Pine Tree Camp brings fully accessible summer day camp to Guilford
GUILFORD — Kids with disabilities in Piscataquis County can experience the freedom and fun of Pine Tree Camp this summer right in their own backyard. Pine Tree Camp is bringing “Camp on the Road” to Guilford for four week-long summer day camp programs; bringing a safe, adaptive camp experience to children with special needs and their siblings.
All four week-long summer day camp sessions will take place at the Friends of Community Fitness in Guilford. Campers ages 5-16 with a disability and their siblings are welcome to attend. Each week will be filled with accessible games and activities, including: arts and crafts, cooking, adaptive bikes, archery, pickleball, hiking, and plenty of favorite camp songs.
Families can apply for their children to attend more than one session and full tuition assistance is available.
ACCESSIBLE SUMMER CAMP — Last summer, siblings from the Harper family in Sangerville attended Pine Tree Camp’s accessible summer day camp in Guilford at Friends of Community Fitness. Vinnie, who is blind, tried biking for the very first time with camp counselor, Kiara, and inspired his little sister Gracie to get on an adaptive bike of her own. Pine Tree Camp’s fully accessible day camp program for kids with disabilities and their siblings returns to Guilford for four weeks this summer. Full tuition assistance is available.
“We know how hard it can be for families in Piscataquis County to travel to Pine Tree Camp, so we are removing that barrier by bringing the Pine Tree Camp experience to them,” said Camp Director Dawn Willard-Robinson. “We brought Pine Tree Camp on the road to Guilford for a week last summer and, based on the overwhelmingly positive feedback we received from the community, we expanded to four weeks this summer.”
Sangerville parents Sue and Lou Harper’s children attended last summer and look forward to returning again.
“Our kids had a ball,” said Sue. “Five days was not enough! They loved all the activities. For a lot of our kids, they are the only one in their school with a disability. They have the same needs and wants as other kids: to be accepted and make friends. What better way than to have Pine Tree Camp’s trained staff here to help.”
Who: Children with disabilities ages 5-16 and their siblings in Piscataquis County.
When: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Session 1: July 24-28. Session 2: July 31 to Aug. 4. Session 3: Aug. 7-11. Session 4: Aug. 14-18.
Where: Friends of Community Fitness, 31 High Street in Guilford.
Apply: https://pinetreesociety.org/campminder-info/. Full tuition assistance is available. Children can attend more than one session.
Established in 1945, Pine Tree Camp is Maine’s only American Camp Association-accredited camp for people with disabilities. Every year, hundreds of Maine children and adults with disabilities arrive at Pine Tree Camp in Rome and their lives are transformed. Year-round, campers experience freedom and independence by actively participating in outdoor activities like kayaking, boating, swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, archery, snowshoeing and even ice-fishing thanks to Pine Tree Camp’s 285-acre, fully-accessible campus on North Pond. Full tuition assistance is available. No camper has ever been turned away due to their ability to pay. For more, go to https://pinetreesociety.org/camp-home/.