08/10/2026
Good Morning Campers!
We are excited that camp is coming up again, and wanted to clarify a few things for those who have questions.
First, we want to clear up some miscommunication that some of you may have heard from Camp office staff. We had been communicating with camp leadership about OOFC once again having exclusive use of Camp Oakes for Labor Day Weekend. On June 8, we received a text saying that we would have exclusive use of the camp and they would pause any other registration until we had a chance to work out the details. However, shortly after that camp office staff opened registration up to anyone who wanted to come up to Camp Oakes for Labor Day weekend. Subsequent to that, we had another conversation with camp leadership where they agreed to not charge for campers with Down syndrome and keep track of that total so we could pay for it out of our scholarship fund. Once again, miscommunication between camp leadership and camp office staff caused some of you to be told that you needed to pay for everyone, including your child with Down syndrome. We have now heard again that as you register, you will have the ability to tell them who your person is with Down syndrome and will not be charged for that person. If you already registered and were charged for a camper with Down syndrome, we were told you will be issued a refund for that person. If you have any issues with contacting camp and getting that refund, please send an email to this email address and we will assist you with that process.
Next, we want to talk about camp programming for this coming Labor Day weekend. Although camp registration was opened to families other than OOFC families, camp leadership and we feel that the vast majority of campers will be OOFC families with maybe a couple of exceptions. Therefore, we will still run camp as we usually do and have our typical activities, including the glow dance one night, the talent show at campfire one night, the parent discussion, the sibling discussion, the camp photo, canoe races, and other features that make OOFC such a special experience for our campers. Honestly, having a few non-OOFC families at camp can actually be a positive thing as we can share our experience with others and raise awareness with those outside of the special needs community.
Going forward, we have already received a packet of paperwork that will allow us to reserve Camp Oakes exclusively for OOFC use in 2027 for both Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends! Over the next few months we will put together the required information to secure Camp Oakes for us in 2027. In the meantime, let's make sure that we all register as quickly as we can, and please make sure to spread the word to others in your network who may want to come to camp and may not be on this email chain. When you register, make sure you mention who you typically share a cabin with as camp staff will be in charge of housing assignments this time. We will assist camp with housing, but making your request at the time of registration will make that process easier. If you have any questions or concerns, please call or text Marissa, Danae or Dave, or send us an email at this email address. We look forward once again to being together at camp and to make this Labor Day 2026 camp great as our other camping experiences have been!
Thanks!!
Dave, Marissa and Danae
