Last week on Spotlight On Maryland, Gina Crash was joined in studio by Trish Woodward, Executive Director, and Elana Tobb, Volunteer & Training Manager at Camp Opportunity, to talk about their mission and upcoming Paddles and Pinwheels Pickleball Tournament coming up Saturday, April 26th at the Pickleball House in Middle River. The event supports their Pinwheels for Prevention campaign-a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about childhood abuse prevention. Camp Opportunity Maryland provides an overnight summer camp experience for children ages 8-11 who have experienced abuse and neglect. The one-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio and year-round programming are what make the Camp Opportunity experience so powerful.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Blue Pinwheels are the symbol of this awareness month. On April 27th, Trish, Elana and her team handed out blue pinwheels to our government constituents as they entered the Capital Building in Annapolis on the last day of the General Assembly to advocate for policy and funding that supports children impacted by abuse and neglect and to connect with legislators to ensure at-risk youth remain a priority in state funding decisions.
Camp Opportunity's Journey Curriculum is a key part of their program that helps campers develop emotional regulation, conflict resolution and resilience. They also stay connected year-round with campers through virtual cabin time, care packages and birthday cards.
To register for Paddles and Pinwheels, and to find out how to support Camp Opportunity, visit campopportunity.org. You can also follow them on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Click the media player below to listen to the interview and find out more.