Into the Woods, Thanks to High-Rise Residents

Alice Reid
Friday, June 13, 2008

For a decade, the folks who live at Marina Towers condominiums in Alexandria have been raising money to send kids to Camp Moss Hollow--nearly $50,000 over the past 10 years, in fact.

This year, residents plan to raise another hunk of change. And to kick off that effort, what better way than to set out a spread of camp food for a "Get to Know Moss Hollow" evening.

So over pigs in blankets, strawberries, lemonade and s'mores melted in the condo association president's oven, residents gathered recently to hear Moss Hollow Director Hope Asterilla explain what that idyllic patch of woodland offers the children lucky enough to go there.

She talked about what the quiet of the natural world can do for campers who normally don't have much of a summer vacation in the heat and hustle of urban life.

About half of the 700 campers who will enjoy Moss Hollow this summer will come from situations that can defeat what most of us think of as childhood. Many have been shuttled from one foster home to another or suffered abuse from relatives or caregivers. Some live in shelters because their parents have lost their homes. Others come from homes where, in this fragile economy, their parents are struggling to keep their jobs. And all but a few would be unable to go to the camp but for the generosity of such people as the residents of this high-rise on the Potomac River.

"We give them a chance to be children," Asterilla told the group. "First, they get to play. Then they learn the responsibility of doing chores: keeping their cabins clean, helping in the kitchen. But above all, they have fun."

She stressed the camp's theme: "The Nature of Knowing," which will turn Moss Hollow's 400 acres and dozens of activities into learning reinforcements "so children don't lose what they've worked on academically all year." She talked about hikes, and mastering the art of canoe paddling, and such old-fashioned games as hopscotch and double Dutch ("played without any technology!" she added).

She didn't have much convincing to do. Marina Towers residents are a committed group. Many remember sending their own children to camp, or going to camp themselves, and want that same advantage for other kids.

Resident Ann Kaupp, a Smithsonian employee, spent summers in the Adirondacks, where she and her cousins caught frogs, went fishing and picked berries for breakfast.

"Those were the highlights of my childhood," she said. "Here's an opportunity for these kids to get out into nature."

Judy Cooper and her husband, Robert Hull, have been supporting Marina Tower's Moss Hollow connection for several years now.

"My husband was once a foster child himself," Cooper explained. "So this is close to his heart."

And retiree Sally Vermilye remembers sending all four of her children to camp in North Carolina. She thinks it gave them confidence. "It gave them the strength to know they could carry on by themselves," she said.

Residents Tani Lublin and Anne Marie Pittman have led the fundraising efforts at Marina Towers for the past decade. And as Lublin is fond of saying, "It all started with a beach towel." The apartment complex discovered Moss Hollow when they were searching for a worthy group that could use a stack of beach towels they'd used as decorations for a poolside party.

The camp got the towels and Marina Towers got a cause, one that even their management company, Community Management Corp., contributed to last year. In addition to collecting funds for the camp this summer, residents' annual silent auction in August will benefit Moss Hollow. Their efforts recently earned them the "Humanitarian of the Year" award from the D.C. area chapter of the Community Associations Institute.

"We hope maybe that what we do will serve as an inspiration for what other communities could do for Moss Hollow," Lublin said.

Take note if you are part of a community such as an apartment complex.

And if you're not, please remember how much any contribution to The Washington Post's Send a Kid to Camp campaign can mean to hundreds of needy children who come from the District, suburban Maryland and Northern Virginia. Without the chance to go to Moss Hollow, most of them wouldn't have much of a summer.

How to Help

To make your tax-deductible donation:

· Send a check or money order payable to "Send a Kid to Camp" to P.O. Box 96237, Washington, D.C. 20090-6237.

· To contribute online, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/camp. At the bottom of the page you will see a place to make a secure donation.

· To donate using MasterCard or Visa by phone, call 202-334-5100 and follow the instructions on our taped message.

And don't forget to order the Wednesday menu features at McCormick & Schmick's Restaurants and M&S Grills. Every Wednesday, proceeds from their featured item go straight to Moss Hollow.