AUBURN – The Fresh Air Fund Auburn host families will welcome New York City children as they arrive in the area to spend summer vacation at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 9, at the Hasty Armory in Pettengill Park.

The youngsters, ages 6 to 18, will visit for two weeks or more. Some are leaving home and New York City for the first time, while others are returning to visit the same host families for consecutive summers.

The Fresh Air Fund, an independent, not-for-profit agency, has provided free summer vacations to more than 1.7 million New York City children since 1877. Each summer, thousands of inner-city children visit volunteer host families in 13 northeastern states and Canada.

In 2004, 13 Fresh Air children stayed with families in the Auburn area. In 2005, the Fund celebrates its 128-year-old tradition of serving children with a wide variety of special events and volunteer opportunities.