Holy Family Camp adjusts, delivers a week of fun

Tucker Smith and his father Eric enjoy one of the parachute activities during the Holy Family Camp last week in Wichita. (Advance photos)

The pandemic couldn’t have waned at a better time for Myra Jacobs.

When planning for this summer’s Holy Family Camp began earlier this year pandemic restrictions and requirements were at the top of the must-do lists.

“We really didn’t know how we were going to pull it off,” she said last week in between camp activities, “we just figured we had to.”

Jacobs, the director of the Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, said the camp was much more relaxed now that the pandemic is fading. “It’s almost like this week of camp was when we had that turnaround.”

There’s still a lot of hand-washing going on, she said, but volunteers, campers, parents, and caregivers socialized much more easily than it was anticipated in January.

This year’s event was a transition year, Jacobs said, with about half the number of campers and half the number of volunteers participating in day-time-only activities at Camp Hiawatha in north Wichita.

This year’s event also made it possible for camp volunteers to get to know the parents, who accompanied the campers during activities.

“Parents usually drop off the campers,” Jacobs said. “But this year we were able to talk to parents and really get to know them.

This year’s theme was the Eucharist. The camp featured booths about the bread and wine, the Last Supper, and details about the Mass.

Many priests stopped by to visit during the week, Jacobs said.

“Folks are missing the talent show and dance but we can confidently say at this point: next year, next year!”

This year’s camp was held Monday through Thursday, June 7-10. Campers also participated in sing-alongs with Sally Bouska, Trivia Time with Matt Ramsey, Strong Man Demonstrations by Brad Johnson, and a special music performance by Jenny Wood.