A Successful Summer 2023!
This past week, Camp Aldersgate concluded our summer camp 2023 season with celebration! We are sad this season has come to a close, but we are excited to start the fall camp season soon with Weekend Camps!
Many exciting opportunities were available to these campers, including disc golf, fishing, swimming, and archery. Our trained staff members were available to assist the campers at all times, making this a safe and fun experience. An addition to the second half of summer, our full-time staff members got to take turns joining in on cabin activities and experience camp as “camper for a day!” Every single week brought joy and success.
Check out the second half of summer with the highlights below!
Spina Bifida Camp (July 9-14)
Spina Bifida Camp was full of special memories for the campers and staff! Spina bifida affects the development of the spine and spinal cord, where the incomplete closure during development can result in paralysis. Camp Aldersgate’s accessible equipment and grounds provide a safe and fun experience for our campers. Making the seats in the canoes comfortable, providing a bow stabilizer for archery, and having a ziplining chair are just a few ways we make our activities accessible.
A fun surprise, the Little Rock Zoo made a special visit to our campers and brought some friends! Annabelle the rose-haired tarantula, Pietre the American kestrel, and Doodlebug the Texas tortoise brought smiles and giggles all around the room. Thank you to the Little Rock Zoo staff for bringing the zoo to Camp Aldersgate!
“We have been coming to camp Aldersgate for years. My daughter loves the camp. She always comes out of it talking about how much it has impacted her…As long as this is available we plan on sending her.”
– Camper Parent
CAAKBO Camp (July 16-21)
CAAKBO Camp welcomed campers with a variety of needs, offering amazing experiences. CAAKBO is an acronym for Cardiac, Arthritis, Audiology, Kidney, Bleeding Disorders and Oncology. All campers participated in archery, fishing, canoeing and more!
We were excited to welcome a new group of campers with Arkansas Children’s AIM-HI program (Achieving in the Mainstream with Hearing Impairment). In addition to experiencing all the fun outdoor activities Camp Aldersgate has to offer, Audiologists and Speech Pathologists from Arkansas Children’s provided activities to help campers who are deaf or hard of hearing with education about their hearing devices and advocacy for themselves. We enjoyed partnering with Arkansas Children’s on this new addition to CAAKBO camp!
“This was the best week ever for our girl. She absolutely loved it and from the bottom of my heart, my husband and I thank you.”
– Camper Parent
Diabetes Camp (July 23-28)
Diabetes Week was open to campers ages 7-14 who wanted to experience something new and exciting! These campers made plenty of new friends, and enjoyed canoeing, ziplining, and learning how to better manage their blood sugar.
This year, Camp Aldersgate implemented a new interactive glucose monitoring system called Camp Views. Arkansas Children’s donated the software, making it a game changer for our counselors and medical staff who were able to track our campers’ blood sugars in real-time! Channel 7 News interviewed our Director of Programs, Luke Nipper, and Morgan Butler Beyer, Diabetes Specialty Nurse at Arkansas Children’s to kick off the program and spread the word.
“My son had an absolute blast! Thank you so much for giving him such a great experience.”
– Camper Parent
KOTA 3 Camp (July 30-August 4)
KOTA 3 camp was the final camp of the summer season! KOTA camps are all-inclusive, meaning campers of any diagnosis can bring a friend or sibling to join in on the experience. With some record-high temperatures, our campers loved splashing in the pool nearly every day. The FBI Little Rock Field Office visited these campers and led a fun investigation as well! The campers loved catching the “perpetrator” and dusting for fingerprints.
Thank you, Junior League of Little Rock, for your help in making KOTA camps a success!
“My camper had the most amazing time. He’s already looking forward to coming back next summer. Thanks for having him and making a positive difference in his life.”
– Camper Parent
Summer Camp 2023 was one to remember! We loved hosting these campers this summer and making new memories. Keep a look out for fall camp content coming soon!
