The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

camp

Harvey Cavalier Summer Camp OPEN HOUSE: Sat., Feb. 6

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pool time harvey

The Harvey Cavalier Summer Camp will hold its next off season open house, Saturday, Feb. 6, at The Harvey School, 260 Jay Street, Katonah, NY from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The 125-acre camp, which features arts, crafts, theater, dance, gymnastics, swimming, sports and ice skating, is a limited enrollment program for children entering Pre-K through ninth grade in September 2016.

The 2016 summer session begins Tuesday, July 5, and runs through Friday, Aug.12. For more information, parents should call (914) 232-0581 or visit: www. harveycavaliercamp.org

Should the event need to be postponed due to bad weather, the open house would be held Feb. 20.

Harvey Cavalier is a private, nonprofit camp for children who live in the counties of Westchester, Putnam and Fairfield, Conn.
Camp Pool image

“I Did it!” A Look Back at the 2015 Sunrise Day Camp Walk

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team jordan

By Zarah Kavarana

A little girl clings on to her mother’s hand as the two cross the finish line at the third annual Sunrise Day Camp fundraising walk-a-thon, SunriseWALKS. “I did it!” she beams, one by one high-fiving camp counselors and event helpers. In her excitement, the blue bandana tied over her tiny bald head nearly knocks off.

Over 120 participants arrived at the Henry Kaufmann Campgrounds in Pearl River early on Sunday, June 14 for the walk, showing their support for Sunrise and its children. Nearly $110,000 was raised at the event.

Sunrise-LayoutSunrise Day Camp is the only day camp in the world for children with cancer and their siblings. It functions just like any other camp, making traditional activities like arts and crafts, swimming and sports available to campers in a safe setting where they can meet children their own age who have endured similar struggles.

Children ages 3 1/2 to 16 years are invited to attend–completely free of charge. Sunrise is able to absorb a $6,000 fee per camper by hosting multiple fundraising events, like SunriseWALKS throughout the year.

“I think that it’s really important to understand that cancer bankrupts families,” said Sunrise Camp Director and Associate Executive Director of the Rosenthal JCC, Sandy Haft. “It crushes them not only emotionally, but economically.” With every dollar raised, Sunrise is able to ease some financial burden for families of children with cancer and simultaneously create some normalcy in their lives.

The camp runs for 7 1/2 weeks, but each child’s schedule is flexible based on their personal medical needs. Sunrise staff is always understanding about campers missing a day if they don’t feel well or have doctor’s visits scheduled. Two nurses are on site every day, ready to care for campers appropriately, and a team of friendly counselors facilitate activities to make the experience enjoyable.

Sunday’s event kicked off with a delicious breakfast catered by Bristal Assisted Living to energize participants before they embarked on a one-mile walk around the campgrounds. Carnival style games and bouncy houses welcomed back walkers. There was free popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream for all to enjoy, while a DJ kept the crowd dancing.

Mother of three Sunrise campers, Lakaya Sewer, was chosen to be the speaker for the event. She lost her job soon after her oldest son, 15-year-old Ky-mani was diagnosed with brain cancer two years ago. Since then he has undergone surgery, but surgeons determined that his tumor was better off left in because of its position, afraid that taking it out might bring on other issues.

Ky-mani is taking life day by day. His mother says that Sunrise has become an important part of his life, having met many friends and received the support of camp leaders. She noted that Sunrise Day Camp has not failed to let her down either.

“For me, being pushed into the cancer world was really hard because you no longer feel like you’re living a normal life,” said Sewer. “Sunrise is a big, giant family with people who understand my story. It gives me peace that I’m not alone in this.”

Michele Anastasia also attended the event with her two Sunrise sons, four-year-old Giancarlo and eight-year-old Santino, who was diagnosed with Leukemia in early 2014. After a year of endless hospital visits, he is accepting treatments well and progressing nicely.

Just four days before camp started last year, Anastasia’s home burned down and the family lost everything. Sunrise was quick to step up, providing them with t-shirts and taking care of the kids’ lunches and snacks on camp days. “After last year, everything’s a piece of cake,” said Anastasia. “But it’s comforting to come here and know that everyone has a story of their own. Sunrise has been there and will be there for all of us.”

“The work we do here is not a labor of love,” said Haft. “It’s truly love.” For more info, visit sunrisedaycamp.org

Zarah Kavarana is entering her senior year at Boston University.

