Washington State has been home to Camp Promise – West since the founding of Camp Promise in 2009. This year, we broke in our new camp site in Washington State at Camp Korey in Mount Vernon, WA!
Nineteen campers and 28 volunteers joined us from June 11-16 for a week that will never be forgotten. Campers separated into four cabins, each correlating with a different color based on age group (black, purple, violet, blue). “Campers and staff enjoyed the new spacious cabins, which helps with moving campers and their chairs around,” says Niki Benfield, Jett Foundation’s Camp Promise Operations Director. “You also can’t beat the gorgeous scenery at Camp Korey. We had such a fabulous week!”
Adaptive cycling was provided to our campers by Outdoors For All in Washington this year.
Other favorite activities for the week included swimming, archery, s’mores bar at movie night, the annual Camp Promise Ball, and everyone’s favorite jokester judicial hearing… Kangaroo Court!
Ashley Kelliher, who has been a member of Jett Foundation’s family for many years through camp and Jett events, shares her first experience as a Camp Promise Assistant: “From previously being a counselor to now being Camp Assistant, I have gained a new perspective and appreciation for how camp is organized and run. Although I did not have a camper during the week, I feel like I got the best of both worlds – I got to help out in the cabins and help set up activities.”
She also says, “My role as Camp Assistant allowed me to get to know everyone at camp which was really nice and rewarding. One of my favorite moments was during our celebratory last-night-of-camp dance. Seeing everyone come together and show off their dance moves is alway fun. It was really nice to see the more shy and reserved campers come out of their shells and open up on the dance floor!”
Maura Carroll, Jett Foundation’s Director of Development, also attended Camp Promise – Wes
t. She says, “From my first “Eli hug” to playing connect four with Sabrina, to spinning around with one of the campers, Meghan, to attending a surprise graduation party for Allegra to witnessing black cabin’s prank on Niki – camp was heartwarming, special, and hilarious from beginning to end. The camp staff and counselors are the most energetic and fun people I’ve ever met.”
Camp experiences would not be possible without our dedicated campers, volunteers, and sponsors. Thank you to Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, Flatley Foundation, Sarepta Therapeutics, Alexion Charitable Foundation, Italfarmaco, and PTC Therapeutics for their continued support.
We look forward to creating memories with our campers at our remaining locations in Ohio, Arizona, Colorado, and Pennsylvania this summer. We will also host our virtual Camp Promise Connect September 15-18, 2023.
To view many of our pictures from Camp Promise – West, please visit our Facebook photo album.
