Fall 2020 CAMP Newsletter

Fall 2020

Children’s Association for Maximum Potential Camp is Adapting Page 1

Virtual Programs Page 2

Volunteer Opportunities Page 3

Shop for CAMP Page 3

Family Retreats Pages 4-5

Congrats to Mason Pages 6-7

Gala Success!

Pages 8-9

Big Give 2020 Page 10

Volunteers Rock Page 11

CAMP T-Shirt Day

CAMP is doing what we do best...adapting!

Evolving and adapting programs to meet the current social, emotional, and physical activity needs of our campers is what we do best! CAMP’s successful endeavor into virtual programming has allowed us to safely connect with campers in a new and meaningful way.

Our creative Camping team has achieved this by taking CAMP directly to the camper – no matter where they are - through live, interactive, and engaging activities. In fact, the virtual session held in July included campers in Texas, Montana, California, and Mexico!

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Community Events Page 11

Tributes Page 12-13

Upcoming Dates Page 14

And now - we are excited to invite your camper to the upcoming CAMP Virtual Weekend, November 20th-22nd!

CAMP Virtual Weekend: November 20-22

During CAMP’s Virtual Weekend, staff will be hosting a variety of activities online! Your camper can experience arts & crafts, nature, music, dancing, and so much more. Once you are enrolled, your family will be provided with a CAMP "KITS" (Keep in Touch Supplies) that include all of the items needed for campers to participate in every activity. The goal of the weekend is to allow campers the opportunity to socialize and interact with their peers and CAMP staff while in a safe and appropriate online setting.

Learn More & Enroll: https://bit.ly/VirtualFall_CAMP Virtual Weekend Dates: November 20-22, 2020 Enrollment Opens: Enrollment Closes:

Monday, October 5, 2020 Friday, October 30, 2020

This year when we found out that CAMP was going virtual, my camper stated, "I wonder if camp will be as fun as the real stuff". The first day when we saw the smiling faces of the CAMP team counselors, we immediately felt the love the staff has for the campers. So much thought and creativity went into planning the camp activities - nature, arts and crafts, archery, music, dance. Character bingo was hilarious. By the end of the fun filled week, my camper felt connected to both the staff and the other campers. And, just like the real thing, my camper hated to see the end of the summer camp week. My camper said, "I'm so glad I got to do it." ~Marie Deger, Camper Parent

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Please Note: CAMP is looking for experienced volunteers who are at least 18 years old.

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Family Retreats Thanks Methodist Healthcare Ministries!

Thanks to Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc., CAMP was able to offer Family Weekend Retreats throughout 2020! What a gift to our community! During these weekends, families can experience CAMP with their camper. Family Weekend Retreats are designed to adapt all of CAMP's recreational and social activities for campers, while including the entire family.

Throughout the weekend, individuals with special needs and their families participate in traditional camping activities such as swimming, horseback riding, canoeing, archery, outdoor cooking, arts & crafts, nature discovery, paintball, music recreation, and more!

Although we are currently on a waiting list for the remainder of the Fall 2020 retreats, we look forward to announcing 2021 dates soon!

Again, thank you to Methodist Healthcare Ministries for making this amazing opportunity available to so many in the South Texas community. None of this would be possible without YOU!

“We are grateful to be able to get away to have quality time with family in a safe and friendly environment.�

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“Thank you so much for the opportunity.

Our kids needed something fun to do with options being so limited due to the pandemic.”

Thank you for making the Retreat possible for our family, we had a wonderful time and will be forever grateful.

“Thank you for the opportunity to attend this retreat. I don't think we could have afforded to go, if there had been a cost. This has been our only vacation this year and it was a blessing to be able to attend.”

“It was a great getaway and break for us.

We had lots of fun with the activities.”

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Congratulations Mason!

Congratulations Mason Howerton, CAMP’s Facilities Supervisor, for being one of the First Annual Hill Country 40 Under 40 Recipients!

Mason first came to Camp CAMP as a Volunteer Counselor when he was 14-years-old. He soon discovered he had a natural penchant and passion for working with CAMP’s horses and other animals and began returning summer-after-summer as part of CAMP’s Lead Staff, ultimately spending several summers as Head Instructor for Horseback. As he grew older, other educational and career activities led him away from serving on CAMP’s summer seasonal staff, but he always felt a connection to CAMP, and something kept calling him back. When a year-round position became available as Facilities Assistant, Mason came back home to Camp CAMP, making Center Point his home.

Since then his family has grown, and now includes a wife and three beautiful daughters, and CAMP means the world to all of them. In fact, he first met his wife years ago when they were both teenage volunteer counselors at CAMP! Mason is a Certified Pool Operator, a Certified Public Water System Operator, a Texas Master Naturalist, and lover of all animals. Today Mason serves as Facilities Supervisor at Camp CAMP and is constantly seeking to not only improve his own skills and knowledge, but also to use them in improving Camp CAMP and mentoring current and future generation of teens and young adults who are following in his footsteps.

CAMP is incredibly proud of Mason and is thrilled he is one of the First Annual Hill Country 40 Under 40 Recipients!

