Media Contact: Lucie Fornasiero; EAFocus Communications; lucie@eafocus.com 248.925.6726
Detroit/Roscommon, Mich.— May 12, 2021— Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake, a nearly 100-year-old summer camp affiliated with Westminster Church of Detroit, and located in Roscommon, Michigan, is ready to welcome campers, counselors, and mission groups back to camp after a hiatus from traditional summer programming in 2020. Camp Executive Director Suzanne Bates, who has led the camp with her husband Jim Bates, Director of Development, since 1995, said campers and counselors will return to a COVID-compliant traditional camp experience.
“It was heartbreaking to miss out on the Camp Westminster experience in 2020, but it was the right decision. For the summer of 2021, we will return to all the summer camp activities that children and teens love; we’ll just be doing a few things differently because of the pandemic. Kids need summer camp,” Bates said.
While some parents may be hesitant to send their children to camp just yet, Bates said they have seen significant interest and are still welcoming sign-ups for the summer. Perhaps the bigger challenge wrought by the pandemic has been recruiting counselors, given that approximately 50% of Camp Westminster counselors in any given year are recruited from abroad. While they have enough counselors to operate this summer, they are still welcoming applications for young adults to work on their summer staff. Staff must be 19 or older, with one year of study at a university completed.
“Camp Westminster not only supports the social and emotional health of children, but it also provides young adults that serve on our staff with the skillsets that are at the core of college and career readiness. Every summer, at least one of our staff members shares with me that ‘this was the best summer of their life,’” Bates noted.
The first session of campers will arrive June 20, with sessions running through August 6.
Parents can rest assured that Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake will keep campers safe this summer by following all protocols issued by the CDC, the State of Michigan, and the American Camp Association. Even prior to the pandemic, Camp Westminster always encouraged good hand washing practice for campers and counselors alike, with dedicated hand washing stations built outside the dining hall decades ago. Additionally, campers will be grouped in small age-appropriate cohorts (pods) of 10 campers or fewer with the same counselors, using only dedicated equipment. Outdoor programming will be pod-based and intentionally spread out with a dedicated indoor space for each pod for inclement weather. Meals will be outside as much as possible. Multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions will include enhanced cleaning protocols and daily health screenings. Campers and staff will wear masks if they are indoors or interacting with someone not in their pod or unable to maintain a healthy distance from fellow campers.
Information for summer camp registration and open positions can be found at www.campwestminster.com.
About Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake
Founded in 1925, Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake is an American Camp Association accredited summer sleepaway camp that offers traditional camp experiences for children ranging from elementary to high school age. The camp also offers a family camping options and hosts mission groups. Set on over 40 acres of land on the shores of North Higgins Lake, Camp Westminster is a peaceful retreat in Northern Michigan. Camp activities include sailing, rock climbing, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, team challenge courses, outdoor cooking, ice cream making, arts and crafts, camp songs, and archery, among many other activities. Camp Westminster on Higgins Lake is affiliated with Westminster Church of Detroit located in Detroit, Michigan. Campers of all faiths are welcome.
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