“Beachmont has a special place in my heart.”
Charlene says she tears up whenever she talks about Beachmont. “The place has changed our lives,” says Charlene, mother of Nicholas (21) and Ryan (16). “We can’t help but smile when we talk about our memories there.”
In 2007, as a one-income household, Charlene said she initially didn’t think summer camp was an option for her family. Her friend raved about Beachmont and insisted she check it out -- only to find it was within her budget. She immediately signed her sons up and they were hooked from day one.
“Every day I picked them up, they were happy, happy happy,” she says. “They never wanted to leave.”
Her son Nicholas started camp when he was in third grade and Ryan started in the preschool group when he was just out of diapers. Years later, when the boys were old enough, they became junior counselors and have continued to volunteer their time in different ways.
“You can tell Beachmont is always figuring out new ways to innovate the camp experience to make it as wonderful as possible for the kids,” she says. “Swimming lessons are included, which is amazing, but over the years they’ve added ropes courses, the Kiddie Camp playground and so much more. Sometimes they even have a farmer who drives up to sell fresh fruit.”
Charlene’s family also attended the summer Family Nights on Fridays when Beachmont is open to the public from 5 to 10 p.m. Families are invited to play games, take a hike in the woods or cool off in the pool before a movie starts at 8:30 p.m. “There’s always good food at a good price, which was important to us,” she says. “It’s a place we felt comfortable and happy, so the kids would be there all day for camp, and we’d head back up in the evening for Family Night.”
The Cummings family has also been very involved with the Corn Maze. “I went to the first corn maze 10 years ago and was blown away!” she says with a laugh. “Now, I work at the front desk, my sons volunteer inside the maze, and my husband parks cars. I guess you could say we’re Corn Maze groupies!”
“We all have such happy memories at Beachmont, and my kids have already said they will bring their kids to Beachmont one day,” Charlene says. ““The staff is more than just our friends, they’re our family.”
- Charlene C., Day Camp Parent and Volunteer