NEW HAVEN – Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp has opened its newest location on the Eastern Shore of Maryland to go along with its longtime camp in Ashford.
The camp, which was created by the late Oscar, Emmy, and Golden Globe-winning actor Paul Newman of Westport, offers a special experience to children with serious illnesses and their families who are often isolated by their diagnosis.
Camp leaders joined community officials, celebrity friends, Hole in the Wall partners, volunteers, staff and families were on hand April 23 to commemorate the occasion, which marks the completion of phase one renovations of the facility, allowing the Camp to begin serving families in May.
“All of us at Camp are over the moon delighted to be celebrating the ribbon cutting at our second Hole in the Wall location in Queenstown, bringing much-needed programming to children in the Mid-Atlantic and beyond, including those in the rare and ultra-rare disease community,” said Hole in the Wall CEO Jimmy Canton. “This new facility fills a void in the region and will ensure that those most in need of the healing power of camp are able to find friendship, play and respite in the company of other families who uniquely understand the challenges they face.”
The first phase of renovations at the Maryland location transformed 50,000 square feet of existing buildings, as well as outdoor spaces, into an inclusive and thoughtfully designed facility with peaceful and inviting spaces to support children, parents, caregivers and siblings. Updates included a family space where families can gather to play and relax; a parent relaxation room where caregivers can rest and connect with other parents; a cozy, barrier-free theater removing impediments for aspiring actors and singers of all ages; temperature-controlled and accessible residential rooms; a state-of-the-art infirmary with three observation/overnight rooms, a reception area, a pharmacy and medical equipment; and much more.
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp-Maryland is located on the site of the former Aspen Institute’s 166-acre Wye River Conference Center in Queenstown, Maryland. The Institute was gifted the scenic property in 1979, and its board donated it to Hole in the Wall when they learned of camp’s interest in expanding services in the region.
