CAMBRIA, N.Y. — Camp Happiness in Cambria has a special purpose, provide a unique summer camp experience to people with disabilities, and the camp chairman tells 7 News he won’t let the heat wave get in the way.
“We try to create 1,000 smiles every day, that’s our mission,” chairman Wesley Pickreign said. “These are folks who most of their disabilities are developmental delays from birth. Many haven’t had an opportunity to have a camp experience of any kind.”
Camp Happiness first started in 2008 to serve people of all ages with developmental disabilities.
This year’s program hosts campers from age 20 all the way to 94.
However, temperatures in the mid-90s and thunderstorms forced Pickreign and his staff of volunteers to get creative if the camp was going to happen this year.
“Our guests, being people of disabilities, [the heat] really impacts them a lot,” Pickreign said.
“We have had to figure out new ways of cooling off,” vice president Steve Schmitt said. “We try to keep them in the shade, let them cool off at lunch, then we give them all the water we can give them.”
“Was there ever a doubt [that camp] was going to happen?” 7 News reporter Derek Heid said.
“Never a doubt,” Pickreign said.
Despite those hot temperatures, that creativity paid off, Tuesday hosted plenty of smiles after every trip to cool off at the mister and every water break.
“We’ve got three more days [of camp] with this kind of weather, are you prepared for that?” 7 News reporter Derek Heid said.
“Ummm actually, for me, I’m not because I don’t love it. I don’t love this kind of weather, it’s too hot for me,” camper CC Costello said.
Campers like CC will be trying to stay cool at camp the rest of the week, and she might just be wishing for a cooler summer next year.
