growing healthy communities, frost valley life newsletter, fall 2015
DESCRIPTION
Frost Valley YMCA's tri-annual newsletter, Frost Valley Life, demonstrates the impact of our programs on our participant communitiesTRANSCRIPT
FALL 2015 | FROST VALLEY YMCA | frostvalley.org
Frost Valley Life
GROWING HEALTHYCOMMUNITIES
SUMMER 2015 REVIEWJune 21 June 28 June 29
Nearly 400 summer camp staff from over
a dozen countries worldwide arrive in the Valley to prepare for another summer
filled with lifelong memories and values-driven
growth.
The first day of summer camp begins! During summer 2015, we’ll see over 3,000 overnight campers and 1,000 day campers, making this a groundbreaking summer: In 2015
we served more children than any summer in our 100+
years in camping!
Thanks to a generous grant from Autism Speaks,
campers with autism in our Day Camp program join us in our inclusive
and adaptive environment where they make friends, try new things, and have a
growth-filled summer.
GROWING HEALTHY COMMUNITIESFROM THE DESK OF JERRY HUNCOSKYCEO | Frost Valley YMCA
After another year of Frost Valley summer camp, brightly colored leaves have almost immediately begun to appear on our trees. These autumnal changes always serve to rejuvenate as we embark on another season of school trips, family retreats, and teambuilding programs. The new scenery is awe-inspiring but not half as much as the growth and transformation we see in the children and families who come here.
This summer we hosted more campers than ever before in our history. We watched some children arrive shy and unfamiliar as they entered a new, screen-free environment, which would soon become the place where they learned new values, made new friends, and created lifelong memories. We met campers who have never left the inner city. We were humbled as they discovered a world outdoors they didn’t realize existed. We also greeted lifelong campers returning to this special place they so often refer to as their “second home.”
Fall is often thought of as a time of harvest. As we continue to focus our efforts on environmental sustainability and stewardship, the children and families who come here learn that the fruits of the earth – the apples in our orchard, the veggies in our farm, and the wild edibles in our forests – are to be carefully tended to, protected, and enjoyed in good health.
But fall is also a time of thanks. Without you, none of the following stories, programs, and new additions to our values-based offerings would be possible. It’s clear what we’re thankful for: kind and caring donors like you.
I know I speak for all of us here at Frost Valley YMCA when I say – thank you.
Jerry Huncosky
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June 30 July 5
Frost Valley’s new healthy snack truck makes its rounds throughout camp thanks to a generous grant from
the National Recreation Foundation. Campers and staff love stopping at
the truck for treats like frozen fruit
kabobs and other nutritious snacks.
We celebrate the many cultures represented here as our international staff members share their traditions and customs during summer camp’s annual Small World Festival. The day
concludes with another annual
favorite – fireworks over Lake Cole
in celebration of Independence Day.
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STEWARDSHIP & SUSTAINABILITYFARM DAY CAMP
Frost Valley’s Day Camp programs aim to promote achievement, relationships, and belonging, and this year, these lessons were brought to the Frost Valley Educational Farm for our first-ever session of Farm Day Camp.
The Frost Valley Educational Farm is a 515-acre working farm that’s home to a barn filled with livestock, a spacious chicken coop, verdant organic gardens, a craft studio and indoor space, and plenty of room for campers and animals to run and play. This summer, as children enjoyed a variety of activities that center around sustainable living, compassion, and stewardship of the earth, the air was filled with happy laughter, bleating goats, and the earthy scent of a garden that’s ready for harvest.
Farm Day Camp is abundant with educational opportunities, and children learn experientially. In the gardens, campers walk among herbs, vegetables, flowers, and other vegetation, and study these plants by using their senses of taste, smell, and sight.
“When I teach in the garden, my biggest goal is to help campers understand where their food comes from,” says Missy Cottone, Garden Manager. “When you ask them, at first they’ll say ‘the grocery store’ because they don’t often think about how food is grown. So, we walk through the garden, tasting things like
UPCOMING EVENTS
QUILT & CRAFT WEEKEND
November 6-8, 2015Please join us as we
celebrate 20 years of Quilting in the Valley for our special anniversary
weekend. Enjoy classes in quilting technique, felting,
and more.
