Bike riding, swimming and bonfires.

Western Pennsylvania families are providing these great summer hallmarks and more for a week to 13 New York City children through the Fresh Air Fund.

The Fresh Air Fund, which has been operating since 1877, provides children, ages seven to 12, with a first-time experience in various activities in which they often cannot participate in New York.

More than 1.8 million youth, known as Fresh Air Children, have participated in the program since its inception. This year, 13 families in such areas as Cranberry Township, Butler and Cabot will provide Fresh Air Children with a free summer experience to enjoy life outside their urban neighborhoods.

They will form long-lasting bonds.

“A lot of the kids don’t have the opportunity to swim in New York, so community pools are huge,” said March Creeks, chairwoman of the local Fresh Air Fund.

These summer experiences are made possible by the fund’s Friendly Towns program, which provides the opportunity to children in New York City’s five boroughs. The program is free for participants eligible for free or reduced-cost lunch.

Volunteer host families are matched with child applicants via the fund’s matching specialists. A local chairwoman helps host families facilitate events with their guests.

In the past, according to Creeks, events included swimming, bike riding, bonfires, roasting marshmallows, Pittsburgh Pirates games and zoo trips.

The 13 families hosting Fresh Air Children this summer include two first-time hosts. Children between the ages of seven and 12 can apply for a first-time experience, while older children must be invited back by their host families.

“She’s part of the family now,” Ray Kaufmann, a seventh-year host said of his summer guest. “We’ll go home, and our two teenage boys will be acting like their sister just came home.”

The bonds this program builds often last, and Creeks is one example. She hosted three Fresh Air Children over the years and plans to visit at least two of them during an upcoming trip to New York. Other families have had similar experiences.

Creeks said she hopes other families will host in the future.

“It’s just a great program, and I would love to see it grow again,” Creeks said.