Dear Families,
With a very broken heart, we are writing today to share with you that Camp Watitoh will not be opening this upcoming summer. We know how surreal and devastating this is to read and to process. It is the same for us as we write this letter to you. We are so grateful for your patience during these last few months, and especially these past few weeks while we were living with the uncertainty of the summer.
For months we have been cautiously optimistic about opening camp, making contingency plans and hoping for a clear path to emerge for us to open in a safe manner. We’ve been participating in seminars with colleagues, speaking with health officials, evaluating the accuracy of testing, and listening for more guidance from the state of Massachusetts. Unfortunately, even amidst all of these conversations and analysis, that path has not come to fruition for us.
It was important that we took the time to exhaust all possible scenarios before making this decision and we so appreciate your patience. We know it hasn’t been easy. At this point we feel no stone has been left unturned. In the end, we needed more certainty about this unknown virus to feel that we could keep our campers and staff emotionally and physically safe in a way that you trust us to do every summer.
We know this email does not come as a surprise, especially with so many camps making similar decisions. At the same time, it is still extremely disappointing. Attached you will find some resources to help speak with your child(ren) about this news and help them process this message. Campers are going to be sad, disappointed, angry, confused, and everything in between. Some of them may even be relieved because they were nervous about coming to camp under these circumstances. It is so important to give them the time and attention they need to get through this.
What we do know more than ever is that Watitoh is about the people and not the physical place. If we have learned anything the last few months, it is the strength of our community and relationships. It is those people who will get us through until we can be living the dream together for our 85th summer in person in 2021. We know that we will pick up right where we left off - developing friendships, building independence, and having fun in a warm, welcoming, supportive community.
We realize that there are many questions surrounding this decision, the financials, and what happens moving forward. Please click the Summer 2020 FAQ button below to find the answers to some of the most common questions and we welcome additional ones.
Please share this video message from us when you share this news with your camper(s). We will continue to connect with our camp family in the safest ways we can over the summer and until we can be together again. We will miss all of you so deeply this summer.
With love and hugs,
Britton and Drew