Y-GUIDE ALUMNI WEEKEND
November 13-15, 2015Whether you want to connect with former
Y-Guide Alumni or let your entire family have the Frost Valley experience, this is
the weekend for you!
VOLUNTEER WORK WEEKEND
November 13-15, 2015Spend the weekend at
Frost Valley giving back to the camp you love.
FESTIVAL OF THE HOLIDAYS
December 4-6, 2015The best gift of all is
sharing quality time with your family. Kick off the holiday season with a
stress-free weekend here at camp, celebrating with your family beneath the
Frost Valley Christmas tree.
HOLIDAY FAMILY CAMP
December 26, 2015 - January 3, 2016Spend quality time
with your family in our Catskill Mountain winter
wonderland! On New Year’s Eve, join us for an exciting party including dancing,
trivia, plenty of party food, and cheer during our very
own ball drop.
basil and kale, studying how sunflower seeds are harvested, and examining how things grow. One camper was amazed at how cabbage grows, it was a huge deal to him. He won’t forget that!”
Beyond the garden, a large red barn acts as another classroom setting. Even just seeing and touching the animals is a learning experience. “When campers meet the animals, it’s therapeutic;
they’re excited, they ask a million questions, and they usually develop a bond with a particular animal,” says Livestock Manager Charlotte Harrison. “It’s a good chance for them to slow down, explore their thoughts, and learn about animals.”
Barn lessons provide an understanding of the life cycles of animals, in addition to how to care for them, feed them, clean up after them, and — in the case of goats — milk them.
“Farm Day Camp provides such a different experience for children. They milk goats, pull veggies, and collect eggs — and they’re excited to take part in it all,” explains Day Camp Director Katia Martin. “Campers also
learn where food comes from and the cycle of sustainability at the farm: raising a cow leads to eating beef, then food scraps become compost, and compost is returned to the earth by being used in the garden. Plus, because it’s a smaller group, the campers are able to build stronger friendships and truly connect with nature, all while having a simple, back-to-basics camp experience.”
SUMMER 2015 REVIEWJuly 12 July 19 August 3
Frost Valley offers a second session of Kidney Camp this year. Through Frost
Valley’s partnership with Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, campers in the program receive treatment for chronic kidney disease, kidney transplants, and other illnesses requiring dialysis and medical
supervision, while also experiencing a traditional summer camp with
their peers.
Another year of sportsmanship, teamwork,
cultural exchange, and spirited cheers fill the Valley during summer camp’s annual Olympix event. Congratulations to New Zealand, this
year’s spirit award winner!
During summer camp’s annual Battle of the Themes, campers and staff bring
TV to life here in our screen-free zone. With a Nickelodeon
theme integrated into every activity, this event is filled with costumes,
challenging games, and creativity.
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FROST VALLEY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF KIDNEY CAMP!1960
Ruth Gottscho’s parents found the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation to assist families in purchasing home dialysis
machines and focus on finding a way to help children with kidney disorders attend
summer camp alongside their peers.
1975
Former CEO Halbe Brown oversees the development of the Ruth C. Gottscho Kidney
Dialysis Center at Frost Valley YMCA, the first of its kind, for campers with kidney diseases. Staffed by caring professionals
from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Kidney Camp officially opens on July 17.
2001
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore expands their partnership with the Ruth
Gottscho Kidney Foundation to include sending
pediatricians to Frost Valley to serve as primary care
physicians in the infirmary.
2008
Eva Gottscho is inducted into Frost
Valley’s Hall of Fame at our Annual
Summer Meeting.
2008
The new Guenther Family Wellness Center, featuring a modernized
dialysis unit, is dedicated with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony on September 13, with Eva Gottscho,
95, in attendance.
2009
Eva Gottscho passes
away, four days before
her 96th birthday, on
June 17.
2010
Dr. Frederick “Rick” Kaskel is honored with Frost Valley’s Excellence Award for 35 years of
dedicated service to the Kidney
Program.
2015
Maya Doyle, LCSW-R, PhD
and Dr. Frederick “Rick” Kaskel
are honored as the 2014 Eric
Blum Volunteers of the Year on
August 15.HOW IT ALL BEGANA HISTORY OF HELPING OTHERSAs a child, Ruth Gottscho always wanted to attend summer camp, but she never had the chance. Ruth, born in 1945, was diagnosed with kidney disease at a very young age, before life-saving dialysis treatments were available. So every summer, when her childhood friends gleefully boarded buses or were driven to camp, Ruth stayed behind, wishing there was a way she could join them.
