Hale Campers to Indulge in Carnival-Like Fun Thursday

Each summer, nearly 2,000 kids from about 70 communities descend upon the grounds of Hale Reservation for several sessions of summer camp. All of the campers comprise nearly a dozen separate camps that function simultaneously at Hale.

And while swimming, hiking, and archery are on the daily menu of activities for each participant, one thing the campers don't get to experience during the summer months is a lot of face time with the kids in camps outside their own.

But Thursday at 11 a.m., the worlds of those campers will collide in an explosion of carnival-like fun.

"We have nine different camps on campus, and when we can, we love to have some kind of integration," said Paula McLaughlin, Development Director at Hale.

A series of events will begin at 11 a.m. in the large area of Cat Rock field on the reservation's grounds, lasting until about 2 p.m. Activities will include everything from relay races, a bean-bag toss, a dunk tank, and even snow cones will be served, allowing campers to beat the heat.

The parking lot will also be cleared of cars so that campers can use their creative drawing skills with sidewalk chalk.

Last month, Hale held a similar series of events for a July 4 extravaganza. That event, however, was not for campers, but rather for members of Hale's Membership Beach.

Thursday's event, the first event of it's kind for the actual campers, will give them a chance to go above and beyond the normal day-to-day activities of fun. All of the activities are funded and sponsored by Needham Bank, McLaughlin said.