In the aftermath of September 11, Americans felt a profound desire to
aid the victims. We gave blood. We wrote checks. We donated to help rescue
efforts. And it still didn't feel like enough. CampGroup, which owns
eight camps in the northeast and midwest, decided to help by doing what
we do best - providing an outstanding summer camp experience for the
children who had lost a parent on September 11. CampGroup established
America's Camp, a one-week resident camp to be situated on the grounds
of Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
Attracting Campers
The first crucial task was to attract campers. To do so, we approached
the Twin Towers Fund, the organization started by Rudolph Giuliani in
the aftermath of September 11 to support the families of fallen police
officers, firefighters, and Port Authority workers. Larry Levy, president
of the Twin Towers Fund, and a former camper himself, recognized the
benefits of camp for every child, and the Twin Towers Fund signed on
as a sponsor. The Fund agreed to invite its children to the camp. Soon
after, the Hotel and Restaurant Workers Union agreed to contact its victim
families, and several companies affected by the tragedy contacted theirs.
Senator Ted Kennedy and Boston Mayor Tom Menino contacted families in
the Boston area.
On Sunday, August 18, seventy-eight children boarded two buses at Shea
Stadium for a week they would never forget. Some, anxious about leaving
home and family for the first time since September 11, struggled to board
the bus. Others hopped on cheerfully. Camp was underway!
Action-packed
The camp was action-packed. From the Polar Bear Swim at 7:15 a.m. to
archery, water skiing, and a myriad of sports activities, the campers
experienced everything that camp offers. The program was almost entirely
elective, with campers free to participate in a wide variety of activities.
Special events highlighted every day. One afternoon, the main ball field
was transformed into a carnival with rides, booths, and cotton candy.
Verne Troyer, "Mini Me" of the Austin Powers movies, and Phil Fondacaro
of Willow flew in to spend time with the campers. Jason and Jared Collins
of the NBA's Utah Jazz and New Jersey Nets and Tiny Archibald held basketball
clinics for the children. The campers took part in an all-day Patriot
Games. There were trips to a local Alpine Slide and an MTV night.
America's Camp was not a grief camp. It was first and foremost about
fun. The spirit and enthusiasm were remarkable and infectious. Music
and dancing punctuated every meal - with campers and staff dancing on
their chairs to the tunes of songs like "Reach for the Stars" and "Build
Me Up, Buttercup." Cabin groups cheered constantly, generating excitement
wherever they went. During one unforgettable night in the local ballpark,
America's Camp kids led the entire stadium in cheers of "Go Black Bears,
Go!"
For one week, no one was labeled a "9-11 kid" or was looked at differently
- because each child shared a common tragedy. Campers were surrounded
by trained, loving adults who helped them enjoy just being kids . . .
kids who ran and played and smiled and laughed all day long.
Grief and Healing
With so many children, all touched by the same tragedy, grief and healing
were inevitably part of America's Camp. To assist in understanding and
handling these issues, Camp Danbee's Jay Toporoff, a director of America's
Camp, enlisted the Center for Grieving Children in Portland, Maine. The
Center sent twenty-five volunteer "buddies." Two buddies were assigned
to each of the ten cabins, providing ongoing support for anyone in need.
A camp building was converted into "Buddy Central," a quiet place to
work on memory crafts, do quiet reading, or just talk. Downstairs, a "Volcano
Room" was outfitted with foam toys and padding, so children could work
out any anger they were feeling. Before bed each night, the cabin buddies
directed "sharing time" - a time when campers and cabin staff could share
as much as they wished.
Reflecting on the week, Linda Kelly, who coordinated the buddies, said, "During
the week, I experienced some of the richest, deepest sharing that I have
ever witnessed. It's because the kids felt loved and safe. They were
all there because of the same event."
Extraordinary Staff
America's Camp was staffed with an extraordinary group of staff members
drawn from CampGroup's resident camps - Danbee, Mah-Kee-Nac, Walt Whitman,
Wicosuta, Winaukee, and Winadu. The eighty volunteer staff were talented,
compassionate, and full of energy. Each staff member gave up a day off
during the regular camp season to attend a one-day training session.
As soon as the traditional eight weeks of camp had ended, the staff headed
straight to America's Camp for another thirty-six hour orientation. Bob
Ditter, noted camp consultant, was at America's Camp to support the staff
and the campers - "debriefing" cabin counselors each night to identify
camper and staff issues. The impact of Bob's support of both children
and staff was immeasurable.
At a special campfire ceremony on the first night, Jed Dorfman, assistant
director at Walt Whitman and an America's Camp director, set the tone
for the staff: "We all come from different camps and cultures, but starting
right now we're one staff - the America's Camp staff." Staff shirts were
handed out and were worn proudly for the rest of the week. For an entire
week, not a complaint was heard. Rather, there were only thanks.
In a post-camp note to the directors, one staff member expressed the
sentiments of many. "Thank you for letting me be a part. I can't remember
a time when I have ever been as moved as I was by those children and
at the same time, felt so satisfied that I was making a difference in
a child's life. You have done a wonderful thing for the families of 9-11
and for me, as well. It was amazing to see so many people from the different
camps come together so quickly - as if we all had been one staff all
summer - and to see all of these kids bond so quickly not only with the
staff, but with each other."
A New Beginning
As the week drew to a close, the camp assembled for a final campfire.
Many campers spoke. Several said they hoped that when they returned home,
they would find the kind of support that they had experienced at camp.
Each child received a small bag containing four stones and the following
inscription: "These stones were chosen just for you and have special
meaning. The smooth stones are like the bright and shiny parts of you,
the parts that have healed and grown, and are stronger than before. The
rough stone is like that corner of your heart that may always feel a
little rough and painful because of what's happened to you. But because
of what's happened to you, may you always be stronger, more gentle, and
more tender with all the people in your life."
The buses returned to Shea Stadium the following morning, and campers
and staff exchanged tearful good-byes. One mother summed up the feelings
of the families who had come to pick up their children. "My son hadn't
smiled in nine months," she said, "but I've been looking at the pictures
on your Web site all week, and he hasn't stopped laughing and dancing!"
Reflections
In the days and weeks following, many were left to reflect on the meaning
of this extraordinary week. Chris Raymond, who coordinated dozens of
volunteers from the local community, summed up her experience: "None
of us will ever be able to eradicate the image of the airplanes smashing
into the Twin Towers, but I shall be able to move that image aside and
replace it with the smiles on the kids when they had their nails done,
their hair styled, climbing on the sculptures at the Rockwell Museum
- when they hip-hopped across the floor, ran around the bases during
softball games, came back up the steps from water skiing, and displayed
their woodworking boxes. All wonderful, beautiful smiles."
Larry Levy, president of the Twin Towers Fund, shared these words about
the camp with the families supported by the fund. "Maybe it wasn't a
miracle, but it was the best playground on earth. Every child asked us
to have a camp next year and to have reunions during the year. Every
child felt better after camp than before it. Every child deserves to
have a childhood, and we will do everything we can to keep America's
Camp going for them."
Originally published in the 2003 January/February
issue of Camping Magazine.
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