Her loving parents, Eva and Ira — who met at a summer camp — sought to find a cure for their daughter over the years. Some treatments worked, others were less effective, but they continued searching for the best way to ease their daughter’s illness. In 1960, however, Ruth passed away at the young age of 15.
Although they grieved for their daughter, Eva and Ira saw an opportunity to help other families who were still going through the same struggles that their family endured throughout Ruth’s childhood. That same year, the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation was born.
The organization began as a way to help kidney patients find and afford treatments. After health insurance policies were developed and became available to people with kidney disease, the organization’s focus switched gears. Its goal became to help children with kidney disorders attend summer camp, making Ruth’s dreams come true for other children. Frost Valley YMCA saw Kidney Camp as a great opportunity for children and families and was excited to host such a necessary program.
In 1975, Frost Valley’s dialysis center opened, with the help of the foundation, equipment donations from dialysis machine manufacturers, and caring staff from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore.
Over the last 40 years, the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation has paid medical and camp expenses for nearly 2,000 kidney campers who are receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis; diagnosed with chronic kidney disease or with kidney impairment due to chronic congenital or rare disorders such as FSGS, Lupus, Cystinosis, and others; or kidney transplant recipients.
Kidney Campers experience traditional summer camp activities, while also receiving their vital dialysis treatments each summer. Special attention is given to the individual medical and developmental needs of each Kidney Camper, but they are not segregated from their peers; Kidney Campers live in cabins and participate in a variety of activities alongside campers of various abilities. Thanks to the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation, the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, and our generous donors, these children and teens can experience an incredible summer and make memories for a lifetime.
August 6August 4
Thanks to a generous grant from Y-USA, a solar thermal system is installed
at our Leadership Lodge providing enough hot water for the entire lodge to
shower without use of any fossil fuels.
Frost Valley campers and staff enjoy a night in Japan right
here on camp during our annual Tokyo Night. Through Frost
Valley’s partnership with the Tokyo YMCA, this
exciting event introduces campers to traditional
Japanese games, dances, food, and customs.
frostvalley.org | 4FROST VALLEY CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF KIDNEY CAMP!
1960 Ruth Gottscho’s parents found the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation to assist families in purchasing home dialysis
machines and focus on finding a way to help children with kidney disorders attend
summer camp alongside their peers.
1975
Former CEO Halbe Brown oversees the development of the Ruth C. Gottscho Kidney
Dialysis Center at Frost Valley YMCA, the first of its kind, for campers with kidney diseases. Staffed by caring professionals
from the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Kidney Camp officially opens on July 17.
2001
The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore expands their partnership with the Ruth
Gottscho Kidney Foundation to include sending
pediatricians to Frost Valley to serve as primary care
physicians in the infirmary.
2008
Eva Gottscho is inducted into Frost
Valley’s Hall of Fame at our Annual
Summer Meeting.
2008
The new Guenther Family Wellness Center, featuring a modernized
dialysis unit, is dedicated with a ribbon-cutting
ceremony on September 13, with Eva Gottscho,
95, in attendance.
2009
Eva Gottscho passes
away, four days before
her 96th birthday, on
June 17.
2010
Dr. Frederick “Rick” Kaskel is honored with Frost Valley’s Excellence Award for 35 years of
dedicated service to the Kidney
Program.
2015
Maya Doyle, LCSW-R, PhD
and Dr. Frederick “Rick” Kaskel
are honored as the 2014 Eric
Blum Volunteers of the Year on
August 15.
SO MUCH MORE THAN A CAMPHOW KIDNEY CAMP HELPS CHILDREN GROWMelody, a second-year Kidney Camper, loves to draw. If she could create a picture of what her ideal summer would look like, she’d sketch herself playing basketball with friends, or going on a nature hike — two activities she enjoys, but is rarely able to do at home. Melody, 16, has kidney failure, which requires her to receive dialysis and often takes her away from doing things she loves. However, thanks to our partnership with the Ruth Gottscho Kidney Foundation and the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, as well as the generous donors who make Frost Valley YMCA’s Kidney Camp possible, she has been able to participate in these activities and so much more for the past two summers.
