Summer Camps In Berkshire County Get Boost In Funding

State Senator Adam Hinds recently delivered some good news to residents in Western Massachusetts, and that's including Berkshire County!

Senator Hinds made the terrific announcement that summer camps in Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin, and Hampshire counties will be the beneficiaries of nearly $700,000 in funding allocated in the Fiscal Year 2020 COVID-19 supplemental budget.

In a media statement, Hinds made this observation:

Summer camps play a vital role for childcare, mental health, and education during the summer months for families. Camps faced significant challenges over the past year due to restrictions from the pandemic. These funds are critical moving forward as camps reopen and welcome children back.

Speaking for myself, summer camp was instrumental in my youth. Being a military brat, constantly moving from place to place, forever being the new kid, is very trying on children at any age. The main reason I loved summer camp was that I was able to build friendships with kids my own age, something that is not easy to do during the hectic schedule of a normal school day.

Whether it was playing sports, swimming, doing arts and crafts, even singing songs on the bus traveling to and from day camp(maybe all of us on the bus were just happier knowing that this school bus wasn't bringing us to school), I have nothing but fond memories of summer camp.

These allocated funds are helping camps reopen their doors this summer which is a hopeful step towards normalcy. Here are the summer camps in Berkshire County that are receiving funding:

• Camp Greylock in Becket, $45,000
• Camp Watitoh in Becket, $45,000
• YMCA – Camp Becket in Becket, $45,000
• YMCA – Chimney Corners Camp in Becket, $45,00
• Holy Cross Camp in Dalton, $3,796.50
• Larkum Lake Operating Co. The Berkshire Soccer Academy for Girls in East Otis, $35,076.50
• Camp Romaca in Hinsdale, $45,000
• Lee Youth Association Summer Camp in Lee, $15,000
• Belvoir Terrace in Lenox, $45,000
• Camp Mah-Kee-Nac in Lenox, $45,000
• YMCA Camp Hi-Rock in Mount Washington, $45,000
• Camp Lenox in Otis, $45,000
• Camp Danbee in Peru, $45,000
• Camp Winadu in Pittsfield, $45,000

Thanks to Senator Hinds for passing on to us the excellent news!