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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 J U LY 1 3 , 2 0 2 0 F O C U S A U G U S TA / WAT E R V I L L E / C E N T R A L M A I N E says Johnson. "We didn't think it through, that the alumni would go nuts for it." It turns out all those people who'd loved the camp as kids, and who'd been cooped up in New York City apartments and similar places since March, longed for that magic. e cabins are 70% booked for July, and August is picking up, still with no marketing. About half of the guests are former campers. e campers are happy to comply with social distancing and mask-wearing procedures, and there haven't been issues with them getting COVID-19 tests in their home state before coming, Wiggin and Johnson say. "e only question was about wi-fi," says Wiggin. at's not a problem. e campus, which also is home to the Maine Arts Academy, is fully wired. Campers are happy to relax by the lake, enjoy the res- taurant, canoe, kayak and frequent the open-air tiki bar on the lodge roof, which serves ice cream and drinks. A different kind of summer In Winthrop, Mechuwana is having a different kind of summer. When schools shut down in March, some in the area couldn't continue the federal lunch program. ombs connected with the state, and within two days was set up to take over. Mechuwana, which mostly draws from Maine, has many low- to middle-income campers who qualify for the school lunch program, so ombs was already familiar with it. Mechuwana began making meals for Monmouth and Winthrop kids daily. It soon became clear camp wouldn't open for the summer, so he decided to extend the program through August. It has since taken on weekend meals for Vienna and New Sharon, as well as Salem, a 90-minute one-way drive. ombs started out using volunteer help. "But I knew that wasn't going to be sustainable." Meanwhile, some of the young adults who would have been working as counselors were home from college because of the COVID-19 shutdown. Like the New England Music Camp, kids who went to Mechuwana have a big place in their heart for the place they spent their magical summers. ombs has hired a staff of nine, many of them former campers, who quarantined at the camp for 14 days so they could work. ey are making and delivering hundreds of meals a week — 9,480 in May and even more in June. 21st century solutions Maine's summer camp tradition goes way back. More than 20 camps in the state are more than a century old. But Hall, of Maine Summer Camps, says this year's situation calls for 21st century solutions. e two central Maine camps are among a handful that are doing something new. Camp Kiev and Wavus, in Jefferson, helped form the new Lincoln County Food Initiative, which is making and delivering meals to seniors. Bryant Pond 4-H Camp, in Oxford County, has a variety of programs, including field kits for things like bird watching and fishing that families can borrow. Many closed camps are offering online programs or hosting families of campers. Hall is also talking to the Department of Education about providing outdoor space for schools when they start up again in the fall. And some solutions go beyond kids. Seth Rigoletti, a Portland-based corporate leadership coach, is in the early stages of putting together a retreat option, link- ing businesses with camps. e program would provide business for empty camps, and also be a win for businesses, which are feeling their own anxiety. "One of the most consistent questions is 'How do we stay connected?'" he says. e ability to get together and brainstorm is largely lost with virtual meetings. Many feel they have to be together in a room to work like that. "But how can they be in a room and be safe?" He says, "We have to balance both and use what- ever assets we have." Camps are the perfect space — big areas, big indoor space or covered pavilions, no one else around. He's looking at ones that are within an hour of Portland, would have someone on the grounds to help out and possibly provide food. "is is in the wheelhouse of many, many camps," he says. He hopes the idea catches on with people outside of his circle, and that both camps and businesses looking for space will be entrepreneurial. "We all have to try to think of ways to help each other out and stay afloat." 'The power of camp' e solutions aren't economically perfect, those at Mechuwana and New England Music Camp say. But they're a way to sustain the business and keep commu- nity alive. Both say a vaccine will be necessary to allow things to get back to something close to normal. e pain is deeper than economic. "e kids are really missing it. It's a big part of their lives," ombs says. e Payroll Protection Program, federal meals program funding and donations "help keep us open," he says. Still, "We're able to provide summer jobs for a few people," he says, and provide meals for hundreds of families. New England Music Camp, between cabin rentals, the restaurant, and also with PPP help, "is sustaining," Johnson says. "We have not had to let anyone go, but we have had to shift into roles we're not accustomed to," she says. "Everyone's been great. People are happy to have jobs." "We've been lucky," Wiggin adds. "ings could have been very different." ere are silver linings. e camp always wanted to add a restaurant, but never had time. A $6.5 million Bowl in the Pines upgrade will be completed this year now that work can continue through the summer. ombs, too, sees a silver lining, one that goes back to the magic of camp. "It's very special to see these young adults stepping up and helping people," he says of his staff. "ey're making a difference. at's the power of camp." M a u r e e n M i l l i k e n , M a i n e b i z s e n i o r w r i t e r, c a n b e r e a c h e d a t m m i l l i k e n @ m a i n e b i z . b i z C O U R T E S Y O F M E C H U WA N A It's very special to see these young adults stepping up and helping people. They're making a difference. That's the power of camp. — Norm Thombs Executive Director, Camp Mechuwana

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