Pine Tree Society

Pine Tree Society Blog

Camp Sign offers a fun, language-accessible camp experience for deaf adults

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Camp Sign at Pine Tree Camp is a unique retreat designed for adults who are deaf or use sign or gesture and have an intellectual disability. Camp Sign will take place on September 20-22, 2016.

Many of our “campers” live in communication isolation as the only deaf person living in group homes scattered throughout Maine and beyond. Camp Sign offers a fun, language-accessible camp experience in a barrier-free environment.

Pine Tree Camp is set on 285 fully accessible acres of woods, fields and more than a mile of waterfront on North Pond in Rome, Maine. During their stay, campers will have the opportunity to connect with a peer group and benefit from participating in a full range of recreational activities all adapted to meet their needs. Campers will stay in beautiful new fully accessible camper cabins with breathtaking views of North Pond.

Hearing staff who work with and support campers will benefit from workshops and training opportunities designed to build skills in Visual Gestural Communication to better support individuals long after Camp Sign has ended.

To register, go to https://www.pinetreesociety.org/campsign.asp

For more information about Camp Sign, call 386-5993.

Dysart’s Snowmobile Ride-in to Benefit Pine Tree Camp Takes the Show on the Road

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Snow was hard to find, but the snowmobiles rode on in Newport at the 43rd annual Dysart’s Snowmobile Ride-in to benefit Pine Tree Camp. The lack of snow was a challenge, but everyone came together to make it work and, thanks to Dysart’s and Q106.5, a spectacle of hundreds of snowmobiles and celebrity riders rode in on a parade of trailers.

The riders continued the tradition of stuffing raw eggs down their snowmobile suits before hopping on the flatbeds. Each egg represented a $50 pledge from Q106.5 listeners and a total of $30,600 in pledges was raised by the Q106.5 Egg Ride for Pine Tree Camp; exceeding the $30,000 goal.

“This year marks Pine Tree Society’s 80th anniversary and this is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Tyler Cary, Development Officer. “This year we have already raised $104,000 and at least another $15,000 is still coming in, bringing the total raised to over $120,000.”

All proceeds from the Dysart’s Snowmobile Ride-in directly support Pine Tree Camp’s Campership Fund.

The top individual fundraiser was Wesley Daly. This 23-year- old Belgrade resident has been a Pine Tree camper since he was eight and he has participated in the Ride-in nearly every year since then. He not only loves the outdoors and coming to Pine Tree Camp in the summer, he loves winter activities too. He’s an avid snowmobiler and also skis and ice fishes.

This year, he raised $4,100. Pine Tree Camp has made a big difference in his life and he’s learned a lot about himself through his experiences there. He works hard to raise money for other campers to be able to attend because it’s his way of giving back.

“It’s a great camp and a great cause and I look forward to seeing people every year at the Ride-in.”

Following the Ride-in, the Dead River Company North Woods Law Meet and Greet took place at Newport Elementary School which drew fans from far and wide.

“We absolutely could not do this event without our volunteers,” said Cary. “They are critical to the success of the entire weekend of events.”

The next big fundraiser for the Campership Fund is the Paddle for Pine Tree Camp on Saturday, June 4. Volunteers and paddlers can get involved by visiting pinetreesociety.org.