Kabeyun boys grow up to do all sorts of interesting things, both as their vocations and avocations. For many, their time at Kabeyun shaped their path in life.

Take Andy Baumel, a pediatrician in Framingham, Massachusetts, and a Porter Foundation Trustee who is helping camp navigate the Covid-19 pandemic. Andy spent 11 summers at Kabeyun in the 1970’s and 1980’s – five years as a camper, one as a counselor-in-training, and five on staff teaching tennis and leading trips.

Michael Brockey is flying high.The 25-year old former Kabeyun counselor and camper is now more than half-way through his training to become an Air Force fighter pilot. 

When Michael left Kabeyun in August 2019, he headed to Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, where he remains today. The second lieutenant has mastered the T-6 and now is flying the T-38, a trainer fighter jet he calls “the fun one.” The photo above shows Michael during his initial solo flight in a T-38 earlier this month.

Missing camp? Enjoy the tradition of ending a day with camp's bugler, Jeff Kuebler, blowing Taps from the dock at sunset.

This op-ed was published in the New Hampshire Union Leader on July 21, 2020.

For over a century, camp has been a summertime staple, nowhere more so than in New Hampshire. Every year, as camps help shape the lives of over 150,000 young people, New Hampshire’s camp industry generates millions of dollars in revenue and supports countless jobs. In 2020, however, every camp in the state is either shuttered or profoundly constrained due to COVID-19. Without direct and measurable support, the survival of this vital industry and cherished tradition is in serious doubt.

Assalonian steel. Frostfire guild. Kal Torak. The Battle of Vulcan. In 2019, Kabeyun was abuzz with new jargon, joining the traditional camp lexicons of sailors (mizzen, half-hitch) and archers (fletching, flu-flu). Kal Torak and those other intriguing new words came courtesy of Kabeyun’s newest activity: Dungeons & Dragons.

This is the time of year when the envelopes start arriving. Even before holiday cards, you’ll find your mailbox filled with fundraising letters. They come from all sorts of non-profits: educational, environmental, religious, political. Hospitals. Arts organizations and veterans’ groups. With so many worthy groups vying for your philanthropy, why should you give to Kabeyun’s Annual Fund? Here are four reasons why my family contributes.