Camp Laughalot kicks off another summer season
Every child or young adult deserves an opportunity to attend summer camp, even if that child may require more supervision than usual. That’s the belief behind Washington County Arc Human Services’ annual Camp Laughalot, a summer camp serving children primarily with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Camp started Monday and runs through Aug. 5. Its hours are 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The cost of the camp is $100 per week, and campers can attend for any number of weeks. There are scholarships available for families who can’t afford camp tuition, thanks to donations from the Edith L. Trees Charitable Trust and United Way of Washington County. These donations also help fund camp activities.
Originally, the camp was only for campers up to age 21. This year it was opened to adults, as well.
The camp is designed to provide fun learning opportunities that enable children to gain new skills and experiences to help them live, learn and play in their communities and achieve more independence.
“Some folks don’t have the opportunities that other kids have to go to a regular summer camp,” said Christy Lewis, program director for Camp Laughalot. “We wanted to make sure that there was an opportunity for them, because we want to give every child a chance.”
Camp activities include arts and crafts, swimming, experimental science projects, sports and outings to such places as Carnegie Science Center, the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Seabase, National Aviary and Pittsburgh Zoo.
According to Lewis, past years of camp have been a little more therapeutic and clinical for the campers. However, it was decided that just like any other kid, those with disabilities need a break, so the camp takes advantage of the summer season to do things that are fun while still promoting a social and learning environment.
“We just want to get the individuals out and involved in the community, so socialization, community involvement and really just building relationships within the camp are important goals” said Darrilyn McCrerey, program coordinator of Camp Laughalot.
Christina Tomecsko, mother of Jonathan Tomecsko, who has Down syndrome, has been sending her child to Camp Laughalot for about 16 years.
“I can send him here and not be afraid,” Tomecsko said. “He’s with counselors who have a background either in special ed, psychology, teaching … a lot of the counselors come back several years in a row, so he’s with people every year that he knows, and I trust that the people here are going to watch and take care of him.”
Tomecsko said camp is something Jonathan looks forward to every summer, and it’s a great opportunity for him to socialize with other children and adapt to different situations while also having a good time.
Both McCrerey and Lewis have been involved in Camp Laughalot for the past 10 years, and McCrerey says she loves “seeing the longstanding relationships that happen after camp. There’s been campers that have attended probably since we started 10 years ago that have made friends throughout camp, and they’re still in contact with each other, so I love building those relationships and seeing them continue.”
Camp Laughalot gets an average of 30 to 35 campers per week, and has a large staff to accommodate the needs of all campers, as well as a detailed camp checklist, pickup and drop-off policy, medication management and administration system, and more to assure the well-being of all campers.