Whether 12-year-old camper Mac O’Donnell is in the dining hall enjoying his favorite camp meal (spaghetti), fishing for sunfish off the dock, or going head-to-head with his cabinmates in a game of ping-pong, his smile tells everyone around him about the joy he experiences while at Camp Friendship.
“I like coming to camp every year — this is about my third year — and I’ve really enjoyed it,” Mac said.
For Mac, camp is a place to soak in everything a Minnesota summer has to offer. “I always like being near the lake,” he said. “In Minnesota, people go up to their cabins on weekends, and it’s part of our culture.”
In the few years Mac has attended camp, he’s built strong friendships and connections with other campers. “Camp makes me feel included, and I feel happy being around all these people. I’ve had a few years of experience here, and you get to see people you’ve known for a while. You go through the year just waiting to be here with the people you enjoy,” Mac said. Not only do campers like Mac build friendships and expand their social horizons at camp, but they also gain self-confidence by trying new activities and embracing the adventures camp offers.
No one has a closer perspective on the growth campers experience through these adventures than our summer activities counselors. Ben Wymark first worked at Camp Friendship in 2019. Planning to return in 2020, his plans were canceled due to the pandemic. But six years later, Ben at last returned to Camp to once again serve as an activities counselor.
“I believe that this camp pushes the boundaries by getting the campers to work outside of their comfort zones… enabling them to have a life-changing experience when they come here.”
“I’ve learned to go out of my boundaries and try things I didn’t want to do at first, but I ended up liking them,” Mac said. “Like today, we had cooking — I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but I did.”
Mac and a summer camp counselor canoeing on Clearwater Lake at Camp Friendship
Trying new things has strengthened Mac’s confidence and independence.
“They help you discover your abilities,” he said. “Last year my balance was a little off, but camp helped me with that and made me feel empowered.”
As Ben puts it, “What makes True Friends so unique is that we can adapt any program to the campers’ needs. There’s always a workaround… there’s always something they can do, and it makes them happy.”
For summer staff members like Ben, camp is also a place to grow and become a better person. “My personality has improved, and I’ve got more of an outlook on life,” he said.
Now coming up on his fourth summer at Camp Friendship, Mac understands just how much camp means — not only to him, but to others who share in the same joy and sense of accomplishment.
“When you donate to camp, it’s going to a good cause,” Mac said. “You’re helping good people who love camp, and you’re making a lot of campers happy. That’s what’s important.”
“The more donations you make to True Friends, the more we can improve or create new activities… or improve accessibility for campers who can’t get to certain areas,” said Ben.
Together, campers like Mac and staff members like Ben show how True Friends empowers people of all abilities to grow, connect, and discover what they’re capable of.
