Summer Camp Program
 CLICK HERE FOR CAMPER APPLICATION INFORMATION
When you turn in the the dirt road leading up to the Camp, the first thing you are greeted by is a colorful sign. “Yippee! You’re here!” it reads. For more than twenty years, shy first-time campers have been entering our gates and leaving one week later, filled with happy memories.  In each of the nine Camp sessions, approximately 120 children become naturalists and fishermen, athletes and actors, equestrians and hot air balloonists, potters and painters, poets and photographers, swimmers and singers, fly tiers and fly fishermen, outdoor campers and canoe paddlers, clowns and musicians, woodworkers and kite flyers, learning in the process that they can do more than they ever thought possible.
A Typical DayA day at Camp often begins early as campers can’t wait to have fun. Early risers accompany their counselors to a polar bear swim in the heated, zero-entry pool that allows all children to swim, regardless of any mobility challenges they may have. Breakfast is at 8:30 a.m. Each meal is accompanied by announcements, cheers and singing and dancing in the dining hall. Then it’s back to the cabins for a quick clean up before the first activity. Each cabin has an assigned activity area in the morning: horseback riding, arts and crafts, swimming, boating, fishing, woodshop and archery are among many possibilities. Surprises abound as clowns entertain, piggyback rides take place, snacks arrive unannounced, and impromptu games ensue. Lunch follows at 12:30 p.m. followed by an afternoon rest period. Afternoon activities are by the camper’s choice, so a favorite program area experienced in the morning can be repeated later in the day. After a lively dinner in the dining hall, campers and counselors head back to the cabins briefly before the evening program activity: Stage Night, in which campers are invited to share a talent, is one weekly favorite. There’s also campfire night with a cookout and songs, as well as Awards Night at the end of the week, when each camper receives a award for a special Camp accomplishment. Back in the cabins, it’s time for Cabin Chat, allowing a period for campers to process the day and their thoughts. Lights are out and campers and counselors alike dream happy dreams of the fun-filled day ahead.
Our ApproachThe time that our campers spend at Camp is transformational; we seek to help children reconnect with that experience throughout the year through reunions, family weekends, clinic days, and our hospital outreach program that conducts weekly visits to the bedsides of seriously ill children. Friendships made over the summer are strengthened through our campers-only web site, enabling youngsters to maintain the connections that have sustained them. Typically, campers attend Camp one week for three years in succession, giving them an outstanding experience to which they can look forward from year to year. Under the guidance of five nurses, two doctors, 30 counselors, 30 program directors, and another two dozen staff members, campers experience more than a joyous holiday. Camp is a critical experience in their lives. The Camp operates on the belief that every camper is going to be an adult and needs a good childhood to become one.
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