BROOKSTON, Ind. — Nearly 6,000 summer campers will return to Camp Tecumseh beginning next week.
It’s a move toward normalcy after COVID-19 forced the YMCA camp to cancel all activities last summer– for the first time in its nearly 100-year history.
“The silence was deafening,” said CEO Joel Sieplinga. “Camp had never shut down. Not even for World War II. So, this is the longest stretch we’ve ever had without kids.”
“I know a lot of people were really devastated by that,” said Emily Kilmer, a camp counselor from Brookston. “But I think this is a really great year to rebound from that, to truly show the meaning of camp and culture and bring everyone back together and get camp Tecumseh back to where it needs to be.”
Camp Tecumseh is one of the largest YMCA summer camps in the country.
Sieplinga said camp staff asked themselves what needed to happen to make sure “the essence of camp is coming through while still keeping the campers safe and the staff safe?”
Here’s what that will look like:
- Upgraded ventilation systems in camp cabins.
- Outdoor, touchless handwashing stations.
- Masks required while inside large group areas.
- Campers will remain in small groups, also known as “bubbles,” to limit exposure and contact tracing.
- Mealtimes will be staggered to keep dining hall capacity at 50 percent.
A large stage was also built in the main field in the heart of the camp for group gatherings.
“That’s so we can still do all camp activities but really spread out the campers over a pretty large space to give a lot of space in between the cabin groups so they can still enjoy the campfire experience," said Sieplinga. "One of the things we said is, 'if we’re going to run camp this summer, it needs to be camp.'”
He said changes and adjustments will likely need to be made once campers arrive.
Registration for Summer, 2022 is currently open and more than 1,000 families have already signed up.