If there was ever a summer in which camp borders on being mandatory, the summer of 2021 has to be it. Kids have been cooped up for far too long, separated from their friends, and staring at screens for months on end. With Covid receding and families embracing normalcy with record levels of enthusiasm, the good old-fashioned play, fun, discovery, freedom, and safety of Y camp have finally arrived!
Last week was the “soft launch” of our camp season and this week is the one in which thousands of kids now roar into 15 Y camps across the region more than ready for the special joys, friendships, and learning that comes with it. As evidence of both the need families have to help their children regain their footing and sense of security and the excellent experience Y camps offer, we have exceeded our enrollment goals for the summer and have a waiting list at many locations.
What makes the Y’s camps so special, you ask? Well, try these answers on for size:
- The large variety of options from traditional day camps to teen adventure and overnight camps to specialty camps including arts, science, technology, and sports;
- The expertise, devotion to quality, and intentionality behind the planning;
- The amazing kindness of teams of volunteers who converged on our campsites this spring to help prepare them for the onslaught; and
- The generosity of close to 800 donors who have given more than $225,000 (and still counting) to help assure that Y camp remains accessible to all.
To the hundreds of Y associates, across virtually every pocket of our organization, who support our camp work, thank you for making this summer of fun happen. The thousands of children and families your work impacts may never know the effort all of you put into this, but they will long remember the experiences they had this summer and how happy they made them feel!
Thank you.
All the best,
John
John K. Hoey
President & CEO
The Y in Central Maryland