After a fire destroyed part of the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford in 2021, Amarilis Franjul said the event shook the spirit of the “magical place.”
The camp, a summer retreat for seriously ill children, like Franjul’s 13-year-old daughter, Amarey Brookshire, who has been hospitalized dozens of times for sickle cell disease, provided a space where Frajul said kids could be kids and families didn’t need to “sit and cry over stories” because parents “know exactly what you’re going through.”
Franjul said the fire “created many broken hearts.”
“In that moment, we felt hopeless, scared and a bit confused. We didn’t know what it would mean for the future. We had so many memories at the paint and glitter tables in arts and crafts, smelling the wood in the woodshop, picking out what we waned to buy each visit we were here from the camp store. It was extremely sad to think about all the children over the years that came here and created their own memories, those who were eager to come back, and those who may no longer be with us,” Franjul said.
Two years later, exploring the newly rebuilt 11,000 square-foot Creative Complex, Franjul and Brookshire beamed as they thought of all the new memories to be made at the new facility.
“It’s really cool,” Brookshire said. “My favorite part (of camp) is probably just doing the different activities. There’s a lot to do here…I think this year will be really cool to come in here and start doing the arts and crafts and the woodshop and the cooking.”
With giant scissors in hand, Brookshire cut the ribbon on the brand-new facility Tuesday at a ceremony attended by the governor, camp staff, first responders and program donors.
At the event, Gov. Ned Lamont dedicated his remarks to the memory of Paul Newman, who founded the camp in 1988 to give children with serious illnesses the opportunity to “raise a little hell.”
Lamont recalled a conversation with Newman in which the late actor and philanthropist called the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp “the most important program in the world,” adding that the camp was something “I want my name identified with for the rest of my life and beyond.”
“He’s looking down from somewhere right now, so proud of everything,” Lamont said, before joking — “I’m pretty sure he is up there because if he’s not in Heaven I don’t think the rest of us stand a chance.”
“I love coming back here. I love the joy in people’s eyes. I love the hope that it means,” Lamont added. “Connecticut is so proud of what you do, so proud of what it means for these kids — little hope, little joy, and ‘raise a little hell.’”
The newly built complex includes the Alley Cats Cafe and Cooking Zone, Uncle Kasey’s Korner Woodshop, the Grateful Heart Art Nook, a Serenity Room for parents and caregivers, a sensory-friendly Quiet Corner, and a camp store.
The centerpiece of the facility is a stunning wall-length mosaic landscape piece that radiates in hues of pink, blue, purple and yellow with the boldfaced message “Camp is magic. The magic is in you.”
The artist, Mia Schon of Boston and Tel Aviv, said that after months working on the mural on her own, it was gratifying to see people finally interacting with and reflecting on the art.
Schon, who worked for the Hole in the Wall Gang as both a counselor and a hospital outreach specialist, said her favorite part of the mural is the moon that lights up the darkness of the night sky.
The camp’s CEO James Canton said that each component of the more than 4,500 piece mural represents the 4,516 donors who supported the construction project. Among the largest donors were Newman’s Own Foundation and Travelers and Travelers Championship, who contributed $1 million each to the rebuild.
“The mosaic is intended to remind everyone who walks into this space of the transformational impact of camp, the power of art to lift our spirits and to evoke the extraordinary generosity of a community of compassionate people who stepped forward when the need was great,” Canton said. “I heard camp described as the house that love built. This space is further proof of that.”
In February of 2021, a fire tore through the camp, destroying the original Arts & Crafts, Woodshop, Cooking Zone and Camp Store facilities. Firefighters from several neighboring municipalities battled the flames, blocking the fire from reaching the camp’s dining hall or infirmary.
Doug Beaudoin and James Roy of the Eastford Fire Department recalled the scene as first responders arrived at the camp.
“Coming up the hill, you could see the header from the fire,” Beaudoin said. “While trying to fight it, there was snow on the ground, so that’s always an obstacle for us…Our main job at the time was to protect the dining hall and the medical facility.”
“The camp is a special place for a lot of people and for something like that to happen, it’s unfortunate,” Roy added. “They were able to rebuild and here we are today. … It’s an incredible difference.”
After the event, Korreen Mortimer, an original member of the Hole in the Wall Gang, recalled inviting Paul Newman to eat lunch at her table during the camp’s first summer in 1988.
Mortimer was 14 years old and undergoing treatment for acute myeloid leukemia when the program reached out to Boston Children’s Hospital looking for its first group of campers.
“There were four kids in my cabin that year, and now there’s a waiting list and people can’t wait to come,” Mortimer said.
Mortimer gained lifelong friends and memories during her three years as a camper and four years as a counselor.
“It’s always been such an important place,” Mortimer said. “It gave me back so much of what I missed when I was sick.”
Mortimer described Tuesday’s homecoming to the new facility “overwhelming” and “emotional.” She marveled at how different the state-of-the-art facility, with all the modern comforts of air conditioning and appliances, looked from the rustic building that once was.
“The kids that will be coming will be in this fantastic facility,” Mortimer said. “It’s just going to be a wonderful place for them.”
