QUEENSTOWN — In preparation of the camp’s newest Queenstown location opening, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp welcomed volunteers for a day of camp preparation and all around good times on March 23.
Despite the rainy Saturday forecast, 35 volunteers rolled up their sleeves to prepare the location for renovations, helping to move furniture, gardening and cleaning, according to Nicole Bontrager, Maryland’s camp director.
The former Wye River Conference Center in Queenstown was donated to the camp by the Aspen Institute, including all the trimmings of furniture and equipment, and volunteers adamantly got to work to create a transformation into a one-of-a-kind camp for all.
Some volunteers even traveled from further northeast including Connecticut and Massachusetts to join in because of their excitement to see the new location, according to Bontrager.
“We are so grateful for all our volunteers interested in getting involved and getting to know us better,” she said.
Based in Connecticut, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a nonprofit residential summer camp and year-round center serving children and families coping with chronic illnesses.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp held a groundbreaking for the new Maryland location in August and is excited to commemorate the launch of the next chapter as it prepares to bring the magic of Hole in the Wall to the Eastern Shore.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has established partnerships and connections with regional hospitals with pediatrician programs and the Eastern Shore location will create an adjacent three-hour radius to provide a centrally-located site for Mid-Atlantic families.
The Queenstown location is expected to be ready for campers in 2025, with weekend programs for the whole family, including traditional camp activities of arts and crafts, wood shop and theater.
Bontrager loved the camp’s mission of providing no-cost inclusion for all families and children with a “different kind of healing.”
Family weekends make sure to get a camper’s entire household involved, with particular consideration on what caregivers go through on a regular basis.
No matter what, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp ensures all campers feel included, according to Bontrager.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’s facilities and programming are all family inclusive so that everyone, even those most isolated by serious illnesses, are able to find a caring community of support that understands their unique challenges, Bontrager said.
“It is wonderful to be able to create beautiful experiences for others,” she said.
More information about The Hole in the Wall Gang can be found at www.holeinthewallgang.org.
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