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Over 1,000 friends of CAMP tuned in on Saturday, August 29, 2020, as we hosted the 12th Annual Starry Night CAMP Gala. While the event is typically held in-person at the San Antonio Country Club, this year that just wasn’t possible, so it was moved online! The event streamed live on both CAMP’s Facebook page and on the event website and included a silent auction and Fund the Fun paddle raiser. Watch parties were hosted online and small groups of friends and families gathered to watch the event together. “While it was disappointing being unable to celebrate with everyone in person, I am amazed at the number of camper families, volunteers, and donors who tuned in to watch the event. Our community has shown us incredible support and we are truly grateful,” said Susan Osborne, CEO. The event was emceed by long-time camper, Abigail Fisher, featured Julie Allen, camper parent and board member, and Jenn Fisher, camper parent, healthcare volunteer and former camper. Attendees also got a first look at CAMP’s new promotional video. Thanks to the generous support of our wonderful sponsors and donors, over $220,000 NET was raised, a new record for CAMP! Funds raised support CAMP’s mission of strengthening and inspiring individuals with special needs – and those who care for them – through Recreation, Respite, and Education.

Missed the event? You can still watch it on CAMP’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/campcampcptx.

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Thanks to your incredible support, the Big Give 2020 raised

$55,017!

Because of your support, campers have life-changing experiences, families experience CAMP together, teens are expertly trained to be volunteer counselors, healthcare professionals have continuing education opportunities, and parents receive a much needed break.

For parents and caregivers of children and adults with special needs, this means the world to them, and you mean the world to us!

Thank You!

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CAMP Volunteers & Staff Rock!

Fall season is in full swing and going great thanks in part to the dedication of CAMP’s fantastic staff and volunteers! Following new safety and social distancing protocols, staff and volunteers are serving as Activity Pals during the Family Weekend Retreat program to facilitate all the traditional summer camp activities, such as - canoeing, arts & crafts, archery, and so much more!

While we are extremely happy to have our staff and volunteers back on site at Camp, we look forward to when all in-person programs may resume and everyone can join in the fun together. We thank all our devoted staff and volunteers for attending and showing the families in the CAMP community a fantastic time. Your commitment to strengthening CAMP’s mission is greatly appreciated. Cheers to a new reimagined season full of fun around the CAMP fire!

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Tributes are from July 1 through August 31

Louis Bradbury

by Kenneth Quay Vincent Esqueda

by George and Mary Esqueda Trent Evans

by Dee Evans

by Matt Evans

by Rebecca Goldstein

by Nancy Smith Nancy Gerson

by Susan Amster

by Anonymous

by Isabel Bass

by Iris Berman Smith

by Ben and Elinore Brown

by Susan Butler

by Ellie Drileck

by Robert Eichelbaum

by Mel and Marlene Eichelbaum

by Wendy Geisler

by Geri Gregory

by Mickey Gross

by Tim and Dianna Hopkins

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Nancy Gerson (continued)

by Eileen Jalnos

by Ursula Kaplan

by Elaine Kovner

by Richard Kay

by Beth Keough

by Elaine Kovner

by Michele Krapf

by Elaine Lauterstein

by Natalie Levine

by Linda Levy and Daniel Laser

by Babette Margolis

by Andrea McDaniel

by Margie Plough

by Laraine Pofsky

by Cathy Pottorf

by Joan Robinowich

by Lori Stockstiel

by Fred and Mindi Weiss

by Lauren and Dan Weiss

by Marty and Rene Wender

by Dick and Ruthie Wurzburg

Elena Leautaud

by Pilar Aguilar

Major Griffin Hill

by Robert Swartz

Robert Zavala

by Matt and Dee Evans

Sydney Malcolm

by Daniel Rubio Logan Moodie

by Roland Moodie Lillian Plunkett

by Cathy Rauschendorfer and Alan Plunkett Madeleine Reichert Zachary

by Gayle Alterman

by Jessica Zachary

Jordan Terry

by Bernard Flowers Joseph Thomson

by Stacie Turnbow Lauren Weiss

by Ruthie Wurzburg

Tributes are from July 1 through August 31

CMSgt and Mrs. Tommie J. Anderson

by Regina Anderson

Rhett Urban

by Paul and Jaydean Urban

Paul Petrosky

by Carolyn Marlatt

by Jo Lynn Petrosky

Caleb Anderson Veale

by Dorothy Veale

Lauren Pickett

by Amber Baskin

by Lauren Christopherson

by Shannon Dunbar-Rubio

by Amy James

by Diane Powledge

by Reva Whisman

by Amy Witherite

Joshua Ellis Veale

by Dorothy Veale

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Mark Your Calendars 2020

Events

Wear Your CAMP Shirt Day November 12 J. McLaughlin Online Shopping Event November 18-19 Virtual Weekend: November 20-22

Giving Tuesday December 1 Family Retreats: October 16-18

| November 6-8 | December 11-13

Children’s Association for Maximum Potential PO Box 27086 | San Antonio, Texas 78227 (210) 671-5411 | www.campcamp.org