It’s October, fall is here, and we are excited to introduce our camp loving community to an exciting new movement. Literally.
Camp is all about getting active! So we are here to join in the fun and participate in the American Camp Association’s first annual national fundraising effort, Camp Moves Me. Throughout the month of October, we are going to be getting up, getting out, and getting active to give children across the country the best gift of all — the gift of summer! The donations that come in during this time will go back to the ACA’s field offices and affiliates to support the camper scholarship programs in that region. That way, every child will be able to experience the magic that is summer camp. Camp is so much more than summer fun and recreation. It is an social, emotional, and physical experience that has life changing effects on children, and Camp Moves Me is a movement to bring together people who understand and appreciate the value of camp, and want to share that experience with other children. All of us — former campers, counselors, parents — are united in our love of the camp experience and the values it has taught us. Join us in spreading the camp love, and being active while doing it! Read on how to get involved and donate.
We are going to be documenting all of the activities we have scheduled for this month. Between running, spinning, dancing, and yoga-ing, there’s gonna be a lot of sweating going on! We encourage you all to follow along! Get on social media and participate in this awesome goal that not only shares the camp spirit, but reminds us all of the best part of camp: participating together and having fun!
We got the chance to chat with Tom Holland, the Chief Foundation Funds Development Officer at the American Camp Association, and he gave us the inside scoop on all the FUN(draising) that is going on this month!
“This is the first time we have ever done this! At it’s core is the idea of having a passion for summer camp.”
Give us the 411, what is the mission behind Camp Moves Me?
“There are so many people in our world that are rabid about their camp. They are alumni, kids, parents, and they hold their experience to be so valuable. We are trying to expand that conversation and give people a way to share their experience. We want them to get excited, and to get the camp feeling out there throughout the other months of the year. What better way to do it than getting active?!”
We have seen how powerful social media and peer to peer networks are in raising awareness for an important cause, and we are so excited to get involved. As Tom said, “It’s about friends asking friends to participate and get involved.” Use the hashtag #campmovesme to document your own work, and to follow us this month!
So, who else is getting in on the camp spirit?
“We believe in the camp community to get the ball rolling, and now that we see that it does work, it can be a part of a larger strategy. This movement is about our collective voices behind the cause that is camp. But we can’t do it alone — this has got to be all of us working together who love camp to get involved. It all goes right back to those kids, which is why we all got into this business in the first place. These are folks that recognize the value of the camp experience and want to be a part of that.”
“It’s truly the beginning of something special.” We think so too :)
Finally, we want you to get active too! It’s a great way to bring back the camp fun into your home. And, you can pledge donations to our team, or create your own — share the joy and give the gift of summer through the ACA. As we participate, we will be donating a portion of our GIVE SUM fund to this awesome movement. We will be biking, running, lifting, and getting creative with our workouts, anyone down for a pick-up game of Gaga?! Stay tuned throughout the month of October as we work with some of our past Campers of the Week to spread the Camp Moves Me spirit!
