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Camp ANCHOR Raises $114,000 to Upgrade Accessible Facilities

When you start with an inspiring idea designed to deliver joy and add dedicated volunteers who are passionate about the mission, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

For more than 50 years, Camp ANCHOR (Answering the Needs of Citizens with Handicaps through Organized Recreation) has provided recreational activities for children and adults with special needs in the town of Hempstead, located on New York’s Long Island.

“I’ve been with Camp ANCHOR for 43 years,” says Volunteer Coordinator Mindy Reyer-Eisel. “I started as a volunteer in 1981, and this has become my second home.

“We have 250 staff members and more than 300 volunteers,” Mindy continues. “But what makes the magic happen is the campers, and the connections we make with them and each other. 

“Anchor,” Mindy adds, “is truly magical.”

Delivering for families of kids with developmental difficulties

Camp ANCHOR’s genesis could surely be described as magical. The year was 1968, and a pair of devoted mothers was seeking recreational programs for their children with special needs. 

The two mothers made an impassioned appeal to the town of Hempstead and were told that a ten-week pilot program would be launched—but only if a minimum of 50 children were enrolled on a specified registration date.

The date set for registration dawned stormy, with heavy rain and gale-force winds. When the doors opened, town officials were stunned to find that more than 250 families had braved the weather and were waiting for the opportunity to enroll their children in the program. 

Camp ANCHOR was underway.

Year-round activities for children and adults

The initial ten-week pilot has since expanded to become a comprehensive, year-round program serving thousands of children and adults with unique challenges. Many campers entered as children and grew into adults through the program.

Camp ANCHOR’s calendar is now packed with adaptive, inclusive year-round programs including dance, drama, art, cooking, fitness, bowling, swimming, field trips and more.

The highlight of Camp ANCHOR’s programming is its six-week summer camp for kids which offers activities in sports, arts and crafts, music, equine therapy and surfing.

“Our summer camp has up to 800 campers divided into junior, middle and senior age levels,” Mindy reports. “The camp gives the parents of these kids a much-needed respite, and it helps them feel that they’re not alone.”

Programs supported by an army of volunteer parents

Camp ANCHOR’s year-round schedule of programs and activities requires year-round fundraising. The Anchor Program Fund was established to raise money to support and further Camp ANCHOR’s programs, activities and events.

“Parents from other towns come to us looking for programs like this,” says Marianne Pizza, the fund’s manager. “What makes the Anchor Program Fund special,” she continues, “is that it’s a non-profit organization created and run by volunteer parents. It’s a huge team effort.”

Finding a more effective fundraising solution 

The Anchor Program Fund’s volunteer parents had conducted a range of fundraising activities that required a great deal of time and effort, and were seeking an easier solution. 

Mindy became aware of Double Good virtual fundraising because her kids’ high school sports teams had sold Double Good popcorn to raise funds for travel and equipment.

“For Camp ANCHOR’s 2024 summer fundraiser,” Mindy reports, “we sold Double Good popcorn. 

“Everyone loves Double Good popcorn,” she adds, “so we figured it would be a win-win. You’d get great popcorn while giving to a good cause.”

$228,000 sold in just four days

“We made it a competition between the junior, middle and senior summer camps,” recounts Mindy. “Everyone’s Pop-Up Store® had a picture of them at the beach. More than 300 volunteers served as sellers, and we enlisted parents from each group.

“We offered pizza parties as incentives,” she continues, “and every volunteer who raised $250 got a beautiful water bottle engraved with our logo. We created an elaborate championship belt like boxers and wrestlers wear, so the winners could carry it around all summer long as bragging rights.

“Our sellers connected with their families and friends and put the fundraiser out on social media,” Mindy adds. “Some of them created TikTok videos. We just sat and watched the numbers on that board go flying over the four days.”

The results of Camp ANCHOR’s summer Double Good virtual fundraiser far exceeded expectations. More than 4,000 supporters combined to purchase $228,000 of Double Good popcorn, raising $114,000 for Camp ANCHOR.

Upgrading the summer camp’s facilities

The funds raised by the Double Good fundraising event are applied to a range of Camp ANCHOR’s programs, but the wish list contained one particular project that addressed a pressing summer camp need.

“A lot of our campers are in wheelchairs,” says Mindy, “and the bathroom facilities weren’t large enough to allow everyone to change from their wet swimsuits as they come in from being out on the beach.”

The Double Good fundraiser enabled Camp ANCHOR to construct swimsuit changing rooms that can comfortably accommodate all campers and ease the crowding. “The campers, staffers and volunteers are thrilled,” reports Mindy.

A stress-free solution for fundraising organizers

“Double Good popcorn is by far the easiest fundraiser,” Mindy declares. “It’s such a difference from when I used to raise money going door to door. 

“I’ve told so many people that Double Good fundraisers are stressless,” she continues. “We had more than 300 people selling, and it was a breeze. Double Good online fundraising is fun to do, it’s exciting, and it brings in far more money than you expect.”

Helping Camp ANCHOR come through for families

“Camp ANCHOR is a very special place,” says Marianne. “We love to have people visit and experience it for themselves. Once you’re here, it’s difficult not to feel something.”

“Camp ANCHOR fills my heart; it truly is magic,” says Alison Dyer, Double Good’s Head of Partnerships for inclusive and adaptive youth organizations. Alison invests a great deal in her relationship with Camp ANCHOR and attends many of the organization’s events.

“My brother has autism,” Alison continues. “I see him in the campers, as an elementary school kid excitedly getting off the bus to enter ANCHOR, putting his head underwater for the first time as a teenaged camper, and cooking in the outdoor kitchen with his adult posse.

“Families like mine dream of a program like this,” she adds. “It allows our special loved ones to live fulfilling, purposeful and joy-filled lives.”

“Without the Double Good fundraisers,” says Mindy, “we’d never be able to achieve what we’ve done for these families.”

Double Good is proud to help Camp ANCHOR succeed in its mission and bring joy to families with children who have special needs. 

Check out another amazing fundraising story, then find out what your own team can achieve. Schedule your next fundraiser today.