Blue Tent Concludes 35th Annual Summer Camp
August 18, 2014
Upstate Children Affected by Abuse & Neglect Enjoy a Week Outdoors at Camp Tekoa
GREENVILLE, SC – Blue Tent, formerly Camp Opportunity – a 501c3 organization offering year-round programming to support and enrich the lives of children affected by abuse and neglect in Upstate South Carolina – is proud to conclude its 35th annual summer camp. Now located at Camp Tekoa in the mountains of North Carolina, Camp Opportunity Week was the birthplace of what has now become Blue Tent and is the marquee event of Blue Tent’s annual calendar.
For one week, every year, nearly 100 Upstate children have the opportunity to enjoy a traditional, secular, summer camp experience. The camp is designed to accommodate boy and girl campers, age 6 through 13. Under constant supervision and mentoring afforded by a 4-to-1 camper to counselor ratio, the campers hike, rock climb, swim, create craft projects, and most importantly laugh, all while developing valuable life skills imperative for the campers’ future success.
Annie Maertens, Executive Director for Blue Tent, described the camp experience best: “For several of our campers, camp offers an opportunity to escape some of the pain and suffering that has defined elements of their past. They get to just be kids – making friends, laughing, playing and learning. There is nothing more moving than watching two siblings reunite on the first day of camp after not seeing one another throughout the year.”
To learn more about Blue Tent and its efforts within the Upstate community, please visit www.bluetent.org.
About Blue Tent, Inc.
More than three decades ago, 23 children in foster care in Upstate South Carolina attended their first week of summer camp through the grassroots efforts of concerned community volunteers. Those 23 children swam, sang songs, gathered around a campfire, and established a legacy of fun, love, and support: Camp Opportunity. Today, the legacy of Camp Opportunity burns brightly in Blue Tent, Inc. Blue Tent’s mission is to encourage, enrich, and edify the lives of children who have experienced abuse and neglect by building positive relationships and providing educational, cultural, and recreational opportunities that ignite their curiosity, inspire their confidence, and impact their futures and the future of our community. Additional information may be found at the organization’s web site at www.bluetent.org.
