More than 9,000 Reasons to Celebrate This Anniversary!

Posted: Oct 24, 2012 at 11:03 PM [Oct 24, 2012]

“We have 9,260 reasons to celebrate our 50^th Anniversary,” states Washtenaw Camp Placement Association (WCPA) Board President, Sara Simon.  Simon is referring to the number of camperships that WCPA has awarded to high-risk area youth since its founding in 1962.   WCPA believes that attending resident summer camp is a unique life experience that provides youth an opportunity for growth in social, emotional and physical well-being. 

 

A campership is defined as one or two weeks of expense-paid summer resident camp, plus supportive services. Services may include clothing and gear, medical examinations, an orientation for campers and their families, and/or transportation. 

 

WCPA is the only camping program that accepts referrals from teachers and counselors in all Washtenaw county schools, as well as human service agencies throughout the county.  Applicants must currently be in grades 4 through 11.

 

Volunteers such as Sally Lamkin and Judy Mohr spend countless hours reviewing applications in order to place in camps youth most likely to benefit from the experience.

 

Through the years dozens of camps have partnered with WCPA by providing reduced fees.  In 2012 the partner camps were YMCA Camp Al-Gon-Quian at Burt Lake, YMCA Camp Copneconic at Fenton, YMCA Camp Eberhart at Three Rivers, YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha on Torch Lake, Camp Lookout at Frankfort, Mystic Lake YMCA Camp at Lake, and YMCA Storer Camps at Jackson.

 

The 50^th Anniversary Celebration will be held on Sunday, October 28.  For more information, call WCPA Executive Director Jane Talcott at 734.971.4537. 

 

WCPA receives support from individual donors, and has received grants from the Ann Arbor Area Community Fund, the James A. and Faith Knight Foundation, the Ray and Eleanor Cross Foundation, the Buhr Foundation and organizations such as Kiwanis and the Ann Arbor Eagles Auxiliary.  To donate online visit WashtenawCampPlacement.org.