WINTHROP, Maine — The laughter, the splashing in the lake, and even the thud of arrows hitting targets, all provide the soundtrack of summer camp.
Camp Postcard has all of those, and something more. This week-long summer camp is run by police officers.
"This camp is no different than any other summer camp really," camp co-director Rand Maker said. "The only thing that separates this camp is who the counselors are. There is no other camp in Maine that has 60 cops or corrections workers acting as program leaders or camp leaders."
The name of the camp is an acronym for "Police Officers Striving To Create And Reinforce Dreams."
It began 30 years ago, started by the Maine Sheriff’s Association and the social service group Volunteers of America, with help from police D.A.R.E. training officers who worked in schools. The basic concept is still the same: bring boys and girls from fifth- and sixth-grade levels to the camp to enjoy the range of activities and have them mentored by police officers.
"I believe these police officers make a difference in young people’s lives," Michael Coon, of Volunteers of America, said.
Coon has been helping plan and run the camp for 18 years, working closely with the law enforcement directors.
"They are good mentors in case the child doesn’t have a good role model at home. They teach them skills and kids go away with more self-confidence," Coon said.
The kids also get the classic summer camp experiences many never had before, retired Kittery Fire Chief Dave O’Brien said.
"Some of these kids would never have the chance to go to a summer camp and this allows them to come here for free. We take good care of them, we give them the opportunity at different things they might never see again, and that’s what it's all about," O'Brien said.
For those from law enforcement and first responders, many of whom have volunteered at the camp for many years, it's also about showing the kids that those in uniform are also real people.
"What it does," Maker said, who is chief deputy of the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, "is a giveback, an opportunity for the kids to see the cops in different roles, different mindsets, and for these leaders gives them an opportunity to see the successes you can make in a short time with some of these kids."
Camp Postcard’s co-director Christine Buchanan, a retired state trooper and current detective for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, said it is rewarding for all of them.
"It makes your heart feel good, and makes us feel good as law enforcement officers," Buchanan said.
The Maine Sheriff’s Association and Volunteers of America continue to be the primary sponsors of the camp, as they were when it began. In more recent years, the Maine Chiefs of Police Association and the Maine Department of Corrections have also joined in. The agencies each provide $10,000 to help fund the camp. Michael Coon said the bulk of the $99,000 annual budget comes from grants and donations, from a range of donors.
Those involved all say there is something about Camp Postcard that keeps officers coming back year after year to work with the kids. The two directors may have the longest tenure: Maker has been at the camp for 28 years, and Buchanan all 30 years.
And at least one camper has come back. Delaney Gardiner, who grew up in Washington Couty and now lives in the Boston area, said she was a camper at Camp Postcard in 2009. She returned a few years later as a counselor-in-training and has come back every summer since to volunteer.
"I knew the large impact this had on me, and I wanted to do the same for the kids, for them to have the chance," Gardiner said.
And while most kids told us about loving boating or fishing or even arts and crafts, Noah, a young camper, had a simple explanation of why he likes Camp Postcard.
"There’s a lot of nice people here, they’re respectful, they don’t talk over you. Fun things to do here," Noah said.
The police, corrections officers, and first responders who make the camp happen would likely agree.