Washington County YMCA Hosted Annual Children's Summer Camp

The Washington County YMCA wrapped up their annual children’s summer camp this past week, and it is safe to say everyone involved, kids and adult leaders, had a blast throughout this 8 week program. Children went on various field trips, fun “water day” activities, and they also made several types of crafts such as ocean paintings, paleontology-based crafts, grew crystal salt ornaments, and made sun catchers. They even grew their own fresh vegetables using an indoor hydroponic garden system!

After speaking with YMCA CEO Kristy Purlee and Program Coordinator Gavan Doane, it was clear that this program certainly means a lot to the children in our community.

Otto, Story, and Hazel showing off their ocean canvases

“We served over 50 kids this year at summer camp between preschool and elementary-age students over the past eight weeks,” said Purlee. “I’m not completely sure how long the summer camp has been a part of the community, but I have been here for 13 years, and I know they were doing it before me.”

“We try to have a variety of things,” added Doane. “We did a field trip every Wednesday. We visited Huber’s, Spring Mill, a water park in Madison, and the Piper Flight Museum at the Salem Municipal Airport.”

“They also went to Dan Neel’s farmhouse here in town,” Purlee added. “He showed them his natural pollinator garden, and they loved it! It’s butterfly mating season, so there were a lot of butterflies around, and the kids just loved it… Also, Stephanie Vines took them out on a tour of the Monon Trail and gave them a bit of history.

“We have a table over here with drawings from the children to help tell their ‘Y Stories,’” she continued. “So, when we asked them what they loved most about summer camp, they drew a picture and had something to say about it. This one says, ‘the creek was my favorite spot for water day.’ Every Tuesday and Thursday was water day… This one says, ‘I like camp, and I like the food, and I like water day.’ So, I think water day was a big hit… This next one is a story from one of our moms. She said that summer camp is the best thing that has ever happened for her little guy, and she said she is confident every day that she drops him off that he will be well taken care of and have tons of fun. She went on to say that her son loves his friends and teachers, and that it has been a blessing for her as a single mother who needed structure for her little guy in a loving, Christian environment. We get a lot of great feedback from the kids and the parents.”

“Even on the first day, I had a parent come up to me and say, ‘he has been talking about this for the whole week before camp even started,’” said Doane. “He just couldn't wait. Seeing these kids happy and making memories and friends is amazing when they could be at home on a couch watching TV.”

Kristy Purlee and Gavan Doane

Kristy Purlee then added that the summer camp is available to all kids no matter their financial situation. Due to their financial assistance program, they are able to make summer camp a reality for anyone that wants to participate.

“This wouldn’t be possible without our corporate partners (such as Temple & Temple, GKN, and First Savings Bank). They really help make summer camp possible,” Purlee noted. “Salem Schools has also been an incredible partner with this. We utilize Bradie Shrum Elementary for seven of the eight weeks for our elementary-aged kids, and it has really made all the difference.”

Much like many of the other campers, a young man named Otto was particularly fond of water day.

“My favorite part of camp was water day,” Otto said. “I really liked when we had a big inflatable water slides”

“That was for the entire community,” Purlee said. “That was a substance-free alternative event, but we started it early so our summer camp kids could enjoy it before we opened it up to the public… We had three giant, inflatable slides and a bounce house. It was a great time, and we actually had over 200 people show up.”

“There was also ice cream!” Otto added. “My favorite was the Oreo ice cream.”

Otto has two sisters, one younger and one older, and they are quickly becoming YMCA Summer Camp veterans. Otto’s older sister, Hazel, has attended three summer camps, Otto just finished his second, and his younger sister, Story, just attended her first one.

It is experiences such as this that make lifelong memories and friendships between children in our community, and it is all thanks to the generosity and passion that can be found among the employees and volunteers at the YMCA. People such as Kristy Purlee and Gavan Doane, just to name a couple, clearly exhibit just as much excitement as the children do when it comes time for summer camp, and they plan to continue the Washington County YMCA tradition of putting smiles on faces for many years to come.

Enjoy more photos below by Nathaniel Smith, Editor-in-Chief and Kristy Purlee, YMCA CEO!