Why I Donate To Stomping Ground

Beyond honored to introduce our next guest writer. She is a person near and dear to my heart, my own sister Meagan! Meagan Ekimoff wears a lot of hats. By day she is a bad ass lawyer, mother of two, and big sister to all, but she is so much more than any title or name we could give her. Meagan is a steady rock for any person that needs her. Her brain is as big as her heart, and if you need her help, she is relentless with her support and compassion. There is an instinct that lives in Meagan to protect and care for others. She believes in the mission of camp, and we could not be more grateful to have her on our team. Best. Big. Sister. Ever.

Meagan and her family at the Be Kind Festival!

- Ray

I will start off by saying that summer camp was not part of my own coming of age story. In fact, at the age of 7, I became a summer camp dropout and I never looked back. So why have I jumped on the Camp Stomping Ground bandwagon? I started out wanting to support my youngest brother in his first professional endeavor (shout out to Ray!) but it has become so much more than that, for me and my family.

As the mother of two young children, I think obsessively about the state of the world, as it is now and what it will be in the future. When I first became a parent, I thought my primary job was to prepare my kids to go out into the world to live as happy, healthy, productive adults. But I have since learned a more fundamental truth: I don’t want my children to be prepared to meet the world as it is. I want their world to be a better place, I want their challenges to be fewer and their experiences to be richer, and I want them to view themselves as stewards for the generations who will follow them. Easily achievable goals, right? Especially when just running a brush through my daughter’s hair on the way out the door in the morning can test every fiber of my being.

Meagan and her daughter Nora in action at our Dance Marathon!

Stomping Ground has offered me a simple way to channel my hopes and dreams into action. At this point in my life, I don’t have a ton of time to spend volunteering.  Donating money (even a small amount) helps me  feel like I am doing something to make the world a better place.  And I have the opportunity to see my money at work on a really granular level, which can sometimes be challenging when donating to larger non-profit organizations. Stomping Ground’s fundraising events are also extremely family friendly.  I recently participated in the Stomping Ground Dance Marathon with both of my kids. They loved the dancing, the costumes, the face painting, the snacks, the laughter.  I really value creating those memories with the two of them while also doing good for the community around them.  And hopefully I am setting an example for them to follow as they grow. 

Jack, Laura, Ray, Klee and the staff at Camp Stomping Ground have built a community “dedicated to radical empathy, self-direction and possibility.” They offer children a safe place to explore the world on their own terms. Which means kids learn for themselves how to interact and play, how to resolve conflict, how to advocate for themselves and for each other. I donate to Camp Stomping Ground because I want a place like that to exist for my children, who will be campers in a few years. But I also donate to Camp Stomping Ground because I want a place like that to exist for ALL children, regardless of their ability to pay. For as much as I believe in the power of one to change the world, I believe even more strongly that we have to take collective action if we want to create effective, lasting change. If every camper takes what they learn at Stomping Ground and models it for their friends, siblings, parents, teachers, coaches ... well, the possibilities are endless.

And let me just take a moment to thank Jack, Laura, Klee, Ray, and the whole SG crew. Thanks for letting me into your circle over this past year. I am excited to watch Stomping Ground grow, and that I get to be a part of it, but I am also profoundly grateful for your friendship. It has changed my life and filled me with hope in the chaotic early days of parenthood. It’s good to be together!

Meagan Mahar Ekimoff
Philadelphia Committee Member
Full Time Lawyer / Bad Ass Mom