New Memories Made This Summer at Grotonwood Camp
As the summer heat dissipates and autumn leaves start falling, it’s time to reflect on another busy and fruitful summer here at Triangle, Inc. Summer brings us some of our fondest traditions: cookouts, beach trips, sporting events, and summer camp. Unfortunately, many people with disabilities miss out on the opportunity to enjoy the quintessential camp experience due to lack of accessibility. Thanks to the generosity of Grotonwood Camp, five Triangle participants were able to experience a fun-filled summer camp free of cost.
Grotonwood Camp, located in beautiful Groton, Massachusetts, is a camp that has been catering to youth and adults with disabilities for over 60 years. Tucked away on hundreds of acres of woods and fields, Grotonwood retains its old-fashioned camp charm. Breeze Everitt, Director of Programs and Pastoral Care at Grotonwood, describes the mission of the camp as “to disrupt the ‘camp’ stereotype and drag it into the 21st century, making it accessible to all ages and abilities.” Empowering campers is their biggest priority, where some people are staying away from home for the first time.
Grotonwood offers week-long “Adult Vacation” programs, which include activities such as swimming, fishing trips, a spa night, and a banquet. They go the extra mile in making sure people of all abilities can enjoy the plethora of adventures that the camp offers. This summer, they made tubing accessible to everyone by switching out the usual doughnut-shaped tube for an inflatable armchair! According to Breeze, “We encourage campers to try everything at least once while they’re at Grotonwood, and more importantly, to take positive risks in a safe and controlled program.”
We caught up with Alberto, who attended Grotonwood for the first time this summer. He loved his week at camp, and said his favorite activities were “swimming at the beach and going fishing.” It wasn’t just the activities that made the experience special for Alberto; he also had high compliments for the great food, especially the pizza and tacos in the camp cafeteria.
It is clear why Triangle participants keep returning to Grotonwood year after year. We asked Wayne, a longtime camper, what his favorite memory was, and he replied, “Archery. I got a bulls-eye!” Wayne also sang the praises of tubing, and his enthusiasm for the programming was evident.
We are so grateful that Grotonwood reached out to us to include our participants in on the summer fun. We look forward to continuing the partnership, and Breeze filled us in that “It is our hearts’ desire to be able to partner with Triangle next year for another amazing summer in which we can impact some more lives.” As colder weather approaches, we are so glad that our participants can look back on their fond memories at Grotonwood Camp!