Ready… Set… Summer!

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North Castle Recreation Offers Host of Programs

Proud campers showing off their artwork
Proud campers showing off their artwork

By Liz Susman Karp • North Castle Recreation Photos

At last, the warm weather is here, and the North Castle Recreation Department is gearing up to make the most of the summer season.

Serving residents of Armonk, North White Plains and Banksville, Matt Trainor, M.S.C.P.R.P., Superintendent of Recreation & Parks, says, “Summer is more than just camp.” There are now programs before and during the camp season for pre-school and school-age children, in addition to a host of varied offerings for them and adults extended throughout the summer.

This is also the first year North Castle Recreation will run the Anita Louise Ehrman Pool at Greenway Road. According to Trainor, who has an extensive aquatic management background, it will be run like a true municipal facility with a reasonable and varied fee structure for residents and non-residents. Open from Memorial Day through Labor Day–weekend hours of 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. through June and then every day from 
9 a.m.-7:30 p.m. through Labor Day–he encourages all to come out and enjoy the pool.

Passes were available at the Hergenhan Recreation Center, 40 Maple Ave, the first week in May. As of this writing, rates will range from $200-$600 for resident individuals and families and up to $950 for a non-resident family barring any late registration fees. Those interested in working as a lifeguard can download an application at www.northcastleny.com.

Swimming is a favorite activity at camp
Swimming is a favorite activity at camp

The camp season runs from June 30th-August 7th, with two popular traditional day camps and a teen tour option. Now in its fourth year, Camp Kick-a Poo, held at Coman Hill School, serves up to 120 pre-schoolers age three to five (age three by Dec. 1st, 2015 and toilet-trained) with two three-week sessions for three-year-olds, and up to six weeks for four-and-five year olds. Children can get acquainted with the school they will attend before the first day of kindergarten, easing that transition.

Bus transportation is available for most areas of town for children grades K-8 who attend Camp Chippewa, held at Wampus School. This longstanding program accommodates up to 330 children for up to six weeks. Activities at both camps include swimming, arts and crafts, water play, sports, music and special events in outdoor and indoor facilities if necessary to beat the heat.

For those who’ve completed grades 6-10, Trainor recommends the exciting four-week teen tour program, which alternates weekly overnight and day trips; some upcoming highlights are a visit to Hershey Park, white water rafting in the Lehigh Valley, and attending a Mets game and Wicked on Broadway.

Programs offered before camp and throughout the summer include youth tennis and basketball and US Sports Institute soccer for pre-schoolers, with and without their parents, which are “insanely popular during the year and we’re hoping that trend continues into the summer,” says Trainor.

Dancing and fun in the Coman Hill gym
Dancing and fun in the Coman Hill gym

A range of week-long camps are available after August 7th, including tennis for children entering grades K-5, TGA Premier Golf for those who have completed grades K-8, Mad Science programs Secret Agent Lab, Red Hot Robots and Eureka! Invention for children entering grades K-4 and First Play Soccer by US Sports Institute for ages 5-11.

For the first time, Pilates classes at Hergenhan Rec Center, and tennis clinics at Lombardi Park will run for adults throughout the summer. As in the spring, all tennis courts will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in one hour increments.

Special events for seniors include a trip to Belmont Race Track on June 18th, and to see the classic musical, West Side Story, at the Westchester Broadway Theater on July 1st.

Other events of note: family bingo nights are June 5th and 19th at the North Castle Community Center (10 Clove Road, White Plains), a daylong New York State Boating & PWC/jetski safety certification (licensing) course is offered on June 27th and July 25th at the Hergenhan Center (register at safeboating.com) and four summer concerts, including a Broadway revue, are planned by the Small Town Theatre Company (visit www.SmallTownTheatre.com for schedule and venues).

Campers enjoy seeing a turtle during a visit from a nature specialist
Campers enjoy seeing a turtle during a visit from a nature specialist

Walking trails, playgrounds and fields at all 13 parks are open for use; park or recreation facilities are available for rental, for recreational purposes or for commercial use with special permission. Forms are available on the recreation department’s website at www.northcastleny.com or by calling 914-273-3325. Trainor praises the convenience of the department’s online registration system at recreation.northcastleny.com and encourages all to always register early so a class is not cancelled due to low enrollment. Financial aid forms for Camp Kick-a-Poo or Chippewa can also be obtained at the center.

