YMCA Camp Immokalee and the First Coast YMCA were extremely saddened to hear that YMCA Camp Wewa would not run for Summer 2021. We wanted to find out what we could do to help, so after working with the YMCA of Central Florida, we put together a plan to help keep the Wewa Spirit alive at YMCA Camp Immokalee this summer. We’re excited to welcome you into our family! Below, you’ll find a list of the ways we are honoring YMCA Camp Wewa this summer.
That’s right – it’s a whole week of YMCA Camp Immokalee dedicated to YMCA Camp Wewa! We have changed our summer schedule to make June 6-12 “Wewa Week.” During this week, we’ll sing songs from Camp Wewa, honor Camp Wewa traditions (like the wish boat ceremony and more), and find other ways to bring Camp Wewa to Camp Immokalee. Former Camp Wewa campers and their siblings will be given priority during this week – new campers and Camp Immokalee campers will not be able to register until after May 6. This gives Camp Wewa families plenty of time to register and invite friends to pack the week with Camp Wewa campers!
We know the drive from Orlando to Keystone Heights can be overwhelming (especially since our COVID-19 protocols require families to stay in the car), so we’re here to help! We are working with the YMCA of Central Florida to identify some branch locations that we can use for Sunday pickups and Saturday dropoffs. Times and locations are TBD, but our busses will help get your camper to Camp Immokalee! The bus will cost $75 per camper per trip (pickup and dropoff trips are separate). Busses are available for every session, assuming we make our minimum of 20 campers per trip.
YMCA of Central Florida family members will receive member pricing ($575 per week).
We’ll prioritize former YMCA Camp Wewa campers and staff who apply for our counselor-in-training (CIT) program and our staff team.
We know that in some ways overnight camps, especially YMCA overnight camps, are similar, but they also have their differences. For example, Camp Wewa ended on Friday, while Camp Immokalee ends on Saturday. We’re working with the YMCA of Central Florida to understand the differences between YMCA Camp Immokalee and YMCA Camp Wewa. From there, we’ll make a guide for families to compare the two camps.
We’ve had many conversations about Camp Wewa in the last few months, and we’ll continue to do so leading up to summer. We want to learn about Wewa traditions, what makes it so special, and more so that we can do our best to bring some Wewa spirit to Camp Immokalee and make your campers feel at home this summer. If you have anything you want to share, please email our executive director Allison Krabill at aeast@fcymca.org.
English
Arabic
Chinese (Simplified)
Dutch
French
German
Italian
Portuguese
Russian
Spanish