In June of 1965 Meeting Waters YMCA ran its first summer camp on a loaned field in North Westminster. Fifty years later, the regional Y’s camps continue to play a vital role in keeping kids engaged and active in the summer while also providing working parents with day-long care. Over those years, more than 12,000 area children have now spent between one and eight weeks of their summer break developing new skills, forming new friendships and making lasting memories.

On Thursday, August 7^th from 6-8pm, Meeting Waters YMCA is holding a celebration and reunion for campers, camp staff, volunteers and donors that have been part of the half-century of history, fun and impact. The event will be held at the Y’s Lewis Day Camp facility on Missing Link Road in Springfield, home of its camp programs since 1987.

“We are very proud of our 50 years of helping kids learn, grow and thrive in the summer months,” said Executive Director Steve Fortier. “It’s rewarding to reflect on the fact that we’ve been such an important and memorable part of so many young people’s experiences—well, when they were young. Some are not so young anymore!”

Fortier says he sees the August 7^th event as having two main themes. “It’s an opportunity for campers and camp staff from over all the years to have a reunion of sorts. I hope a lot of connections are re-established.” He adds, “We also look forward to the opportunity to thank the many people—volunteers and donors—that got our camps off the ground in the 60s, those that helped us elevate our quality and impact by creating a beautiful, permanent home for our camp in the 80s, and those that have ensured that our camp has always been accessible to all children with their donations to our Reach Out to Youth Fund.” Fortier estimates that over the past 50 years, parents have benefited from around $1.25 million in financial assistance and subsidized services.

The committee that’s been working on the celebration has planned a theme of “A Day at Camp” which will involve camp activities from throughout the years. There will also be a brief ceremony with comments from former campers who are now parents of current campers as well as a couple of volunteers who played vital roles in developing camp. The evening will end with a campfire as has been the tradition at family nights over the 50 years.

The 50^th celebration is free and open to the public. Fortier asks former campers and staff to help with outreach. “Unfortunately, our records before 1998 are not very good. We need help from others to spread the word about the event. If you’re still in touch with a friend from camp, please let them know about the celebration. It’s also listed within the ‘events’ tab on our Facebook page, so people can go there and share it on their wall or invite their friends that way.”

For more information, visit http://www.meetingwatersymca.org, Meeting Waters YMCA on facebook, or call the Y at their office nearest you—Brattleboro: 246-1036 or BF: 463-4769.

Meeting Waters YMCA is a charitable, social service organization founded in 1895. Its programs and services focus on youth development, healthy living, social responsibility and family strengthening throughout the Fall Mountain, Bellows Falls, Springfield and Brattleboro regions.