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End Of The Road (For Now...)

By Sara Schmidt on June 02, 2015

What an adventurous year it has been, from our kick-off Swamp Rabbit Trail bike ride in September to our final Road Show gatherings that were scheduled and rescheduled around the “snowpacalypse.” Sara and Ruby have had a blast visiting campers across the country in their hometowns and playing outside, meeting families, and sharing the mission of GRP far and wide.

January is prime camper recruitment season, so Ruby and Sandy visited camp fairs in schools and shopping malls across the southeast and talked with parents all about the benefits of GRP. Ruby even ventured over to St. Louis for the Summer Opportunities Fair. She found herself alongside other amazing programs including some of the most famous and reputable summer camps from the New England area and she can’t wait to be back at that fair next year!

February brought several professional development opportunities to the administrative team as they traveled to New Orleans for the American Camp Association (ACA) National Conference. The event kicked off with a live marching band inside! Missy, Sandy, Anne, Ruby, and Rachel all had opportunities to present at the conference and Sara and Ruby also volunteered and helped with conference logistics. After spending some time recharging themselves, Sara and Ruby hit the road again visiting campers’ homes and schools in Athens, GA, Asheville, NC, Greenville, SC, Charlotte, NC, Richmond, VA, and Chapel Hill, NC, while Sandy and Missy paid a visit to Stone Academy in Greenville, SC, and hosted a GRP reunion in Charleston, featuring music teachers Hazel Ketchum and John Holenko of Hungry Monk Music. Thank you to everyone who came out to see us!

Sara and Ruby then trekked north to attend the ACA Tri-State Camp Conference in Atlantic City and detoured through New York City to meet with a new camper family and to take a walk on the High Line (http://www.thehighline.org/visit). It was urban nature at its finest while still maintaining elements and reminders of what used to be.

As summer camp season begins, plans for next year’s Road Show are already underway so look for a flyer on Closing Day with information on when Sara and Ruby are coming to your town and inviting you and all your friends to come play outside with them!

Sara Schmidt
Sara Schmidt

Sara Schmidt serves as the Administrative Director and Registrar for Green River Preserve. She is excited to be part of the GRP family in her role which focuses on “all things camper.” Her primary responsibilities include camper registration and billing, camper retention, and the GRP Camp Store. Sara also serves as the Editor of Green River Preserve’s seasonal newsletter, Whispers From The Preserve, and she manages the camper scholarship committee. Her newest endeavor is to help build GRP’s Annual Fund and partnership program.