“We get by with a little help from our friends.” Truer words have never been spoken when it comes to summer camps at CARE.
I normally start planning our summer program in February. It is cold and dreary outside, and summer planning offers that bright light of things to come. However, this year I have to admit that my summer calendar was very ambitious. When I showed it to my voice of reason, Ray was quick to ask if I was sure that I wanted to undertake all of those programs.
I thought long and hard, and finally decided to give it a go. That is when the calls to possible instructors began, followed by calls to sponsors to ensure that financially we could pull it off, and finally opening registration that Monday morning.
I remember thinking that we would be OK when there was a line of excited children and parents in the CARE Gallery at 9 on the morning that registration started.
And now, it is time to thank all of those “friends of CARE” who made this summer possible. Thank you to everyone who donated snacks for the summer. I am always amazed at the amount of chips, cookies, cereal bars and juice that we churn through in two months, but it was a wonderful feeling when members of the community and civic groups came into CARE with boxes filled with snacks, juice and even cases of water for our instructors.
Thank you also to everyone who donated supplies for our camps. We welcomed everything from paint, to crayons, to old jewelry with excitement. Thank you also to the ladies who met in the evenings to prep the jewelry and other items for upcoming classes. We shared pizza, hard work and numerous laughs on those nights.
We could not reflect on summer without sending a special thank you to all of our instructors, many of whom donated their time and often their materials to teach the children of our community. They spend hours prepping and preparing weeks before their session begins and enter the CARE Gallery with the same excitement that the children do each day. More importantly, they are always willing, when possible, to try to squeeze in just one more child for camp when I ask.
Thank you to our many volunteers who were always happy to serve as those extra hands when needed during a class.
Thank you to all of the parents who entrusted their children to us, and to the young ones who came bounding into the CARE building each day. I have to admit that their excitement was contagious, and even on those days when I was exhausted, they kept us moving forward. These children were quick to offer to clean up after their classes and to say, “Thank you, Miss Dana!” on their way out the door.
I also have to take a moment to again thank our financial sponsors who always support CARE and our numerous initiatives. Thank you to the Mississippi Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Veterans of the USS Tallahatchie County for their donations. A very special thank you to the Ed and Becky Meek Foundation for your donation to support these camp endeavors.
As I have shared before, it would take me hours and hours to name everyone, and I would be very upset if I left anyone out, so thank you to the entire community for embracing CARE this summer and for being a part of our summer fun.
What is up next? Well, it is time for our Gateway to the Delta Festival on Oct. 18! Get ready for a wonderful day of music, food and family fun.
See you at CARE this fall and at Gateway 2025!
