficult, but he has built a full in-game experience at home. His living room features a Budweiser goal light and a smoke machine as well as game-used sticks from Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Nikita Kucherov.

He became a Lightning fan after his brother, James, introduced him to the sport. James also has a room dedicated to the Lightning gear and was right there with his brother at the front of the line.

“It was always a brainwash of football because we live in Florida. So it’s football, football, football, football, football,” Andrew said. “And then we started hockey. And then I got my wife, she’s like, ‘I’m never going to another football game ever.’ It’s always hockey from now on.”

The Hamiltons left with plenty of Vasilevskiy gear as well as a Conor Geekie stick, player gloves and clothes.

Don Ellsworth was third in line after arriving at 3 a.m. He made the 40-minute drive from his home near Saint Leo, Florida. Ellsworth and his son use the Lightning gear for on-ice practice and attend four to five Lightning games per season.

He drove through the rain in the dark hoping to be one of the first people in line.

Many fans left the sale happy, and proceeds will help fund adaptive and disabled hockey programming such as the sled hockey team as well as other initiatives including ball hockey. Money is spent on a range of targets including equipment, travel, ice time and enrollment fees for players.

“I think the great part is that it offers the ability for the general public to get access to player-used equipment and authentic player apparel,” Dreith said. “It gives them access to that, but then it also helps us raise money for programs that really need it.”