YMCA of Northern Utah

On this one day of giving, help raise funds to send a kid to camp!

Camping at the Y is a fun and unique experience that gives children and teens the opportunity to discover their full potential, meet new friends, play, and create memories that last a lifetime. Camping, like many Y programs, is about learning skills, developing character, and making friends. But few environments are as special as camp, where kids become a community as they learn both how to be more independent and how to contribute to a group as they engage in physical, social, and educational activities. Summers spent at Y Summer Camps provide youth with fun and unique experiences that give them lasting memories. 

Your donation ensures that ALL Park City youth have the chance to experience the best summer ever – regardless of their families’ circumstances.  Last summer, nearly 800 Park City kids participated in Y's Summer Camps.  Because of people like YOU, last year, the Y was able to provide financial support to 55 Park City youth who otherwise wouldn't have been able to participate. Check out Teddy's story below. 

Meet Teddy

The first day Teddy came to camp, we learned he had just turned 6, only five days ago. (The group of rising first graders are the "babies" of camp, being the youngest kiddos on site.) Teddy still looks like a preschooler, with a bright-eyed innocence and soft features. Usually, his cute face and silly demeanor make him well-liked amongst the older kids; he is frequently offered "piggyback rides," though he's not allowed.

Joining a brand new community of children at camp can be challenging, and to make it even more difficult, Teddy brought oversized family baggage with him to camp. Teddy was a "runner," a child who couldn't sit still at all and struggled to listen to directions. Teddy struggled with self-regulation, frequently sulked, and walked off when he was told "no" or redirected. 

The power of camp is in the relationships formed, and the sense of belonging that can change a child's life. For the first few weeks, Teddy bounced between Counselors' groups, trying to find someone that could help shelter him from the outside world so that he could enjoy being a kid and have fun at camp. Someone that could help engage him and help him make friends, and through positive reinforcement, teach responsibility, autonomy, and new skills.

Enter Counselor Lovie (so much easier for the kids to pronounce than Loviise!). From day one, Lovie was able to connect with Teddy and develop the cool-adult-but-not-a-parent relationship that Teddy needs right now. Through their daily interactions, she has been able to give him the developmental assets that he might have missed out on. Because Lovie is there, Teddy is excited to learn new things and, on the field trip today, was overheard asking, "Can you read that [sign] to me?" 

While still not perfect, as no child is, Teddy listens better with fewer distractions. Teddy is excited to arrive at camp and runs to see his friends. He is still working on the YMCA core value of responsibility (we just can't keep up with that water bottle!) but is comfortable asking for help and sometimes being told "no." The magical camp environment is the perfect place for the "Teddys" of the world to land when they fall because they will be caught by caring, responsible adults who enjoy hanging out with children all day!

85% of children like Teddy can attend camp through scholarships from the YMCA of Northern Utah. Your donation sends children to full-day summer camps where they meet new friends, learn new skills, fill their stomach and spirit, and find a new community of excellent young people and future leaders.

Please consider the Y in your Live PC Give PC gift this year.