Kieve hosts 6th Annual 9/11 Family Camp

September 11, 2007

Kieve-Wavus hosted their 6th Annual Family Camp for families affected by the September 11th tragedies. Individuals and families from FDNY Ladder Company 3, FDNY Battalion 6 and Cantor Fitzgerald in New York as well as The Pentagon all arrived at Kieve for another week of laughter, hugs, support, and lots of fun, games and entertainment.
Kieve sends thanks to the many local businesses and sponsors including: Yellowfront Grocery, Big Al?s Super Values, The Pemaquid Fisherman?s Co-op, Mook Sea Farm, Weatherbird, Ducktrap of Maine, Hannaford, Artsake Framing, Judy & Louis Doe, O'Hara Ice, Mexicali Blues, The Schooner Eastwind, Round Top Ice Cream, Flowers by Judy Doe, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Stonewall Stables, The Union Fair, Sysco of Northern New England, North Center Foods and Awshucks Oyster Shucker. In addition to all of the wonderful donations by these businesses, Kieve sends thanks to the individuals who have helped raise the funds each year to offer this expense-free week for these individuals and families.
Kieve would also like to recognize and thank the volunteers who helped make this year's camp a special success: Bill & Ann Mallory, Rich & Mimi Roughgarden, Bob & Judy Linker, Ron Gerard, Janice & Doug Burke, Alan Baldwin, Jim Dorian, Ann Marie Orr, Dan Unruh, Henry Chance, and Gary Stone. 9/11 Family Camp Director Russ Williams said, ?These individuals along with local businesses and our staff helped make this year's camp the best ever in the 6 years of offering the camp.
This year, families went fishing with avid bass fisherman & Maine Guide Ron Gerard, water skiing and on the lake with Bill Mallory. Kieve opened the high ropes and adventure course at both Kieve and Wavus. Daily outings were organized for shopping in Damariscotta, Freeport and Camden and an afternoon sail on the Schooner Eastwind from Boothbay Harbor. A baseball game at Kieve?s ?Fenway Park? was lots of fun as was the ping pong tournament. There were trips to Stonewall Stables for horseback riding, The Union Fair, Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens and a hike up Megunticook Mtn. in Camden. One of the evenings was filled with fun and laughter by magician Rick Bernard from St. George. There was also a beautiful star-filled evening next to the campfire with songs and stories and later there was great music by Bruce Marshall. For the 6th year the Pemaquid Fisherman's Co-op provided a great authentic lobster bake including oysters, clams, onions, corn and eggs and wonderful blueberry cake. As a special treat before the lobster bake, lobstermen Russ Nesbit, Brian Bickford and Lewis Cameron took all the participants out in their boats to haul a few traps in John?s Bay. The final evening included a surprise performance by the Rocky Bay Bagpipe Band that was very emotional and moving for all.
September 11th, 2001 changed the world and changed our lives in ways we could never imagine. Kieve has had a unique opportunity to share our beautiful campus, natural beauty and relative safety with these special families. Over the last 6 years, caring and lasting friendships have developed and grown out of the camp. Williams says, ?it is very rewarding for all of us to be able to help our friends from away doing what we do best at our beautiful camps?.