220 kids participate in Hopkinton day camp program

Bow Editor — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 19:27:00 GMT

Within a small area near Kimball Pond in Hopkinton, children kayak, color, fish, and play hide and seek. Hopkinton’s summer day camp wrapped up another successful season after providing about 220 children the chance to take part in a variety of trips and activities over a seven-week span.

“I would guess that kids definitely like being here better than being at home doing nothing,” said camper Aimee Echelberger, 11. “I like going on field trips and hanging out with my friends the most.”

Hopkinton Recreation Director Justin La Vigne said he can tell the camp is a success just by standing nearby and watching.

“The best part is just seeing the kids enjoying the camp,” he said. “I really love to see when the parents come to pick them up and they are just so excited to tell them all of the things they did during the day.”

During Hopkinton’s annual Town Meeting, the camp came under some scrutiny, with some residents believing the program should not be funded by the taxpayers. After lengthy discussion during the March 15 meeting, voters decided to support the budget and pay for the camp.

La Vigne said he remains cognizant of how some voters feel, and has a plan to eventually get the camp to be self-supported.

“Getting the funding allowed to us to keep the camp the same as before,” said La Vigne. “I’m working toward getting to phase three of my plan, which is to pay for more counselors out of the profits from the camp, which would reduce the line-item budget for the camp.”

Each week of camp consists of a variety of activities for the children ages 6 to 12. Every Tuesday the group of children, which has ranged from 30 to 42 campers, goes to the Kimball Cabins to take part in a variety of activities. Twice a week, the children go to swim at the pond and Fridays they go to state parks.

One of the more popular aspects of the camp has been the field trips, which are to places such as Funspot in Weirs Beach and the Boston Children’s Museum.

Rachel Dabuliewicz, 22, of Warner just finished her first summer as a counselor. She recently graduated from Keene State, where she studied education.

“I got to do a lot of the things that’ll work when I am in a classroom, and also got to see some of the things that I probably won’t do in the future,” she said.

La Vigne said the children get an experience at the camp that helps keep them from sitting at home during the normally bright summer weather.

“It’s great. It opens up lots of different things for the kids, and it gives them the experience to do things they haven’t done before,” said La Vigne.

Hopkinton News : camping

220 kids participate in Hopkinton day camp program