The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, based in

Ashford, Connecticut Ashford is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Connecticut Quiet Corner. The population was 4,191 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It was founded in 1714. Eastford, Connecticut, Ea ...

, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, residential

summer camp A summer camp or sleepaway camp is a supervised program for children conducted during the summer months in some countries. Children and adolescents who attend summer camp are known as ''campers''. Summer school is usually a part of the academ ...

, and year-round center serving children and their families coping with

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

and other serious illnesses and conditions.

History

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp was founded by actor Paul Newman in 1988. The camp is named after the gang in Newman's film '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid''. The camp is a parcel of land including a lake.

Services

The camp's programs include year-round outreach to hospitals and clinics, and ongoing services for children, families and caregivers. These programs serve 20,000 children and family members annually. All of the services are provided free of charge. Each summer, the camp offers seven one-week sessions for children aged seven to fifteen diagnosed with cancer,

sickle cell anemia Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a group of blood disorders typically inherited from a person's parents. The most common type is known as sickle cell anaemia. It results in an abnormality in the oxygen-carrying protein haemoglobin found in red bl ...

, hemophilia, metabolic and mitochondrial disorders, and other serious illnesses and conditions and one session for their healthy siblings. Weekend programs that run in the fall and spring provide a camp experience for the family unit. Activities at the camp include

horseback riding Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, boating,

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

crafts A craft or trade is a pastime or an occupation that requires particular skills and knowledge of skilled work. In a historical sense, particularly the Middle Ages and earlier, the term is usually applied to people occupied in small scale prod ...

, archery,

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, ...

and recreation. The hospital outreach program serves children in hospitals across the Northeastern United States. The camp's staff members make regular visits to these children, introducing services that are consistent with the spirit and programs offered in the camp's Ashford facility. The organization also offers regional family outreach programming across the Northeast for the families it serves.

Team Hole in the Wall

Team Hole in the Wall is an athletic fundraising initiative managed by the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. Amateur athletes join up to raise a specified amount of funds and receive entrance to a marathon, bike ride or other athletic event in support of seriously ill children served by The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp or one of its associated camps around the world. Established in 2005, Team Hole in the Wall offers entrance into more than two dozen marathons and

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

events, including the

New York City Marathon The New York City Marathon (currently branded TCS New York City Marathon after its headline sponsor (commercial), sponsor) is an annual Marathon (sport), marathon () that courses through the five boroughs of New York City. It is the largest mar ...

, Boston Marathon and AngelRide cycling event in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

New Canaan New Canaan () is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 20,622 according to the 2020 census. About an hour from Manhattan by train, the town is considered part of Connecticut's Gold Coast. The town is bounde ...

resident and

Newman's Own Newman's Own is an American food company headquartered in Connecticut. Founded in 1982 by actor Paul Newman and author A. E. Hotchner, the company donates all of its after-tax profits to charity through the Newman's Own Foundation, a private no ...

Vice President of Marketing Michael "Mike" Havard ran in the ING New York City Marathon prior to 2004, but in that year he decided to use his participation to raise funds for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, raising nearly $40,000. The next year, he served as captain of the first Team Hole in the Wall team of 40 runners, raising $150,000. The number of Team Hole in the Wall members and events has risen each year since. In 2010, more than 1,800 Team Hole in the Wall members are expected to participate in 20 athletic events.

Funding

The camp relies upon contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and organizations, receiving support from more than 25,000 annual donors and many organizations, including

, AngelRide Charitable Trust,

Travelers Championship Traveler(s), traveller(s), The Traveler(s), or The Traveller(s) may refer to: People Generic terms *One engaged in travel *Explorer, one who searches for the purpose of discovery of information or resources *Nomad, a member of a community withou ...

, the International Longshoreman's Association Children's Fund, and Newman's college fraternity,

Phi Kappa Tau Phi Kappa Tau (), commonly known as Phi Tau (), is a collegiate fraternity located in the United States. The fraternity was founded in 1906. As of November 2022, the fraternity has 161 chartered chapters, 79 active chapters, 6 Associate chapte ...

. The camp also provides advice and

financial support An investor is a person who allocates financial capital with the expectation of a future return (profit) or to gain an advantage (interest). Through this allocated capital most of the time the investor purchases some species of property. Type ...

to other camps with similar missions, as part of the

SeriousFun Children's Network SeriousFun Children's Network is a global community of 30 camps and programs for seriously ill children. All camps and programs offer free recreational experiences to children with serious illnesses and their family members. The first SeriousFu ...

, a worldwide association of camps for seriously ill children.

References

External links