Welcome to Mission Moment, a series from CEO Amy Vendt where she highlights moments from around the Bath Area Family YMCA that exemplify our association’s commitment to our mission of promoting the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities.
The Magic of Summer Camp
One of my favorite things about summer at the Y is seeing our buildings and programs come alive with camp kids. There is just something special about the energy they bring—the laughter, the excitement, the occasional chaos, and those moments when you see a child discover something new about themselves.
I think one of the reasons summer camp holds such a special place in my heart is because I was a Y camper myself. Some of my favorite childhood memories were made at camp. Looking back, I realize that the impact of those weeks at camp has stayed with me throughout my life.
So, when I walk through our camps today and see kids laughing, making friends, trying something for the first time, or coming back from an adventure with a huge smile on their face, I know just how meaningful those experiences can be. You never really know which summer memories might become the ones a child carries with them for the rest of their life.
This summer, 164 unique campers joined us for nine weeks of camp—128 in Bath and 36 through our new Brunswick specialty camp option. Together, they accounted for 605 camper experiences throughout the summer.
Our new Specialty camps gave kids the chance to go beyond traditional day camp activities and dive into experiences designed around their interests and sense of adventure. Campers participated in cook-offs, created erupting volcanoes, learned about science and animal adaptations, and had adventures at Funtown and Aquaboggan. They saw lions, tigers and bears, challenged themselves on amusement park rides, and, most importantly, made memories together.
“This was the best camp ever! My overnight camps were fun, but this has so much more! Thank you for making some of the best weeks of summer.”
For Kayla Royer, our Youth & Family Director, those words are exactly why our staff show up every day. “Being able to give kids an experience that goes beyond your typical day camp activities, while seeing their excitement and smiles, is why we do what we do. We’re always aiming for those, ‘This is the best day ever! This is the best camp ever!’ remarks,” Kayla shared. “When we hear those words and when campers are begging not to leave, like we saw when we launched our specialty camps, we know we’re doing something right.”
And that is the heart of the Y.
Often when we talk about our mission it can sometimes sound like big words: youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, belonging. But summer camp is where you can actually see those words in action.
You see a child who was nervous on Monday making a new friend by Friday. You see kids cheering each other on as they try something new. You see them get dirty, laugh until their stomachs hurt, conquer a fear, and discover that they are capable of more than they thought. We aren’t just providing nine weeks of childcare. We’re creating experiences that help kids grow, connect and believe in themselves.
And perhaps most importantly, we’re creating memories.
I still carry the memories of my own Y camp experiences with me. And I hope that someday, years from now, some of our campers will look back on their summers at the Y with that same sense of gratitude and say, “Those were some of the best weeks of my childhood.”
That is the magic of summer camp. And that is the Y at its best.
– Amy
Amy Vendt
Chief Executive Officer
Bath Area Family YMCA