From serene sailboat excursions with Carolina Sailing Foundation to creative exploration at Clapping Hands Farm and heartwarming inclusivity at Camp Royall, these Chatham summer camps cover a wide range of interests and abilities
By Anna-Rhesa Versola | Photography by John Michael Simpson
Come Sail Away
Navigating wind, water and life lessons
Caroline Girardeau says finding activities for her son, Julian Girardeau, 11, near their home off Mount Gilead Church Road can be challenging for a full-time working mom. While driving across Jordan Lake on their way to Julian’s school in Apex in 2022, the sight of gliding sailboats inspired Caroline to look into local sailing camps. That summer, when Julian was 9 years old, he attended the Carolina Sailing Foundation’s beginner camp for 9- to 11-year-olds.
“It’s really calming and soothing, even when there’s no wind, and it’s really fun when there is wind,” says Julian, a fifth grader at St. Mary Magdalene Catholic School. He says he plans to continue sailing as he gets older.
“I think [Carolina Sailing Foundation] is one of the best-kept secrets in Chatham County,” Caroline says. “They teach all the skills the child needs from the ground up, and it’s a very safe environment. [The camp staff] are sensitive to each child’s needs. [Sailing] teaches them independence and self-confidence.”
Charlie Buckner founded the Carolina Sailing Foundation as a nonprofit organization in 2002. He says the summer camp had 172 participants aged 9-16 in 2022, and in 2023, that number went up to 192. The RTP High School Sailing Team is composed of 20-25 kids from 18 different schools in the area.They hold about 60 practices during spring and fall seasons at Lake Crabtree and on Jordan Lake. The foundation also offers a junior sailing program and adult lessons as well. Classes and camps use Optimist and Club 420 sailboats. Safety is a key component of all camps and lessons. All junior sailing head instructors are certified by U.S. Sailing, and coaches closely monitor the sailors from their powerboats.
Alyssa Wheeler, 20, started sailing in eighth grade and then joined CSF’s high school sailing team. Now a student at Wake Technical Community College, she began coaching at CSF’s summer camps in 2021. “I absolutely fell in love with sailing,” Alyssa says. “It’s hard to describe. For me, sailing is almost freeing. It’s a place I can go to or something I can do to just take my mind off everything. It’s about being able to learn how the wind powers your boat and controls everything.”
Alyssa enjoys sharing that passion with kids. “It’s a blast for me, just getting to learn about each kid and teach and share something that is so special to me,” she says. She also enjoys coaching kids of different ages and skill levels – especially those that have never seen or been around sailing before. “They come and try it, and then, by the end of the week, it’s something they love and don’t want to ever stop doing,” Alyssa says. “To me, that’s great.”
Henry Bonitz, 13, is an eighth grader at Willow Oak Montessori Charter. He was inspired to try sailing by his grandfather, Skipper Hummel, a former U.S. Marine who grew up near Wrightsville Beach and now lives in Fearrington Village.
Henry began sailing two years ago and prefers to sail in the fall and spring to avoid the intense summer heat on the water at Jordan Lake. “I just think it is fun because you get to meet a lot of people and go to cool places around the lake,” Henry says. His favorite part of sailing is picking up speed with the wind coming across the water. “And it’s just the freedom of being able to go around. The only thing that I was nervous about was the capsize drill, which was really nothing. You get to fall off the boat so you don’t drown [or] panic when it really does capsize. You’ve got to know how to get the boat back up.”
Henry says he looks forward to sailing with his grandfather this summer on Majority of One, a 35-foot twin-keel boat that Skipper’s brother built in 1961.
Clap Your Hands
A beloved arts program creates memorable experiences for all ages
Storyteller Louise Omoto Kessel didn’t just find a property in Pittsboro 25 years ago; she uncovered the canvas for what would become Clapping Hands Farm. After working at various camps and helping to start another, Louise’s artistic instinct led her to establish her own program.
