Hey, Camp Fans!
Your camp stories for the Everything Summer Camp ‘Share Your Camp Story’ Contest were all so great! I had such a fun time reading through them all and now I’m excited to be sharing them with all our readers here on the Blog! Since I’ve finished announcing our ten lucky winners who took larger prizes, I’ve moved on to the rest of your submissions and we’re posting each submission one by one!
The following post is from Renee M. who wrote in to tell us about her son’s summer stay at Camp Manitou. Here it is:
“My oldest son, Xander age 8, has special needs and went to Camp Manitou this summer. It was a six-night, seven-day camp. The first time he went away without any family to help him through anything. I was so nervous and his excitement was just not containable. I feared the counselors would not understand him, the other kids would make fun of him, and he would be cast out from being involved. I figured he would last a day and a night. I was so wrong. I waited for phone calls and sent letters. Eventually, I called just to check up on him at day three. He was having an amazing time. The counselors listened to everything I told them about helping him process his emotions and his environment. He swam every chance he could get and bonded with his counselors and made friends. I cried. It was amazing that so many people told me not to send him. That he was not ready and did not think he could handle the environment. He loved it so much he is going back to fall camp this October. My other children will be going when they reach the right ages. Camp Manitou is a part of our family because they made my son a part of theirs. Summer camp changed my son to be a better young man. He got to prove his school teachers and my father and his wife wrong. I am so proud of him and even though he saw the lake and said ‘Mom, look at the ocean. I hope the sharks don't get me.’ He overcame his fear and learned that it was just a lake. I truly believe every child should get to experience summer camp at least once in their life time. He will remember his first time at camp for the rest of his life. Even though I try, I could never give him what summer camp gave him this summer.”
Wow! What a powerful submission, Renee! Thank you so much for sharing your experience and praise of summer camp! It too is something powerful as this summer has shown you! I’m so glad that it had such a positive impact on Xander and that the sharks didn’t get him! How great that Camp Manitou was such a great fit for your son! If anybody else is interested in Camp Manitou, you can give it a closer look by clicking here and, as always, thanks for reading!
- John