By STEVEN JUPITER
GOSHEN—Unless you have family that have attended Camp Thorpe, chances are you don’t know much about the place, nestled up in the hills of Goshen. But since 1927, the camp has brought joy to thousands of kids with special needs who get to experience the freedom of just being kids in an environment where their usual challenges don’t set them apart.
“Camp Thorpe is really about providing a positive summer experience,” said Shelly Hudson, Thorpe’s Executive Director since 2023. She came to Thorpe because of the camp’s mission of joy and inclusivity, having worked for years in various non-profits in New England, particularly in New Hampshire, where she’s originally from.
“It brought many of my skills and interests into one position,” she said.
Now, as Thorpe nears its 100th birthday in 2027, Hudson has become increasingly aware that the camp’s long-term survival depends not only on maintaining its high-quality summer experience for the kids, but also on bringing the surrounding community up to the stunning grounds, to make the camp less of a seasonal enclave for campers and more of a year-round resource for the entire area.
“We want to bring the community to campus as much as possible,” she said.
Though the Camp has for years rented out its facilities for private events such as weddings, this year Hudson and Thorpe’s Board of Directors are taking a new approach by planning their own off-season events that will be open to everyone.
“This coming August we’re trying something new,” said Hudson. “We’re calling it ‘ultracamp’ for adults. The first one is a ‘Dirty Dancing’ weekend where people will come stay here for two nights and we’ll have dance lessons, music, and other activities reminiscent of the movie’s time period. There will also be yoga, movies, trivia. Or you can just lounge by the pool. It’s for ages 21 and up. You can rent a whole cabin, a 1/2 cabin, or a single bed.”
The event will be held August 23–24. Tickets go on sale February 13 on the Camp’s website (campthorpe.org) and Eventbrite. The cost will be $200 to $600 based on chosen accommodations.
If the “Dirty Dancing ultracamp” is successful, there will be others. The idea is to utilize the Camp’s assets—its cabins, facilities, and natural setting—for activities that provide for adults the kind of fun that Thorpe’s summer campers experience.
Hudson also envisions other activities, such as Sunday concerts, leaf peeping, and medieval-themed events.
In addition to providing recreational opportunities for local residents, Hudson is also hoping to draw more local volunteers to help out.
“We only have two full-time employees,” she said. The rest are either part-time outside contractors or seasonal, such as the counselors that come from around the world to spend the summer at Thorpe.
“We have a great group of volunteers, but we’re always looking for more,” she said. “Camp is a special place that requires a lot of attention.” The buildings and facilities see a lot of wear and tear in the summer and endure harsh Vermont winters. Plus, the vast grounds require constant upkeep in the summer. Students from OV Middle School have come up to campus to help out on occasion, but maintenance at camp is a hamster wheel and assistance is always welcome.
For those who’d like to help out in less physical ways, Thorpe’s Board of Directors has openings for people with backgrounds in fundraising and development, architecture and construction, land development, and/or finance. Knowledge of the local community is a plus.
Camp Thorpe has meant so much to so many campers, many of whom continue coming to camp well into adulthood. But like any organization, it will thrive only as long as there are people committed to it. And right now, Hudson sees increased community engagement as crucial.
“The only way Camp Thorpe will survive is to stay connected to the community,” said Hudson. “We’re trying to map out our path for the next 100 years.”