“I feel like I have so much more freedom at Frost Valley,” she says. “I can get my dialysis here, but then go and play sports or hike up to High Falls and enjoy the waterfall. I’ve made so many friends here, too.”
At Frost Valley, Kidney Campers participate in various activities alongside their peers, but they also learn new skills and improve techniques for their own medical management. During her time here, Melody took on a range
of new responsibilities, from making sure she’d get to her dialysis appointments on time, to taking on cabin chores. “I feel like I’ve become more responsible here, but not just at camp,” she explains. “When I
go home, I’m more likely to take on responsibilities, clean up after myself, and take care of myself.”
Melody has also had the opportunity to spread awareness about kidney disease to her fellow cabin mates and friends. She’s happy to teach others about her illness, and proud to prove that she is still capable of accomplishing so much.
“My friends at camp ask why I’m in the kidney program, and I don’t mind telling them; what’s great is that they never treat me like I’m different,” she says. “Outside of camp, some kidney patients feel like they’re different or don’t fit in. But when you come here, you forget about that. You can just be yourself.”
I feel like I have so much more freedom at Frost Valley.‘‘ ‘‘
SUMMER 2015 REVIEWAugust 16 August 21
Another Frost Valley tradition continues! Hirdstock, a
camp-wide music festival and talent show, is once again
a huge hit with plenty of singers, dancers, musicians, and more!
By the end of the summer camp season, over 20 new campers, who have never experienced the magic of summer camp, join us through
the Resident Camp Access Grant from
the YMCA of the USA.
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HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
2014 ERIC BLUM VOLUNTEERS OF THE YEARMAYA DOYLE, LCSW-R, PhD & DR. FREDERICK KASKEL
ROBERT OHAUS (1919-2004), lovingly referred to as “Mr. Y” for his passion for the YMCA movement, has been described as a “quietly forceful, innovative” trustee, a position he held for many decades. For his passion for Frost Valley’s Newark partnerships, his prioritization of mainstreaming, and his commitment to board governance, Bob has been inducted into the Frost Valley Hall of Fame.
HENRY HIRD (1884-1983) was so dedicated to the mission, he once visited over 40 YMCAs in three months. We have him to thank for our beautiful location, as he discovered the site through his friendship with the Forstmanns. Henry supported and enabled summer camp to include girls in 1962. In 1983, the decision was made to group campers by ages, and the older half continues under the name Camp Henry Hird. For the countless, indelible ways he shaped Frost Valley, we welcome Henry into Frost Valley Hall of Fame.
CARL HESS (1926-1979) AND MARIE HESS (1929-2015) moved up to Frost Valley in 1968 when many staff worked from New Jersey. The couple experienced a rapid expansion of camp, including the addition of new villages, Adventure Trips, more than 200 seasonal staff, thousands of acres, and year-round programs. Throughout this epoch of growth, Carl supervised the maintenance staff while Marie worked in both the kitchen and housekeeping. For their whole-hearted dedication, Carl and Marie Hess are inducted into our Hall of Fame.
Maya Doyle, LCSW-R, PhD and Dr. Frederick “Rick” Kaskel are the 2014 Eric Blum Volunteers of the Year for their lasting impact on Kidney Camp. As the social work coordinator since 2000, Maya recruits campers and supports their families with selfless dedication and enthusiasm. Dr. Kaskel began his work with Frost Valley in 1978 as a visiting nephrologist and in addition to continuing to provide medical direction he is also actively involved as a member of our board of trustees.
(L-R) Dr. Rick Kaskel, Maya Doyle, LCSW-R, PhD, Jerry Huncosky, CEO & Dr. Judy Aschner, The
Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Physician-in-Chief
August 15
We host our Annual Summer Meeting and BBQ with over 100 donors, trustees,
close friends, family, and volunteers in attendance to
celebrate the impact our supporters have
on all that we do.
60 miles hiked by our Adventure Village campers
385 community service hours earned through our service trips
623 children provided a camp experience through our campership programs
222,000 nutritious meals served in our dining hall
165 children who attend Frost Valley through our Newark partnership program
August 22 August 31 September 4
Over 400 guests join us for our annual Summer
Family Camp, six days of bonding with loved ones, enjoying traditional camp
activities, and making memories to last a lifetime.
