Every year
Vreau și eu la mare!
“I want to see the sea too!”: the free seaside camp for children from families without means who have never been to a camp or to the sea. In 2026 it reached its eleventh edition.
The story of the campaign
Father Ion Iagăru organises the camp, with the help of his parishioners and of well-wishers, through the Fiți Buni Association. For the children, transport, meals and lodging are free.
“Places are given on social criteria, with special attention to children who have never been to a camp or to the sea.” At the camps, the children have gone to Eforie Aqua Park, to Imaginaria Space in Eforie Nord, to the Dolphinarium and the Aquarium in Constanța, to the History Museum and the Navy Museum, to the Băile Reci baths at Techirghiol and to Saint Mary’s Monastery.
“For us, this camp is not just a few days at the seaside. It is the chance to give children experiences their families might not have been able to afford,” says Father Ion Iagăru.
In 2022 children with hearing loss were invited for the first time, and in 2023 children from Bulgaria, from the Timok Valley, came to the sea as well.
The editions
9 editions
2026The 11th edition
Six days and five nights for children from Olt and Dolj, with a hotel, meals at a restaurant, transport on the association’s coach, a private beach and a pool. Each child gets a welcome pack: a personalised T-shirt, a backpack, a folding beach mat and a water flask.
2025The 10th edition
From 31 August to 4 September, in Eforie Nord, at the Mondial and Cristal hotels: Aqua Park Eforie Nord, Imaginaria Space, the Espinol Circus and a stop at Saint Mary’s Monastery in Techirghiol. Part of the lodging was covered by the Pepcolandia 2025 programme of Pepco Romania and the pastel Association.
Result26 children who had never seen the sea.
2024The 9th edition
From 1 to 6 September. Among the children were children with hearing loss; two of them received hearing aids.
2023
Children from poor families in Romania went to the sea free of charge and, this year, children from Bulgaria, from the Timok Valley, too.
2022The 7th edition
For the first time, children with hearing loss were invited too.
2021
Children from Pârșcoveni, Vlădila, Drăghiceni, Reșca, Deveselu and Caracal left for the coast by coach in September; generous believers gave them the camp free of charge, through the parish of the church of Caracal Municipal Hospital.
Result28 children saw the sea for the first time.
2019
At the start of the school year, in Eforie Nord, at a four-star hotel: the dolphinarium, go-karting, the pool. On 13 September, the fourth day of the camp, each child was given an ie, the traditional blouse.
Result23 children from poor families who had never been to the sea.
2018
From 6 to 9 September, in Eforie Nord, with lodging and meals at a four-star hotel and transport by a modern coach; on 8 September the children attended the Divine Liturgy at the monastery in Techirghiol.
Result22 children from six places in Olt: Caracal, Stoenești, Drăghiceni, Grădinile, Osica and Greci.
2017
From 7 to 10 September, in Eforie Nord, a gift of the hospital church and its friends: lodging, meals and transport were paid for, and the places were given on social criteria to children who had never been to the coast.
Result25 children.
Photographs
31 photographs
In the press
12 articles and reports
- Alți copii care văd pentru prima dată marea, duși în tabără de preotul caracalean Iagăru (opens in a new tab)
Realitatea Oltului
in Romanian
Show the other 4 articles
- Tabără la litoral pentru copii defavorizați, organizată de Pr. Ion Iagăru (opens in a new tab)
Episcopia Slatinei și Romanaților
in Romanian - 25 de copii din Olt, trimiși la mare GRATUIT de către o biserică din Caracal (opens in a new tab)
Realitatea Oltului
in Romanian
How you can help
Join the Fiți Buni Association and give any amount to its accounts at Banca Transilvania.
Bank transfer
Accounts in RON, EUR and GBP, at Banca Transilvania.3.5% of your income tax
You can direct 3.5% of your income tax to the association with Form 230.Questions