Thinking About This Summer with Jack
I will be honest. Right now I am scared. I am balancing fear and hope for the world. Being optimistic and concerned for the health of friends and family. Globally, I am hoping for the best possible outcome during this pandemic.
For Stomping Ground, I am scared that this pandemic will keep us from running camp this summer. That by this summer, it still won’t be safe to gather as a community at our new home. We aren’t making any decisions yet, but are outlining all our options.
This hurts for a huge number of reasons, but two stand out.
Campers and Staff
First, so many campers and staff spend all year looking forward to the few weeks we spend together each summer. Those weeks carry many of us through the rest of the year, build our confidence, and give us new perspective.
Last week, as I pulled into work at the new camp property, we were chainsawing that day. I looked at my phone as I parked. Thomas, (not his real name), had instagram DM’d camp asking if we would run this summer?
Thomas has been at camp for years. He was in our teen program last summer. He is a gregarious, loud, and silly guy. He plays lots of sports, is quick to jump on stage, and tends to hide his emotions. He is a lot like I was at 15.
I responded that I hoped so and we chatted for a few texts. Finally he said,
“I would cry if I didn’t go to camp. Camp is my HIGHLIGHT of the YEAR”
We have gotten countless messages like this from campers and parents over the last couple weeks and even more just checking in to see how we are doing.
I am devastated thinking about letting Thomas down. We are doing everything in our power to make camp possible this summer, but it may be outside our control. With some work, I can rationally understand not running camp. I feel awful thinking about canceling camp on so many kids, Kids that are stuck inside right now looking forward to the days in the grove, playing basketball, or pretending in magical lands with their camp friends.
I know our little summer camp doesn’t cure illnesses, provide long term housing for the homeless, or eradicate food swamps. I know the world is changing and there are so many hardships coming. I know this, and I know what we do gives hope, connection, and love for kids like Thomas and hundreds of other young people.
That hope is what we need now more than ever, and I hate that this summer we might not be able to give that hope.
Finances
My second big fear is financial.
If we do cancel summer 2020, how will Stomping Ground weather this storm? We like many of you weren’t ready for the world to just stop spinning. If we can’t run camp this summer over 90% of our revenue will be wiped out. It is uncertain how we can sustain our year round team without that income. How long would we need to sustain before registrations for 2021 can start coming in and help us bridge the gap?
These are the questions that keep me up at night.
Will we have to cancel camp for 2020? How could we cancel our best tool for building hope in this hard time?
Can Stomping Ground financially weather that storm?
What keeps me going?
That connection matters. That hope can come in different ways. That the community we are building together is stronger than any challenge.
I look at the work Klee and Ray are doing running HomeTown Stomping Ground, our impromptu virtual camp that more than 50 kids came to in the first week. I re-read the emails from parents and DM’s from campers about how much camp matters and I get back to work.
At Stomping Ground we are committed to inspiring the next generation of radically empathetic decision-makers. We need that now more than ever. Camp is one way we do that. Hometown Stomping Ground is another. What else will we dream up to continue giving kids respite, hope, and connection? How else can we connect young people across difference and build community? I don’t know where we are going, but I know we will persist.
I know I can’t give up on kids like Thomas.
