Recreational & Educational Camp “Invincible” at Campground “Veselka”

Camping at a UYA camp” Veselka” has many benefits. The obvious ones are that it helps to strengthen physical and mental health, improve social skills and explore new interests. Less obvious, but arguably more important, are the life skills, personal growth of each camper, and the fact that camp instills in each camper an appreciation for their parents, caregivers, and their Ukrainian heritage.

Many of these benefits stem from the program itself, as well as the creativity that the Program Directors, Lesia Hrycyshyn and Larysa Woloszanskyj, put into creating it. Each lesson has its own set of stages and exams. Some of them are completely new, while others are a continuation of what the campers already know, but the experience of new and exciting activities increases each camper’s confidence, which in turn gives them confidence in other aspects of their personal, school and community life.

One of the core values that was woven into many of the camp activities came from the name of the camp itself, namely “invincibility.” The counselors wanted the campers to experience this feeling, as well as feelings of resilience, strength, and growth. Campers competed in many sports during the Camp Olympics and the Camp World Cup. They slept in tents in the woods one night, designed and built rafts out of recycled material. They listened to a talk about the Armed Forces of Ukraine, which is in fact the most striking example of resilience. Then they played a outdoor game to understand that good always overcomes evil and that everyone must work together to defeat evil.  They took part in honoring the fallen and fighting members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and among them the members of the UYA in Ukraine. They performed a flash mob singing the song “Unbreakable”, which they learned during the singing rotation. At camp, the campers took a low ropes course and then headed to North America’s largest outdoor trampoline park, where they climbed and bounced on an exciting world of nets and trampolines suspended high in the treetops of a beautiful forest. Trying something new, the campers learned a lot, challenged themselves, and in some cases overcame their fears and thus understood and embodied the daily greeting of the UYA “Stay strong!”

And many cultural camp activities cultivated the value of gratitude. By bringing Ukrainian folk tales to life on stage, or jumping over a fire during Ivan Kupala, or weaving a traditional Ukrainian wreath, or celebrating a traditional Ukrainian wedding, campers got closer to their Ukrainian roots and realized their uniqueness. Some ordinary daily activities, such as singing, local history or needlework, and theology, also had the same effect.  Learning how to sing folk or modern songs, how to protect and clean the environment by making embroidered name tags with beans, or how to pray quietly or reflect on Christian virtues, subconsciously made the children appreciate the camp, which is really a small piece of Ukraine in Canada, located at Veselka. At the camp, campers can feel what it means to be a proud Ukrainian and be grateful to our ancestors for such a rich culture and wonderful customs.

Another striking thing about the program was that the themes of indestructibility and gratitude were carried throughout, but they were intertwined with many elements of fun, so most of the time the campers were subconsciously in the process of personal growth. They danced at parties, sang and performed at the campfire, ate ice cream from the shop, received camp mail, caught fish or frogs in the pond, swam and sunbathed at the pool, jumped on bouncy castles, used swings on the playground, watched fireworks after the campfire, made and launched model rockets, and had lunch with new friends in the dining hall. At the same time, they became more independent, confident, respectful and grateful people because they were just experiencing something new, interesting and fun.

Great recognition belongs to all those who continue to make efforts to organize educational and recreational camps, which have been organized for 70 years. Thanks go to the UYA National Executive, the Veselka Management Team, the Camp Committee, the Southern Ontario Branch Executives, the Team and staff, sponsors such as the Canadian Ukrainian Foundation, BCU Financial and Ukrainian Credit Union, and parents.

This year 125 young boys and girls experienced the benefits of the UYA camp at Veselka and returned to their homes and UYA branches as better and more “unbreakable” children!

Eerka Shust – commandant

 

Additional fotos can be found here: Vidpo 2024 week 1 & Vidpo 2024 – week 2.