Thanks to technology, Duncan’s Lydia Montgomery has been able to enjoy Easter Seals camp this summer, in spite of COVID-19 restrictions, and this weekend, everyone else is invited to join her and her fellow campers for the Great BC Camp Out.
This is Lydia’s 11th Easter Seals camp experience, but the first time she has attended virtually. Camps @ Home is an online version of the well-known Easter Seals camp, where campers log in along with their peers and are led by a counsellor through engaged virtual programming.
“I think virtual camp is awesome,” Lydia said. “It is working out really well and I am so happy to be able to have summer camp right at home. Having a ton of fun, hopeful to have camp again next year,” she says.
According to Lydia’s parents the virtual camp has allowed their daughter to have interaction between campers and counsellors and campers and their peers. “Virtual camp has allowed Lydia to continue to enjoy the activities of Easter Seals summer camp such as sing-a-longs, campfire, Kangaroo Court, stories, talent show night and even a movie night,” said her mother.
The Great BC Camp Out, which will take place on Saturday, Aug. 1, was born out of the success of the virtual edition of Easter Seals Camps.
For more than 50 years Easter Seals has been providing legendary camp experiences to children, youth and adults with diverse abilities. This summer in the spirit of true integration Easter Seals is inviting all B.C. families who are staying at home and missing going to camp to join them.
“We do camps well,” said Lisa Beck, president and CEO of Easter Seals BC/Yukon. “We recognized that many families are also staying home to keep their families safe, so through the support of a great family of sponsors we are pitching in together and giving B.C. families a sample of our amazing camp experience.”
The Great BC Camp Out presented by Scotiabank in partnership with the BC Camps Association is a one-day camping at home experience with free family activities and an online campfire stories and songs finale. The one-hour event experience will be streamed on the Easter Seals YouTube channel starting at 5 p.m. on Aug. 1 and feature some of the province’s best storytellers and performing artists, including storytellers Abegael Fisher-Lang and Naomi Steinberg, and country singer and songwriter Cambree Lovesy.
To learn more and participate in the Great BC Camp Out visit www.eastersealsbcy.ca/campout