QUEENSTOWN, Md. – The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp broke ground in Queen Anne’s County today, looking ahead to “a different kind of healing” to the Eastern Shore.
The space will fill out the vacant Wye River Convention Center, adding new amenities for summertime fun.
Founded in 1988 by actor and philanthropist Paul Newman, the camp helps seriously ill kids connect with others they can relate to and get the most out of a summer camp experience.
The western-themed campgrounds feature classic camp activities like bonfires and talent shows, adjusted to meet diverse accessibility needs with the goal of letting kids be kids.
CEO James Canton said the camp will be a “sacred space of profound healing” for thousands of children and their families.
Canton was a counselor when the camp first opened, and said he has seen the meaningful impacts for campers.
“The camp is life-changing for the children and family members that it serves,” he said. “When they arrive at the camp, oftentimes there’s a sense of isolation and aloneness and disconnect from people being able to understand.”
The camp has one location in Connecticut and recently acquired the Eastern Shore property to reach families in the mid-Atlantic region. The program is set to begin hosting campers next summer.
Na-Tasha Williams and her daughter Taylor have participated in programs run by The Hole in the Wall Gang and said they look forward to more opportunities closer to home.
Taylor attended the New England camp twice and still maintains some of the friendships she forged during her stays. Taylor and Na-Tasha also have experience with the group’s Family Outreach Program.
“As a mom, I’ve seen the impact in that it’s given her an opportunity to build a community and to meet children who kind of go through the same things that she goes through.”
Today’s groundbreaking ceremony featured guided tours of the space, digital renderings of future amenities and speeches by Canton and Jeffrey Horstman, who sits on the Board of Directors.