![“Being outside,” Louise says, listing out a few benefits of programs at Clapping Hands. “Friends. Fun. [It’s] everything good about school without sitting still for hours, tests, grades, etc.”](https://chathammagazinenc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/080923_ClappingHands372-1024x682.jpg)
“I didn’t go to camp as a kid,” Louise says. “My parents, I think, didn’t know about camp. I went to camp for the first time as a counselor when I was about 12, and I’ve loved camp ever since.”
Clapping Hands commenced its summer programs in 2000, evolving seven years later to include year-round workshops and classes. The farm now hosts seven camps each summer, a spring break camp and multiple day programs during the school year. “What keeps me going is the community – that’s really the heart of Clapping Hands Farm,” Louise says. “All the amazing activities are just a great excuse for connection.”
You might learn to play the ukulele one week and delve into quilting the next; each session offers a diverse array of experiences, from learning to tap dance to mastering shed construction. Most programs cater to children ages 2 to 18, but others are available for entire families and adults from different cultural, religious, racial and economic backgrounds. The camp embraces inclusivity, and scholarships are available for those who need them, ensuring that no one is turned away.
Louise proudly notes that several past program participants play an integral role in running the camp today. Anna Butler, for instance, was invited by a friend to spend a week at camp in 2015. The young teen had so much fun that she went back for another week and became a counselor in training by the next summer.
“We were outside all day, that was one thing I just absolutely loved about it,” Anna says. “I had never been a part of a culture that was so kind, welcoming and encouraging, and really fostered connection and creativity in a way that I never saw before.”
Today, Anna is a research assistant at UNC Institute for the Environment. She graduated from the university in May 2023 with a bachelor’s in English and global studies. Throughout her college summers, Anna returned to counsel campers at Clapping Hands Farm.
“There’s something we call ‘camp magic,’ which is just the experience of being at camp and seeing young people come alive – and not just young people, but adults and teenagers, too,” Anna says. She most enjoys the feeling of being outdoors, working in the open air. “It’s exhausting, but in a really fulfilling way,” Anna says. “I truly can’t imagine who I would be without the way Clapping Hands has shaped me. It’s made me more compassionate and empathetic.”
Counselor Khallori Cosmey says the camp changed her perspective on what it means to be part of a community. “It’s the first place I’ve ever worked where you can say ‘Honestly, I don’t think I’m the right person to lead running games [because] I’m really tired today’ and instead of just being told to suck it up, the camp director will say ‘Okay, what would you love doing instead?’ and try to make it happen.”
Khallori, who graduated in December from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, says being a counselor at CHF has also taught her a lot about leadership. “I’ve learned that it’s less about being in charge and more about making everyone in the group feel like they have something to contribute, to feel like they’re equally a part of whatever outcome you’re working towards, and making sure everyone feels heard and valued,” she says. “I try to carry some of that with me everywhere I go.”
Art Party
In 2016, Pittsboro Farmers Market manager Mary Blais won a silent auction prize – a day pass to an art party at Clapping Hands Farm – and thought it would be fun to take her toddler, George. “It was the most amazing experience,” Mary says. “It was the first time I experienced what community could feel like. It was the kind of support that I had heard about, but never felt.”
Originally from New Jersey, Mary homeschools her three kids – George Blais, now 10, Garrett Blais, 7, and Grant Blais, 5 – and takes them to CHF’s art camps. “It feels like a very safe space,” she says. “To me, it feels very welcoming. My 10-year-old [son] called it a sanctuary. It was just one of those big words that I didn’t expect him to bust out with.”
Mary says her kids have grown in confidence and they want to try new things since attending programs at Clapping Hands. “They really kind of come out of their shells a little bit,” she says, adding that Clapping Hands has improved the whole family’s quality of life. “Our family is going through some major transitions, so it feels even more important to me for them to have this safe space, and for them to feel supported and cared for. I don’t know where else we would be able to experience this kind of community.”
All You Need Is Love
Discover a sanctuary designed for people with autism spectrum disorder
Nestled within 133 acres of forest and field in Moncure, Camp Royall is a treasure for participants like Gabriella “Gabby” Harper, 20. Gabby found friendship, acceptance and a community that embraces both people with autism and those who support them.
