camp on the move

The Painted Turtle continues to recover from the Powerhouse Fire that caused extreme smoke and landscape damage to the camp.  While progress with recovery is ongoing, camp leadership, who had already been forced to cancel the summer sessions, made the difficult decision to also cancel their 2013 Fall Family Weekends. Because of the continued remediation efforts and ongoing concern for the health of the campers, it was a necessary step.

In an effort to offer alternative camp experiences for children this fall, The Painted Turtle will continue its Camp on the Move program which it launched this summer. The program takes camp “on the road” with one-day camp events at different locations throughout California. Campers and their families join in on a day of arts and crafts, woodshop activities, singing, dancing, and most of all, fun camp-spirit with The Painted Turtle community. As one camper parent put it, “Our children had a fantastic time at The Painted Turtle on the Move in Brentwood last Saturday. With such great helpers like April, Annie and so many volunteers, it felt like Turtle camp. With lots of crafts, fun activities, carnival, stage show, and dancing those great group songs, it was really special for all. THANK YOU for putting on such an amazing event. Even a devastating fire could not stop that Turtle spirit!”

The camp has also sent out Camp Turtlegram Care Packages to campers and expanded its hospital-based programming—The Painted Turtle Outpost—which runs programs in 18 hospitals and clinics in California. It has also offered camp field trip day activities such as Dodgers baseball games and the Universal Studios amusement park. In the coming months, The Painted Turtle also hopes to host Volunteer Replanting Days at camp to help revitalize the camp and bring back the trees.

The camp hosted hundreds of children through Camp on the Move this summer and looks forward to creating more fun-filled camp experiences for the campers and their families when it reopens for its 10 year anniversary in spring of 2014. The Painted Turtle and SeriousFun Children’s Network would like to thank everyone for their continued support. Donations to help The Painted Turtle make repairs and meet camp operations are still needed. All donations up to $500,000 are being matched by SeriousFun Children's Network, Newman’s Own Foundation and The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. To make a contribution, please visit SeriousFun's web site.