Vincent Publishing - Index

Vincent Publishing - 2008 Travelers Championship Magazine - Index

Travelers Championship Co-Charity
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Tucked away from the outer roads, amid rural northeastern Connecticut's
rapidly rising-and-falling hills and dense woods, The Hole in the Wall Gang
Camp is almost undetectable. Turn off the main road and a wonderland
explodes in a kaleidoscopic burst of colors and architectural odes to the Old
West. A sign with blue and purple letters painted by the campers declares:
"Yippee, you're here!"
36 This is the new era.
F
ounded by Paul Newman in 1988, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is a remarkable haven for
seriously ill children. Here, youngsters with diagnoses including cancer, sickle cell anemia, HIV/AIDS
and hemophilia have the time of their lives, learning in the process that they can do more than
they ever thought possible. Campers enjoy boating, fishing, swimming, archery, archery, arts and crafts,
woodworking, performing arts, horseback riding, nature, overnight camping and group adventures. The
Camp’s activities are designed to allow every child to participate and managed to ensure that no child
will fail, all under 24-hour medical supervision of the highest quality.
In the words of one young camper, “I love it here. Sometimes you think being so sick gives you limits, but
the Camp helps you try anything.” Through its year-round programs, the Camp serves more than 15,000
annually. All services are provided free of charge.
“My fondest Camp memory,” says former camper Jimmy Guity, “has to be my first summer there in
1993.” Counselors from that time remember Jimmy as a shy, scrawny eight-year-old. New to the U.S.