ASHFORD, Conn. (WTIC and AP) — Ground was broken Wednesday at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for seriously ill children to replace buildings that burned to the ground in a February fire.
The Feb. 12 blaze at the camp in eastern Connecticut, which was founded by the late actor Paul Newman, destroyed a section of the camp that was made to look like the center of an Old West town. It had housed the camp's woodworking shop, the arts and crafts area, the camp store, and its educational kitchen.
The camp received 4,500 donations for the rebuild, including a $1 million match from Travelers and the Travelers Championship golf tournament, and a $1 million gift from Newman’s Own Foundation, camp officials said.
That will allow the camp to build a new accessible single-level "creative complex" that will not only replace what was lost, but also include new features, such as a quiet sensory area for campers and dedicated space for parents and caregivers.
“We want to dedicate this moment to everyone who helped us heal and made us whole again,” Jimmy Canton, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp’s chief executive officer, said. "Your kindness was the bridge that brought us from grief to gratitude, and your friendship is why we are able to celebrate this milestone.”
The investigation into the fire was closed with the cause of the blaze listed as undetermined.
Work is expected to be finished in time for the summer 2022 camp season, officials said.