Long & Foster Real Estate, the largest independent residential real estate company in the United States, announced that its Reston offices, including the Reston Sales office and the Reston North Hills office, raised $8,731 for Reston Association’s Send a Kid to Camp Scholarship Fund. In the past four years, Long & Foster’s Reston offices have raised more than $21,000 for the camps.

The fundraiser was spearheaded by Realtor Bonnie Haukness who first began fundraising for RA camps in 2011. More than $3,500 came from numerous Long & Foster sales agents at the Reston Sales office, with Realtor Boofie O’Gorman matching the office’s donations for a total of $7,040. Another $1,691 was raised by the Reston North Hills office. It costs about $450 for a child to attend a two-week camp, and with the help of the Long & Foster Reston offices, about 20 children will be able to attend camp that may not have had the opportunity otherwise.

“We’re so proud of all our agents here in Reston, and are glad to have been able to make an in impact on the lives of children right in our neighborhood,” said Jane Wallace, managing broker of the Long & Foster Reston Sales office. “Hopefully, providing the opportunity for children to attend a Reston Association summer camp will help make their summer that much more fun, while providing educational activities and friendship.”

Reston Association camps are the longest-operating camps in Reston with programs for ages 3 through 16, including Nature Tots, Hug-A-Tree, Sportsters, Camp on Wheels, Teen Camp and more. Participants are able to discover nature, play games, take part in sports, do arts and crafts, connect with new friends and much more.

“Reston was established 50 years ago with an emphasis on the importance of community and the generosity and support displayed by The Long & Foster Companies through their support of the RA Camps scholarship fund is a true illustration of that community spirit,” said Katie Shaw, executive director of Friends of Reston. “We thank them for their time, their financial contributions and their support of the RA Camps program.”

The camps were created with the intention that a scholarship fund is available to children who would otherwise not be able to attend, and although Fairfax County has one of the highest average incomes in the country, more than 25 percent of Reston’s children qualify for free and reduced price school lunches. Campers that receive scholarships are often identified by their school counselors or local churches and range in age from about 5 to 16 years old.

For more information, visit LongandFoster.com.