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Fresh Air Fund Helps Dozens Of Kids Escape Big City For Summer

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Dozens of New York City kids are getting a chance to escape big city life as part of the Fresh Air Fund's 139th summer program.

Children -- ages six to 18 --  boarded buses to Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and upstate New York at the Port Authority Bus Terminal on Monday morning.

For many of the nearly 200 kids, it'll be their first time leaving the five boroughs.

"My favorite thing is that they see stars," Fresh Air Fund executive director Jenny Morgenthau said. "Sometimes they're scared at first because they don't know what they are because if you think about it, it's never dark in New York City and you don't see stars."

NYC Kids Getting Out Of Town Thanks To Fresh Air Fund

Valeria, from Queens, is looking forward to her second summer in a small town in central Vermont.

"I love the quiet, I love being there," she said. "It's very amazing that I get to have the opportunity."

Shannon, 13, from Far Rockaway, Queens is heading to Burlington, Vermont for the second straight summer.

"I get to feed the hens and the chicks," she told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck. "It's really fun there. I wake up early cause of the birds and you see hummingbirds. It's so pretty."

Her mother, Stephanie, admits she'll miss her daughter, but said the experience is worth it.

"Fresh Air Fund is the gift that keeps on giving," she said.

Shannon's friend is heading to Vergennes, Vermont, which at 1-square mile is known as America's smallest city, where she'll be hosted by Marion Sullivan.

"We are thrilled to be able to come down here and bring the children to Vermont, it's an experience that will change their lives," Sullivan said.

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