Melville, NY - May 10, 2016 - Not many people can say they have achieved their lifelong dream--but Evan Wofsy, 45, can. And, he manifested this dream at the tender age of 12. An avid camper, he told his then teacher that he planned to own a day camp one day. His dream came true last year when he opened up Camp W Day Camp in Melville, NY.
After spending 36 years as a camper, counselor, sports director, and assistant camp director at a top day camp in NJ, Wofsy, a 23-year middle school math teacher, has brought his vison of the perfect day camp to Long Island. With the successful 2015 launch of Camp W Day Camp in Melville, which is where Wofsy has lived for over a decade, while raising his three children with his wife Stacy, Wofsy is excited to welcome returning and new campers to Camp W Day Camp. Registration is open now.
"Camp has always been my happy place," said Wofsy, who shared that he has learned the business of running a successful and nurturing day camp from some of the best people in the business.
Camp W Day Camp, “Where Friendships Are Made,” is an 8-week summer day camp located on the sprawling campus of Birchwood Intermediate School at 121 Wolf Hill Road in Melville. It offers programs for children in Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade and an Apprentice Program for 9th graders.
Run by Wofsy, a passionate camp veteran, with a lifetime of camp leadership skills under his belt, Camp W offers unparalleled services and programming; groups run by seasoned educators; and free early and late care that takes the typical 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. camp day to a 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. And, there is something for everyone at Camp W, which offers families looking for flexible scheduling the opportunity to sign up for 2-, 4-, 6-, or 8-week summer sessions.
In addition, transportation is available for some neighborhood towns. And, classes not offered outside, are held in air conditioned rooms.
At Camp W, campers are invited to bring lunch, or for an additional fee, they can order a hot lunch Monday through Wednesday. On Thursdays, all campers receive complimentary Pizza, and on Fridays, they enjoy a complimentary BBQ. In addition, ice cream or ice pops are served daily in the afternoons.
"Many of today's families take family trips during the summer, so Camp W makes going to camp easy by offering flexible dates for planning," said Wofsy. "Campers can choose to attend camp for 2-, 4-, 6-, or 8-week summer sessions."
"In addition, like me, many parents sending their kids to camp work full time," said Wofsy." Since they need a great place to send their kids during the day in the summer, we have set our pricing with working families in mind in order to make Camp W affordable."
Camp W offers both a group feel and choice activities, such as: soccer, softball, basketball, floor hockey, capture the flag, volleyball, Gaga, team handball, pilo polo, flag football, dodgeball, tetherball, karate, ultimate frisbee, gymnastics, wiffleball, instructional swimming, cooking, arts and crafts, scrapbook, dance, hip hop, music, t-shirt design, claytime, edible art, puppet making, cartooning, friendship bracelet creation, jewelry design, drama, sand art, video game creation, computer coding, rocketry, creative writing and camp newspaper, as well as unique activities like lessons provided by outside professionals including a magician, balloon artist, yoga instructor, Mad Science, Tiger Schulmann and more.
Other programs offered include Boas and Blings, where kids make glitter pens, keepsake boxes, magnets, jeweled butterflies and signs; Super Hero Creation, where campers create their own identity, costume, and comic book; Dream Books, where participants create journals showing the world their creative thoughts and dreams; Duct Tape Doo Dads, which lets campers learn to make anything out of duct tape from wallets to clothing; Glitz and Glam, where the idea that "everything looks a little better with a little sparkle" takes on a whole new meaning through the creation of fuzzy locker mirrors, sparkly containers, feathered evening bags and sparkly pens; and Kissing Critters, where campers use yarn and plastic canvas to create adorable three-sided imaginative creatures.
"The day camp I went to as a kid was different from the ones out there today," said Wofsy. "There are definitely still some traditional sports, and arts and craft camps but with so many more types of activities, interests and the advent of technology available to kids today, it is important to change with the times."
"Camp W appeals to the kids of today because it marries the traditional camp feel with one of the 21st century, where kids can certainly play sports, swim, and participate in fine arts, but they can also experience unique activities like learning to make balloon animals, do magic tricks, become a newscaster, create a camp newspaper and yearbook, make plastic models, design rockets and launch them, create video games, enjoy slot racing and more,” said Wofsy.
"We also offer academic tutoring in math, reading comprehension and creative writing for campers entering grades 2-8," he said.
Wofsy added, "In addition, each week features a group performance from every group in camp. Whether it’s a commercial for camp, a group song or a comedy skit, the entire camp is entertained."
Parents from last year have already jumped at the chance to sign their children up for 2016.
“I just wanted to drop a note and express to Evan and the staff the deepest thanks and appreciation for giving my son the best summer camp experience,” wrote Kati and Michael Sklar of Melville in a note to Wofsy.
Kari added, “Having experienced summers at other notable camps in the area, ‘Nothing comes close to Camp W’ –my son's words not mine.”
J.Berg of Plainvew‘s sentiments echoed those of the Sklars and she wrote, “My daughter loved the idea of being in a group and yet being able to select many different activities on her own. What a fabulous summer experience. Jordyn is so excited to return to camp and enjoy another summer with her new friends and share more fun times.”
Working mom Tanya Guarisco of Huntington said that her two daughters were planning to sleep in, watch TV and see friends all summer, until they attended a Camp W open house. She wrote, “A little over an hour or so later, we left the building with smiles, excitement and a few camp giveaways. They could not wait for camp to start, having seen just a glimpse of what was to come.”
She added, “They loved the ability to choose what they wanted to do, had a blast with their counselors and friends, and went to bed every night exhausted (a mother’s dream). As a parent, it was amazing to see how a simple school field turned into sports heaven every day, or how Carnival day had so many bounce houses, slides and things to do.”
And the Rodrigues family of Lindenhurst said their six-year-old son was not looking forward to spending his summer at the same daycare summer travel program he had attended for the past two years, but he that he was also resistant to change. They attended an open house event.
“From the moment we pulled up to the driveway of the campus, we were greeted, waved to, smiled at, and given warm welcomes at every turn,” they wrote. “The staff was a bunch of the happiest people we have ever met (and they were still the happiest bunch by the end of the summer as well).”
They added, “After the open house, our son adamantly said to us, ‘I want to go here.’ We signed our name on the dotted line immediately. We hadn’t seen our son this excited about taking the leap to try something new, and in turn we didn’t waste a moment. Plus, it helped that the price was right…Reasonable and affordable.”
“If you are looking for an amazing summer experience for your child, this is it for every reason we can think of—a word-class summer camp experience at a reasonable price,” they said.
For parents looking for a flexible, affordable fun and nurturing camp environment for their children, Camp W Day Camp is the place to be this summer. Campers will have a blast, be entertained, make lasting memories, new friendships, participate in favorite activities, and explore new ones. Call 631-692-6222, or click here for more information.