A Message from Judy
Well, to say it’s been quite a year would, quite frankly, be an understatement!
As I reflect back on all that 2020 brought our way, I am most grateful for the incredible community that surrounds and uplifts Amici Camping Charity. Donors, partner camps, volunteers, campers, parents, supporters and more: the Amici community is far reaching and diverse, but we all share a deep passion for the life-changing power of camp.
It is this deep passion for camp and all that camp provides to our campers that propelled us forward against all odds. And now, with 2020 in the rear view mirror, I can firmly attest that the camp spirit is alive and stronger than ever before. Though we all hail from different camps or have unique camp experiences, the camp spirit lives in each of us.
This past year, you made a tremendous and undeniable difference in the lives of our campers and their families. Despite Ontario camps not being permitted to open in 2020, your support, your generosity and your care for Amici campers never wavered. It is because of Amici’s remarkable community that the Amici Family 2020 Support Fund was developed. The Fund, comprised of two phases, was our response to the financial and social hardships faced by Amici campers and their families.
Because of your generosity, the Fund provided support for immediate needs of our families as they grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic. It also provided funding to support alternative camp programming or equipment and supplies to encourage Amici campers to bring the magic of camp home. Our ultimate goal was to help our campers remain happy, healthy and ready to return to their summer homes in 2021.
The feedback from our entire community and most importantly the families and campers supported by the Support Fund was tremendous.
And in one family’s words:
“My kids were so excited to get mail from Amici Camping Charity today and expressed how much they miss camp!!! It brightened their day to know you are thinking of them during these times and they can’t wait to get back to camp. We thank you for all you have done this year to assist us in every way while being home. A blessing in itself is to be a part of the Amici family.”
I want to thank you for being an integral part of the Amici family.
I hope you enjoy reading Amici’s 2020 Gratitude Report and hearing just some of the many ways you changed lives with the power of camp this year. On behalf of all Amici campers and their families, and from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
With Gratitude,
Judy MacGowan, Executive Director
