Newman's Own Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

Paul Newman was part of the original big screen Hole in the Wall Gang and famous for his extensive movie career that has spanned decades. In 1988, he began donating all profits from the sale of Newman's Own Organic products to hundreds of charities within the United States and abroad, with a special emphasis on the communities where the products are sold and camps for children with serious illnesses and life-threatening conditions.

The first Hole in the Wall Camp opened in 1988 in Ashford, CT. Here, severely ill children are offered summer stays free of charge. Today, there are eight camps in operation around the world. Five exist in the United State and there are three more in Ireland, the United Kingdom and France. Together, they are the world's largest family of residential camps for children with serious illness.

The camps provide a place where children with cancer and other life-threatening conditions can experience the joy of being a kid. The Ashford camp invites more than 1,000 school age children to attend summer programs each year. Kids between the ages of seven and fifteen flock from all over the country.

In Connecticut, the Hole in the Wall Gang camp at Ashford sits in a rural, 300 acre setting of rolling hills and thick forests. The entry is a long drive flanked by towering pine trees. The camp itself resembles the set of the original Hole in the Wall Gang's western adventures with brightly colored architectural nods to the Old Western Frontier.

Campers are greeted with a hand-painted sign in blue and purple that shouts: "Yippee, you're here!" Camp is camp, but not in Newman's world. It is immediately apparent to the visitor that the Hole in the Wall Gang camp is a special, and well endowed, endeavor. The camp was designed by the dean of Yale University's School of Architecture.

Totem poles, teepees, wigwams, a fully stocked boathouse and gazebo beckon from across a shimmering lake. Meadows and paths meander from generous horse stables and barns. A nature center and animal farm brings the feathered, furry and scaly friends into the camping experience.

The Hole in the Wall Gang camp's main complex features and Olympic-size swimming pool, recreation center and town green surrounded by log cabins. The arts& crafts center is disguised as a Western town and a mock Shaker barn houses the dining hall.

A theater acknowledges role play and a little homage to the visionary actor behind the scenes and the infirmary at this camp is known as the OK Corral. A library and expansive perennial gardens provide quiet activity spots while a softball field, basketball and tennis courts invite the energized camper.

The Hole in the Wall's summer program entails nine camp sessions. Hiking, horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, pottery making, photography, swimming, canoeing and fly fishing are just some of the outdoor activities the camp offers. Some campers enjoy early morning polar bear swims in the lake or bird watching.

There's woodworking workshops, organized games and, of course, theater roles to keep campers busy. Evening campfires are filled with storytelling, meals are filled with camp songs and there's always a dance at the end of camp. It is a camp experience of the highest quality.

In addition to traditional activities, the Hole in the Wall Gang camp experience gives sick kids a chance to be in the presence of others who can relate to their struggles. Comfort and encouragement between campers is spontaneous and the spirit of camaraderie is apparent.

The Hole in the Wall Gang camp also provides superior medical supervision with five nurses two doctors. A Medical Advisory Committee helps guide the medical program establishing protocols and procedures for camper's care.

The committee recruits medical staff and coordinates resources with nearby clinics including highly regarded Yale-New Haven Hospital. Thirty counselors, thirty program directors and nearly two dozen staff members help ensure that every camper has a taste of authentic camp experience even while under medical care.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp support extends past the summer in year round programs. Camp sponsored programs provide health care professionals and social workers with support and training. For parents of sick campers, retreats are organized around the country where they can find support, relaxation, counseling and rejuvenating activities, also free of charge.

For children who illnesses keep them hospitalized, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp created a hospital outreach program call "Camp in a Suitcase." Throughout New England, the "Camp in a Suitcase" staff brings bedside fun and spirit lifting activities to kids who are well enough to attend a summer session.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp constantly evaluates its own performance with both internal and external assessments. Staff and volunteers exchange ideas for improvement and their service is analyzed. State and local health and fire officials keep the camp on par with health and safety.

Tri-annual evaluations keep the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp compliant with its American Camping Association accreditation. The state and federal charity divisions keep ongoing inspections rolling and the camp maintains an annual "Program Impact/Benefit Studies" through camper and parent surveys.

All of the collective efforts serve children in need. Approximately 8,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year. It is estimated that 10,000 children and teenagers in the United States live with HIV or AIDS. Hemophilia and sickle cell disease are two blood disorders that also affect a large portion of the child population in the United States.

All of these conditions require intense medical treatment, ongoing care and emotional support. The lives of children with life-threatening illnesses are marked by frequent hospitalization, doctors' visits and often sever pain. The camp aims to balance against the intense treatments that stress the bodies and well-being of campers and their families.

As survival rates for childhood disease continue to increase, the need for long-term emotional support greatens. In the 1960s only 15% of children with cancer survived while today the statistic is closer to 70%. Many of the counselors at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp are cancer survivors who breathe hope with their presence.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is backed by tremendous support, most vigorously from Paul Newman and his charitable endeavors. It also received significant initial support from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a major gift of $5 million in 1987. Several foundations, businesses and individuals have continually offered support to keep the top notch camps running and services free of charge. It is an overwhelming undertaking worth every penny.

Other donators who helped make the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp a reality were the local Seabees who cleared the land and volunteered their labor. The Connecticut Swimming Pool Association donated the heated Olympic-size swimming pool and countless other volunteers did whatever they could to create the unique setting ripe for an unparalleled camp experience.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has won numerous award that recognize its unique and much needed services. Included in these is the prestigious Eleanor Eells Award for Program Excellence from the American Camping Association honoring its effective and creative response to the needs of campers and the positive contributions the camp has made to individuals and society.

Newman's Own, Inc. continues to support its creation which now meets an annual budget of $6 million. There are numerous ways to help from volunteering, donating to the camp's annual auction or, the simplest, buy more popcorn. However you reach out, the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp will turn your support into magical, childhood summers.