Kids, cops and camp
YMCA camp fosters bond between youth, law officers
Copyright © 2003 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.
WINTHROP — The fifth- and sixth-graders who attend Camp POSTCARD do more than learn how to fish, paddle a canoe and sing karaoke. They also make friendships with some of their local law enforcement officials.
Androscoggin County sheriff¹s deputies and dive team members Arnold Ridley, left, and David Rancourt give campers a chance to try out their scuba gear Saturday in Cobbossee Lake during Camp POSTCARD at the YMCA Camp of Maine in Winthrop. click to enlarge
Camp POSTCARD, which stands for Police Officers Striving to Create and Reinforce Dreams, is in its 10th year of offering a free, weeklong camp experience to about 150 youngsters from all over Maine. The camp started last Wednesday and wraps up on Tuesday at the YMCA Camp of Maine in Winthrop.
Donations from a variety of companies and individuals make up the $40,000 cost for running the camp each year.
The camps organizers are the Maine Sheriffs' Association, the Maine DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) Officers' Association and the Volunteers of America in Northern New England.
Most of the camp's leaders and counselors are police officers, sheriff's deputies, state troopers and criminal justice officials who hope to influence campers to make good decisions about drugs, alcohol and crime, and show them that they have the potential to become leaders among their peers.
On Friday afternoon, campers were absorbed in scaling a portable rock-climbing wall, tying friendship bracelets and braving a chilly swimming area in Cobbossee Lake.
Katie Ford, a fifth-grader from Trenton Elementary School, worked in the arts-and-crafts building on a centerpiece for her cabin. Katie made an angel out of clothespins, fabric and glue-on jewels for her cabin's theme of "guardian angels."
Katie said she has had fun making new friends with other campers and the grown-ups.
"I love it. I want to go next year," she said. "Everyone's nice. They're really sweet and they help you out a lot."
Christine Buchanan, a specialist for the state police and a camp supervisor, said one of the main goals is to show the children that law enforcement officials care about kids' futures.
"This gives an opportunity for the kids to see law enforcement (and corrections) officials in a whole, totally different light," Buchanan said.
The camp serves children from a variety of backgrounds, said Glenn Michaels, who helps manage the camp through the Brunswick-based Volunteers of America.
Michaels said some campers come from families that can't afford to pay for a week at summer camp. Others come to the camp as a reward for improved behavior during the past year. Children also are invited if they exhibit a need for leadership development or just some time away from home.
"A lot of them have not had leadership opportunities," Michaels said. "During the week, everyone's a leader."
Deborah French of Augusta said the camp has been a much-needed time of structure and teamwork for her son, Luke Shurman.
"Being the youngest in a single-parent family for most of his life, he gets the tail end of everything," French said.
French stopped in a few times throughout the week to check in on Luke, who was nominated for the camp by the DARE officer and a Farrington Elementary School guidance counselor. She has been impressed by his enthusiasm about camp responsibilities and making new friends.
"I'm extremely tickled that he got to go," French said.
Danielle Gamiz — 623-3811, Ext. 431
dgamiz@centralmaine.com