Camp is cool again

RICHARDSVILLE — Tykia Cottoms bounces around the J.C. Penney parking lot, anxiously pushing her duffle bag. She slings a pillow over her shoulder and plops on top of it, excitedly awaiting a trip to camp.

Tykia, a second-grader at Pearl Sample Elementary, was one of 24 Culpeper County children experiencing outdoor activities last week at Camp Happyland. And for many, it was their first extended time away from their parents.

Nestled along a winding road off of Route 3, most county residents might be unaware of Camp Happyland. But each year it plays host to children from across the state that may not have a chance to otherwise get a vacation, and the Salvation Army provides that opportunity.

A lot of fun, and affordable
Mindy Cottoms heard about the camp through word of mouth and thought it would be perfect for her daughter.

“This was her first time, and I wanted her to do something else exciting this summer,” the elder Cottoms said. “This is her first time away from home this long, and she was excited about doing it.”

Like most of the Culpeper contingent, Tykia was excited to get outdoors and cited swimming as the event she looked forward to most.

Tracy Forloines of Culpeper used to attend Camp Happyland when she was a child in Waynesboro, so when she noticed an item in the Star-Exponent about the camp, she immediately thought it would be a great opportunity for her three children.

Samantha, 10, Julio, 8, and Javier, 6, have been asking their mom for weeks what camp was going to be like.

“I’m not from here (originally),” she said, “but when I saw they were doing it I thought it was pretty cool because, the way the economy is, we can’t really go on vacation. It’s actually their first time being away from home.

“It’s really great. I remember a lot about it. I remember making friends, and I just think all the kids are going to have a really great time.”

Forloines’ husband recently returned to work after having been laid off, so the fact the camp is free for Culpeper County residents appealed to the family. The Forloines have lived in Culpeper for five years, but they weren’t aware of the camp until recently.

“I knew this would be something they’d be able to do,” she said.

TaeJodi Mathers and Kaleece Blackwell waved goodbye to their moms as they climbed on the bus at J.C. Penney. The two probably wouldn’t have had a chance to go on a vacation if it hadn’t been for the camp. But they were both ecstatic for the opportunity, and so were their parents.

“They’ve been watching a lot of shows like ‘Hannah Montana’ and ‘Camp Rock’ where they go to camp,” Tonya Mathers said. “They’ve been wanting to go, and this was a primary opportunity because it was affordable. I’m a single parent, and it was conducive to what I needed.

“I never knew what Camp Happyland was. I always saw it because of my work, but no one ever took the time to explain what it was. One day I was told what it was, and I said I’d really like Taeja to go.”

The fact that they, too, were going to be away from their families for the first time was a little nerve wracking for both moms and daughters, but the allure of camp proved too much.

“This morning we were teasing in the car, because she said, ‘My heart and my mind tells me I’m really going to miss you, but deep inside I know I’m going to have so much fun,’” Blackwell said with a laugh.

Building numbers
Salvation Army Program Director Joanne Munson is at the center of the registration for Camp Happyland Monday morning. She bounces from person to person, making sure everyone is signed up and ready to go.

Medicine is packed away in zip-top bags, ready to be given to the nurse. Forms are checked and double-checked, making sure important information is known about each camper.

This is the second year Munson has been in charge of registration for Culpeper County, and the number jumped from 11 her first year to 24 this year.

However, that’s not enough in her eyes. The county was able to sign up 30 children for camp this year, all free of charge — paid for by donations to the Salvation Army.

“We could have sent even more kids,” Munson said. “We’d like to send 60 kids next year. We want every year just to be able to send as many kids as possible.”

The camp offers a treasure trove of outdoor activities — swimming, canoeing, wall-climbing, hiking, arts and crafts — along with a chance to build Christian values.

“We always have a theme during the summer, and the theme this year is ‘Once Upon a Time,’” Salvation Army Major Teresa Newsome said. “We have Salvation Army ministers that come in and do our Bible classes. The Salvation Army is a Christian organization, so we promote learning about the Bible and praying at every meal.”

The camp is open for eight weeks, with each week bringing in anywhere between 100 to 200 campers from other counties. Newsome estimates they could see as many as 1,000 campers a year, all enjoying the outdoors.

Munson would like to see even more from the Culpeper area, but said many in the county are surprised when they hear about Camp Happyland.

“I don’t know how it has been hidden for so long,” Munson said. “We really want to get it out to the community. We really want people to know this is right in your back yard. People should be going out and enjoying Camp Happyland. It’s a great opportunity for companies to take their employees out there and do activities. They have all sorts of team-building programs.”

Munson was pleased the camp attendance grew to 24 this year, saying that two years ago only six went from Culpeper County. Yet she’s surprised more people don’t inquire about the camp, especially with the way the economy has soured. There are no restrictions — you simply have to live in the county to qualify and have to be between the ages of 7 and 12.

Ready for fun
Free of their parents, the Culpeper County campers exit the bus at Camp Happyland and take off in different directions.

Counselors take the boys and girls to their cabins, and then it’s off for a swimming test.

Among all the chatter as the campers look over their new surroundings, one boy exclaims, “I love camp already!”

And then they are gone, off to explore and have fun.

Want to know more?

Camp Happyland, hosted by the Salvation Army, allows children to experience an outdoor vacation. The camp is free for residents of Culpeper County between the ages of 7-12. For more information, or to make a donation to help send more children to the camp, call Joanne Munson at 727-8025.