Urban League of Springfield Re-Opens Children’s Camp

SPRINGFIELD (July 17, 2023) – The Urban League of Springfield (Springfield, MA) has resumed its 101-year-old children’s camp.

Camp Atwater, which was founded in1921 by Rev. William N. DeBerry, had to halt operation due to the pandemic. Since then, the camp has opened with limited activities for the past two years.

This year, the camp has resumed full-time operations, due to federal funding secured by U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, in the amount of $450,000. The Urban League, under now-retired CEO Henry Thomas III’s was able to use that funding for much needed infrastructure improvement at the camp.

Thomas’ daughter, Shadae-Harris-Thomas, is the camp’s new executive director.

Of the camp, she said, “We just felt our campers really needed this. Our young people need a place where they see themselves in the majority and can experience peace, put the electronics down and discover their natural environment.”

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