Our first-ever, one-week session of Farm Day Camp is filled with learning and fun, including caring for livestock
and harvesting fruits, veggies, herbs,
and more!
Alumni Reunion 2015 kicks off three days of reconnecting with old friends, making new ones,
and cherishing this special place that changed so many of our
former campers’ and staff members’ lives.
GENERATIONS COME TOGETHERALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND
Nearly 400 Frost Valley YMCA alumni and their families gathered here over Labor Day weekend to reconnect, enjoy camp traditions, and raise money to send children to summer camp who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.
Over the course of the weekend, generations of former campers and counselors explored their old stomping grounds on hikes led by Hiking Director, Bud Cox, cheered loudly during Hoopla in the Dining Hall, enjoyed friendly competition during decade-vs-decade kickball, sang nostalgic songs by the campfire, and so much more. Tours of both the Castle and the recently built Blum House seamlessly blended history with new traditions here at Frost Valley.
“It was a special treat to see so much excitement, especially during check-in, from people who haven’t seen each other in a long time,” says Director of Outreach and Alumni Relations Matt Johns. “And just about every decade was present; I spoke with people who were here this past summer, and others who worked in the 1950s.”
Alumni raised $15,000 to benefit camperships during live and silent auctions, as they bid on fun and coveted items including: Frost Valley “Build Strong” stained-glass art, camp memorabilia from the 1960s and ’80s, a framed collection of Big Tree prints, a Family Weekend for four, and a Summer Camp session.
“To see so many different generations come together for a long weekend and share stories, laughter, and happy tears was amazing,” Matt says. “Everyone had a different story, or a different cheer, or a different anecdote — but the one thing they all had in common was that it all happened here at Frost Valley.”
$767,600 provided in financial assistance for all of our summer camp programs
FROST VALLEY YMCA 2000 Frost Valley Road Claryville, NY 12725
TEL (845) 985-2291 EMAIL [email protected] WEB frostvalley.org/donate facebook.com/frostvalleyymca
Frost Valley YMCA is a values-driven organization that fosters youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility through outdoor educational and recreational programs for all. Frost Valley YMCA is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization. To help us give the gift of camp to children and families, please contact our Development Office at 845-985-2291 or email [email protected]. To donate online go to www.frostvalley.org/donate.
Let us know if you prefer to receive Frost Valley Life via an online link sent to your email address. Please email us your request to [email protected].
JOIN THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONSTAY IN TOUCH!Just because the 2015 Alumni Reunion has come and gone, it doesn’t mean you have to leave Frost Valley! By joining the Frost Valley Alumni Association you’ll be the first to find out about Alumni gatherings throughout the country, receive all the latest alumni updates via the alumni e-newsletter, and be able to reconnect with all your old camp friends and counselors. To join the Alumni Association you can contact our Director of Outreach and Alumni Relations Matthew Johns at 845-985-2291 ext. 258 or [email protected].
BOARD OF TRUSTEESCHAIRMAN Robert B. Haines
VICE CHAIRMAN Catherine M. Harvey
PRESIDENT James S. Vaughan
CEO Jerry Huncosky
TREASURER John McCabe
SECRETARY Jerold W. Dorfman
VICE PRESIDENTS William E. Baker Professor Al Filreis Robert Messick Judith L. Pasnik Peter E. Sundman
H. Corbin Day Barton C. English Jeffrey S. Kaufman James Kellogg, Jr. Michael P. Lahue Thomas M. Moriarty Shigeko Woolfalk
TRUSTEES EMERITI Thomas W. Berry Hunter Corbin Helen M. Geyer, Co-Director Paul B. Guenther Dr. George J. Hill James C. Kellogg, Co-Director W. Thomas Margetts Gerald H. McGinley
TRUSTEES David B. Bieler John S. Butler Dr. R. Mark Ghobrial Ted B. Hilton Dr. Frederick J. Kaskel Michael D. Ketcham Robert Lomauro Amy F. Melican John O’Brien Cheng Ong Barbara Spitz Robin Wachenfeld Mary T. Wheeler
ADVISORY COMMITTEE William H. Abbott Mitchell Brock Andrew Chapman