Celebrating 80 Years of Pine Tree Camp: Then & Now — Addie Bowden
“It’s the greatest place on earth.”
That’s how Addie describes Pine Tree Camp.
Addie is 25 years old and has attended Pine Tree Camp since she was nine. It’s where she made her very first friend. Before coming to camp, she had never engaged with other kids. ”It was lovely,” her mother, Heidi, recalled. “And it answered a big question for us: will she ever want to have that interaction with other people?” That first friendship was life changing, and, because of that experience, Addie went on to make a new friend at school, joining the theatre program, singing and trying new things. This photo of a typical childhood hug, is anything but typical. It was the very first time Addie let another kid hug her. That’s the magic of Pine Tree Camp. It’s only one week a year, but the impact is forever.
Pine Tree Camp’s 80th anniversary “Then & Now” spotlight series pairs past images with the present day as Pine Tree Campers strike a pose capturing the passage of time and the deep connection, intimate friendships and love of the special place they return to each summer.