2021 Camp Information
Hey SAM Familes!
We are super excited to send you the 2021 Hybrid Programming Day Camp and Sam @ Home Virtual Camp registration link! With this form you will be able to sign up for day camps as well as our virtual camp. Please note the registration dealine is May 15th or until camps reach capacity. I also included the COVID protocol that was approved by our medical team that we will follow this summer. This year all camps, in-person and virtual are for both patients and siblings, 6-18 years of age. As a reminder, you will be responsible for transporting your child to and from all days camps. We will have a place for parents to stay for the day at Children’s Harbor in Alexander City if your child attends day camp and you wish to stay close for the day. I am happy to answer any questions you have and you will get session specific information such as medical forms, consent forms, and other information once registration is completed and sessions are filled. We want to make this as easy as possible.
With much excitement,
Kellie
Dear SAM Families,
We hope you all are healthy and safe. Words cannot express how much we miss seeing your faces! I speak for the whole SAM team when I say this past year has just not been the same without seeing you on a regular basis. I want to share where we are in terms of 2021 as so many have asked. You know I am all about transparency, so I will be as truthful as possible. Right now, it does not look super favorable for us to have overnight camps again in 2021. The biggest issue is the communal housing element of camping. We feel like we can social distance, mask, wash our hands and take every precaution we know, but with the close quarters of our cabins, these steps can’t be followed absolutely and that concerns us and the medical team. But with that said, you KNOW the SAM team – we WILL make the ABSOLUTE BEST of this situation.
We are in the process of developing our hybrid plans for the summer to submit to our medical team for review. This plan includes SAM at Home virtual opportunities as well as proposed in-person day camp opportunities. We honestly cannot bear the thought of not going to camp for a second year in a row. So, we are doing our best to make sure we can safely have time to reconnect at our favorite place. It will just look very different. Additionally, we are hoping to offer “field trip” type activities in our different regions for the whole family to enjoy. This will be an evolving and changing plan at least for the next several months so I covet your flexibility, understanding, cooperation, and grace as we navigate these times.
As vaccinations increase and rapid testing is more readily available for organizations like Smile-A-Mile, we hope this early camp forecast changes to allow for more in-person programming. We will have a virtual town hall to give an update on our hybrid 2021 plans once the SAM team and medical team feel comfortable with our protocol and activities. We will update on social media, our website and notify you all by email. I hope you find comfort in knowing we are working tirelessly to provide the Smile-A-Mile experiences we all cherish. We love each of you and will communicate our plans moving forward as quickly as possible. As always, please reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.
