New facilities and new programs create extraordinary experiences at Pine Tree Camp

Bath, Maine -- Fourteen-year-old Kelley Handy had an incredible experience at Pine Tree Camp this summer. And though the time she spent there was truly extraordinary, it seems that the feelings she holds are quite common among the hundreds of campers who spend part of their summer on North Pond.

"Pine Tree Camp's like a dream come true and everyone does everything to make sure you belong," she said. "Last year was my first year and I was scared to death, but once I got here it's great and by the eleventh day you're not just campers and counselors you're like family."

According to Dawn Willard-Robinson, Pine Tree Camp's Director of Program Management, the idea of connecting with peers, making new friends and spending time with old ones is very important to Pine Tree campers.

"For so many of our campers, their stay at Pine Tree Camp is the only time they get to connect with people their own age who are living with disabilities," said Willard-Robinson. "It's really an even playing field for them, they all have similar experiences, they can all relate to each other."

Kelley has met a lot of special friends during her stay at Pine Tree Camp.
"Actually, I met my first best friend here, her name is Kayla," she said. "We both have Cerebral Palsy and she's been the best influence on me. When we get here we're inseparable."

Tennis, basketball courts and Rec Hall offer more fun
During their stay, Kelley, Kayla and the nearly 600 other Pine Tree campers spend their days participating in a variety of engaging activities like swimming, boating, kayaking, fishing, acting in plays, hiking on accessible nature trails and playing outdoor games.

This year, for the first time, campers had the opportunity to play tennis and basketball on Pine Tree Camp's adaptive tennis and basketball courts. Located in Pine Tree Camp's large athletic field, the tennis and basketball courts were a popular place. The courts were made possible with support from the Adam Bailey Foundation.

"The campers loved playing tennis," said Willard-Robinson. "For many, it was their first opportunity to swing a racket. This year we offered basic adaptive tennis instruction and we look forward to expanding the program in the coming years."
Campers also had the opportunity to spend time in Pine Tree Camp's newly built Recreation Hall. The Rec Hall, as it's commonly referred to, is home to drama programming, but according to Willard-Robinson, the new building was specifically designed to serve a very important purpose.

"There are several weeks during the summer where it's just so hot and humid. That, coupled with the fact that we are serving more and more medically fragile campers who cannot regulate their body temperature, made it imperative that we have a building that was fully climate controlled," she said. "The new Rec Hall is air conditioned so on those really hot days, the entire camp can get together for movies, a dance or a play."

The new building replaces a nearly 40-year-old building that sat on stilts and had a rickety wooden floor and poor air circulation. The new structure, built with support of volunteers from Sappi Fine Paper, features a concrete foundation, large windows and two accessible bathrooms.

Campers and counselors alike have thoroughly enjoyed the new stage, complete with lighting and sound system. Their summer production of “Charlotte's Web” was made all the more special with dramatic lighting and sound effects.
According to Drama Director Greg King, acting on stage is something the campers relish.

"They most likely don't have the opportunity to do this kind of thing at home," he said. "But here we have a completely accessible stage and building for them to do their drama in and it's usually a big deal because they don't get this opportunity, so it's nice for their friends to be able to see them on stage. They love it."

Pine Tree Camp opens day camp
In addition to new tennis and basketball courts and a new Rec Hall, Pine Tree Camp offered its inaugural year of Camp Pine Cone, a day camp for children with physical and/or developmental disabilities ages five to 12.

"We've seen the need for day camp opportunities designed to meet the needs of children with disabilities grow over the past couple of years," said Willard-Robinson. "Camp Pine Cone was designed to meet those needs by offering a camp experience to younger children and children who might not be ready to attend Pine Tree Camp's traditional overnight camp."

For Deanna Fowles, Camp Pine Cone gave her daughter Madison the opportunity to participate in a day camp that was completely accessible to her.

"Oh my goodness, it's amazing," she said. "She doesn't want to go home in the afternoon. She's just taken to everybody here. There's so much love for these children."

Madison, along with 29 other campers, spent five fun-filled days at Camp Pine Cone. Like Pine Tree Camp, all of the activities Camp Pine Cone offered were completely adapted to meet the special needs of the campers. Campers participated in a variety of activities like swimming, nature trail hiking, boating, fishing and arts and crafts projects. Unlike Pine Tree Camp, campers came in the morning and went home in the afternoon and many campers brought a parent or a one-on-one care attendant to offer essential support.

Camp Pine Cone coordinator Melanie Dash said that the presence of support from the campers’ parents and caregivers added a new dimension to the program.

"The help and enthusiasm has been just incredible," said Dash. "They're there supporting their child or any child for that matter who needs an extra hand and they really stand back, letting the child succeed and participate, bringing out their independence."

According to Dash, changes in campers were evident after just a short amount of time.

"I’ve definitely seen growth between day one and day three," said Dash. "They're more confident, more social. I think they're just loving the camp experience."

Click here to learn more about Pine Tree Camp and Camp Pine Cone.