To stay up to date with recreation news, visit www.northcastleny.com, click on e-services and then on e-news to sign up for their email list.

Liz Susman Karp is a freelance writer and public relations specialist. The mother of two teenage boys, she and her family live in Briarcliff Manor.

Summer 2015: New Castle Day Camps, Your “Community Camp”

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sun-fun

Release from New Castle Town Hall:

Looking for a quality, affordable and 
convenient day camp to send your kids to this summer?

Why not choose one of the New Castle Recreation & Parks Day Camp programs!

We offer an affordable day camp program filled with opportunities for campers to be active, be creative and be themselves! Our goal is to host a safe, fun and affordable day camp for the residents of New Castle. Our staff are courteous, professional and always looking out for the well being of the campers. The camp administrative staff members have years of experience not only in a camp setting but as educators, counselors, nurses, coaches and parents. Depending on what camp your child attends, campers will have the opportunity to participate in activities such as: swimming, arts and crafts, music, sports, trips, special events, camp carnival and much more!

To access more detailed camp information and a camp registration form, please see our “Summer Day Camp” page by visiting www.ncdaycamps.com

Registration information can be found here.

The Day Camp Registration Form is required to enroll your child in camp. The form must be completed in full…no partial paperwork will be accepted!

When my Kids Said “No” to Camp

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Anna and Ari Bennett
Anna and Ari Bennett

Ok, we all know that family. They are the ones scratching their heads about how to fill the hours and hours of “free time” for their kids this summer because their children had too much anxiety about camp, and mom and/or dad caved, thinking “well, I don’t think you should force a child to go.”

I know that family because it was my own. For whatever reason, my kids were never particularly “easy” about camp. Yes, some summers I did manage to get one or both off (when it was both, it felt like a total coup!), and like other parents in town, I gleefully looked forward to and indeed enjoyed more lazy “responsibility free” summer hours at the pool club after a few hours of work, or no work at all.

Ah, yes, the Chappaqua life for me. After expending a respectable amount of stay- at-home (and work too) energy all through the school year, it was a charmed July and August the moment that camp bus pulled up. A leisurely walk with a friend through the North County trail or into the woods at Whipporwill. A tennis game at Club Fit. Or, perhaps, a glorious jaunt to the city on Metro North to catch up with the Met or MOMA. Mom goof off ops galore! They were all the more “doable” those long summer days pre “pick up” from day camp, or on the couple times, we got them off to sleepaway camp too. I never felt any guilt about parting ways, knowing after all that we were paying a pretty penny for our kids’ daily entertainment via time spent with such enthusiastic , energetic hands (all those cute counselors! another dynamic, charming camp director!) and peers with whom they shared a host of activities. Visiting day was something I always genuinely looked forward to.

And yet, as “great a summer” as the kids appeared to sometimes have, late fall/winter would roll around, time to plan, and at different junctures, some version of an “I’m not going to camp” chorus would kick in. At one camp, I did determine that there were social issues that had caused considerable stress for one child, and I could feel my whole body reeling and later empathizing with my child’s disappointment and determination to avoid that all over again. Perhaps my own ambivalence was noted and capitalized on because the anti-camp campaigns could sometimes get pretty intense.   (Sorry kids, you are young adults now, and I get to spill…just a little!)

I would like to add too, that while getting your kid to camp is a most noble goal, and creates wonderful experiences and memories, it’s also not the end of the world either if it doesn’t work out. Despite “all the free time,” we did have some great out of the box times together and those are the stuff of memories too. It just seemed a little hard at times at least till we got in some summer groove.

So it was with all this in mind that I thought a writer might check in with other parents who had similar experiences along with some expert resources in the area about any resistance to camp, whether you wish to call it separation anxiety or just plain old fear. Not surprisingly, it turned out to be a pretty touchy topic…as parents did not beat down the writer’s door to share stories about difficulties getting their kids to camp, or to agree to camp at all. But the author (Eileen Gallagher) did gather some solid advice, checking in with many of our expert camp sponsors for additional commentary. We hope you find it helpful, and perhaps on social media when we post this story, you too will begin to spill freely about your own child’s anti camp sentiments and what you ultimately did about it. Stranger things have happened.

In the meantime, here’s to a happy summer for your own children…wishing you the peace you deserve, and your children, in camp or not, the time of their lives.

Grace Bennett is publisher and editor of The Inside Press, Inc.