Debbie Volk

Review of Camp Echo Lake

We have been a part of the CEL family since 2007, ...

We have been a part of the CEL family since 2007, when our eldest son became a new camper. We have since sent our other two children (another son and a daughter) to CEL and we could not be more pleased. When we were first looking for a summer home for our eldest, a sports-loving boy, we recall how he wanted to attend an all-boys sports camp. However, we knew that we wanted him to have a more well-rounded experience, and were especially concerned about summer camp "unwinding" all the hard work we had done to instill good values in our son. We felt that Camp Echo Lake was the place for us, and every year we are so grateful that we made the decision to be a part of the CEL community. CEL is so much more than just a camp - it is a special place where children not only get to have a ton of fun and learn new skills, but also have the opportunity to gain independence, encouraged to try new things, and learn how to interact and negotiate social situations face-to-face with people - all with the help of staff that are committed to making sure each child has a meaningful summer. We knew we had made the right decision for our son when we received our very first phone call home. When we heard, "Guess what? I'm Captain Hook in the play, Peter Pan!" - from a boy who only wanted to play sports 24/7 - we could not have been more proud and pleased. We look at our that boy today, who spent 7 summers at CEL, and we truly believe that so much of who he has become - a young man who is independent and self-confident and comfortable in about any situation - is because of his summer experiences at CEL. We are so grateful to be a part of this wonderful family!