“To our family, it’s not about respite; it’s about belonging and inclusion,” says Jennifer Harper, Gabby’s mom. “In terms of a neurotypical experience, you would expect [your child] to have friends and go to social events and extracurriculars all through school. But in our experience, Gabby hasn’t had any stereotypical friendships.”
Gabby, who identifies as an adult with autism, expresses a profound sense of belonging at Camp Royall. “I feel less lonely,” she says. “It’s a good feeling. I love it.”
Gabby’s closest relationships are with her family, but attending Camp Royall opened a new world of friendships.
“I didn’t know she felt lonely because she never expressed it,” Jennifer says. “Seeing how relieved she felt to be with other people, where she didn’t have to explain herself or mask anything, we see she’s finding that sense of inclusion.”
In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a report highlighting the healing effects of social connection and community, and the challenges of social isolation that can lead to marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, becoming further disconnected.
A History of Caring
Organizations like the Autism Society of North Carolina recognize the value of physical spaces for face-to-face engagement, as well as virtual platforms to connect caregivers with vital resources. In 1971, a group of determined families worked with the Autism Society of North Carolina to form Camp Royall. Today, it is the nation’s oldest and largest program serving kids and adults with autism spectrum disorder. The camp started out small, relying on different spaces before renting Camp New Hope in Chapel Hill during the 80s and 90s. In 1997, Camp Royall established a permanent home in its current location in Moncure.
Program director Sara Gage points to two additional factors that set Camp Royall apart from other camps: All new staff receive 19 days of hands-on training with professional support, and the 1-to-1 staff to-camper ratio allows a fully customized experience.
“We want our campers to feel safe, supported and celebrated when they are with us,” Sara says. The camp is open only to residents of North Carolina and has a maximum of 320 campers each summer; its additional programs benefit an estimated 1,000 individuals and their family members throughout the year.
Sara’s journey at Camp Royall began during her time as a student at Campbell University, initially joining as a counselor while navigating her psychology major. “I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, and the summer before my senior year, I found Camp Royall,” Sara says. “I fell in love immediately – the way [the camp] celebrates differences, makes space for everyone and honors the uniqueness of each individual. As the director now, creating this space brings me great joy and pride.”
Adventure Awaits
Campers enjoy typical activities like swimming, arts and crafts, hiking, hayrides and boating. During the summer, Camp Royall offers both overnight and day camps. Year-round programs include family fun days, family camping, mini camps, adult retreats and “Teen Tuesday,” a monthly social group for teenagers.
The camp provides cabins with traditional bunks as well as private rooms for campers who need the accommodation. All cabins are air- conditioned and equipped with full baths, a washer and a dryer. On-site facilities include a dining hall, gym, activity center, pool, boating pond, soccer field, campfire circle, zipline, playground, climbing wall, hiking trails and a sensory room.
Kris Sykes, a hair designer at Eric Michaels Salon in Pittsboro, recalls her initial skepticism when a teacher recommended Camp Royall for her son, Asher Sykes, when he was 5 or 6 years old.
“I was like, ‘yeah, I don’t think so,’” Kris says. Despite Asher being nonverbal and never far from her side, she decided to give the camp a try. “He had a great time! It was hard, because when I was leaving, he started crying, and of course, I started crying.” By the time she picked Asher up at the end of the day, Kris was surprised to find how much he had enjoyed it. “I was just blown away at how everyone was just so loving and kind and accepting. He loves it. Now, we arrive and he is out of the car in 30 seconds – just gone.”
Kris says it was challenging when Asher, now 15, was first diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. “I didn’t even let him stay with my family because his behaviors were very hard to deal with, especially when he was young. I was just nervous,” Kris admits. “His behaviors are much better now. For him to be somewhere where he can just be himself, I cannot even put it into words how comforting that is as a mother – knowing he’s accepted and loved without judgment at camp.”
Kris, Asher and their family live near Camp Royall and appreciate having its many resources practically in their backyard. “In a world that can be really mean, this camp is like a hidden secret. We live in one of the best autism resource areas in the United States.”
