Camp Loyaltown Celebrates Opening on June 15
On June 15, Session 1 campers arrived at our beautiful camp in Hunter, New York, starting what promises to be the best summer at Camp Loyaltown.
Among those arriving was Anthony Rossi, who first attended camp in 2019. This year marks his long-awaited return—an experience he’s been eagerly anticipating.
“I like to go swimming in that big pool,” Anthony shared when asked about his favorite camp experiences. “Those beautiful animals are my favorite.”
In addition to the activities and outdoor fun, Anthony enjoys connecting with fellow campers and counselors. This year, he hopes to make first-time campers feel welcome and at ease—Anthony remembers how nervous he was his first time at camp.
“He was never away from home before. We were both nervous, but he did great,” said Anthony’s mother, Lucille. “He enjoyed being there with his friends and made new friends too. It was a great experience for him, and I felt, as a mom, he was in good hands. The counselors were great and kept me informed on how he was doing. This time around, I won’t be so anxious.”
Throughout the year, Camp Loyaltown campers and staff have been working diligently to ensure that campers have everything they need to create lifelong memories at camp. Peter Hadfield, April Kloepfer, Michelle Rudoff, and Noah Probert, volunteered creative ideas to enhance the Camp Loyaltown experience, including new camp store merchandise and fresh activities, like forming a basketball team and sending home customized postcards.
Leading up to opening day, counselors and staff were on site, ensuring the property was ready for a busy summer ahead by planting flowers, cleaning the buildings, and preparing fun activities for both campers and counselors.
“We have an exciting season planned,” said Nyle Mohan, Unit Head of Programming. “This year’s focus centers more around choice. Last season, we had an options chart with the different activities listed. Campers had a choice on where to go. This season we have different options within each activity area.”
For example, on Hearts Day, a day in each session where campers and counselors can express their appreciation for one another through kind notes, one station in arts and crafts would be for bracelet making, while other stations would focus on writing cards of appreciation or designing hearts during the evening activity.
In addition to the many sensory experiences campers can have at Camp Loyaltown, they will have the opportunity to get their hands dirty in the garden, harvesting produce such as tomatoes and smelling herbs. Campers can also look forward to seeing their favorite farm animals again, with the addition of two more alpacas!
“We want to provide long-lasting, positive memories that when our campers depart, they’ll be excited to come back next season,” said Nyle.
We look forward to seeing all Camp Loyaltown campers!