Hosting Summer Camp and COVID-19

“If you build it, they will come.” 

​This quote has been resonating in my thoughts for weeks now as we prepared to have campers back on the property. Camp has been shut down since mid-March. Camp staff have been working from home trying to create content that would help us stay connected with you, our extended camp family and plan for camp's future. 

In my house, our “new normal” was as follows: wake up; get our baby, Taylor, up and fed; work for a bit while my wife herds and corrals our daughter; switch roles so my wife can get some work done; have lunch; more corralling and herding; have dinner; take a walk; get Taylor to bed; get ourselves to sleep; and repeat. Oh, I forgot Zoom meetings - plenty of those to go around!

For almost three months, this was our life and likely yours as well. Then, almost overnight, we were back in the office working on a strategy to opne camp for as much of the summer as possible. The decision wasn't one we made lightly. The admin team met for a day and had meanigful in-depth discussion about the possibilities, drawbacks, challenges, and fears. Out of a deep desire to continue our mission, we decided that we were going to put in the hard work necessary to reform our “typical” summer camp. Our work became developing programs and practices to open safely.  We reimagined our summer routine, developed new guidelines for our activity areas, rethought our food service operations, changed our cabin procedures, and so much more. 

Our mission is to get young people (and the young at heart!) into the outdoors and develop their confidence, heart, and spirit. It is out of a desire to carry out this mission that inspired us to build a new kind of summer. These last few months have been unlike any other time in history. Therefore, I believe people are ready to get out of their houses and into the outdoors. They are weary from online school work and zoom meetings and ready to see nature, hear the wind in the trees, and feel refreshed. We, too, are ready to come together as a community and share in the beauty of nature - while remaining a safe distance of course!

We have built it, come check us out!

Tom Gattuso
Program Director