The Hole-in-the-Wall Gang Camp

Growing up is really tough on a child. It is even tougher on their parents (look at my gray hair, and you’ll see what I mean). But when a child develops a life-threatening illness, there are long periods of not so happy moments. Many of those moments are pain filled as treatments are given, medications administered, and rehabilitation undertaken. But the site we are visiting today is designed to help make those long periods more bearable.

The site is called The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. The name is taken from a film called “Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid”. It is no little coincidence that one of the stars of the film, Mr. Paul Newman, is the founder of the camp. It is here that children with a variety of diseases and illnesses can find companionship and friends, and get the feeling of being a kid again. They can meet others that have the same problems they have, and together can do things that their parents or even they thought wouldn’t be possible of accomplishing. This non-profit center is open year round, is enjoyed by over 900 children (ages 7 to 15) a year free of charge. The activities can include siblings and parents as well.

The camp continues to grow and expand its activities. In 1992, a program was developed to bring inner city and suburban/rural children together, to provide an environment that allows them to understand and appreciate the natural cultural and personal diversity that exists in our society. A big hats off to Mr. Newman for again proving that he is a humanitarian of unmatched proportions.

http://www.holeinthewallgang.org/index.html