AUBURN – The St. Dominic Regional High School administration has run only two annual summer camps, not counting the one they’ll undertake when this rainy, muddy, overcast rut we’re in hopefully subsides in a few weeks.
Still, when camp registrar Peter Servidio sorts through the mail that arrives every day at 121 Gracelawn Road, it’s clear that word is getting out.
There’s the application from a family in New Hampshire, saying their child intends to live with his grandparents for three weeks in order to tackle a variety of day camps. And the clan that just moved to California but is flying its student-athlete across the country to spend five days learning new skills with old friends.
“That tells me we must be doing something right,” Servidio said. Imagine any outdoor or extra-curricular scholastic activity that children from preschool to prep school might enjoy, and St. Dom’s is offering it this summer.
University of Maine hockey standout and St. Dom’s alumnus Derek Damon will teach ice hockey, possibly surrounded by as many as three Lewiston Maineiacs at Kennebec Ice Arena.
The seven-week camp begins June 20 and also includes five-day sessions in horseback riding, martial arts and extreme sports. Additionally, St. Dom’s has organized an aviation camp, headquartered at the airport in Auburn.
“We’ll have hot air balloons. We’ve requested a Black Hawk helicopter. We have licensed pilots who will teach the kids takeoff and landing techniques,” said Lee Hixon, camp director, boys’ varsity soccer coach and dean of students at St. Dom’s. “That’s going to be awesome.”
Water, water everywhere
For students who are weary of the classroom and aren’t ready for a heavy-duty week of skills and drills or memorization, Hixon and Servidio have concocted less demanding fare.
There is a one-week ocean camp, where participants test the waters and sand at a smattering of beaches along Maine’s 1,500 miles of coastline.
And it’ll cost $475, or roughly double the cost of a sports camp, but a child may also enjoy a week of amusement park hopping.
“We have an advantage as a private school, because we can take the kids out of state without it being an insurance issue,” Hixon said. “So we’ve added Story Land this year. We’re taking the kids to Water Country, Aquaboggan, Funtown/Splashtown, all of those.”
Golf, horseback riding and archery camps are full, but most of the 44 one-week blocks have room available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Camp enrollment more than doubled from 300 to almost 700 children in 2004, and Hixon said St. Dom’s is on pace to host 800 campers this summer.
“Between this time and the last week of June last year, we added more than 200 kids, and we already have 538 signed up,” Hixon said.
Twenty-five registered Monday and Tuesday of this week, according to Servidio.
Youth is served
Age is no object. There’s beginner basketball camp for children as young as 4.
For older students, it’s a valuable opportunity to meet their future high school coaches and learn about the commitment required to play their sport at the next level.
With the exception of the guest instructors, all coaches have worked in high school or college. They’re CPR certified and have attended a one-day training session with Hixon.
Archery campers will enjoy interactive hunting at the new Central Maine Archery Center on Hotel Road in Auburn. Sensei Bobby Morissette will instruct the martial arts enthusiasts, while Bob Darling heads the golf camp at Fox Ridge Golf Club.
Other activities include drama, computer, softball, baseball, tennis, gym games, hiking, lacrosse, field hockey and arts and crafts.
“It’s funny, but being a kid, I don’t remember hearing about camps like this,” Servidio said. “I mean, who would have known the response we’d get to horseback riding and golf? We’ll definitely add more sessions of those camps next year.”
Discounts are available to parochial students who apply by May 31. St. Dom’s has arranged free transportation for students living in Lewiston.
For more information about the St. Dom’s summer camps, call 782-6911, extension 2156.
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