Leave Your Mask at the Gate

YMCA Summer Camp Experience

By Richard Bombach,
Executive Director,
First Coast YMCA Camp Immokalee

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​It may sound strange, but when I was growing up, I was never a “camp” kid. It wasn’t until I was a freshman at Oklahoma State University when I was hired as a counselor at a sports camp near Houston that I attended my first camp. The first night of the first session, I was assigned to the youngest kids and shortly after we started, a little boy named Luke came up and reached for my hand. He had just been adopted from South America and had a pretty rough childhood, so he was understandably grasping for security. When I held his hand, that assured him he was safe. I didn’t have anything to give him except my hand and an assurance that things were going to be OK, but my nothing was his everything. From that point on, I saw camp in a different light.

Ever since that summer, I’ve been involved in camp in some way and now, I’m fortunate to serve as the Executive Director for the First Coast YMCA’s Camp Immokalee in Keystone Heights. In truth, I see “Lukes” every day - kids come in with the stresses of school or family and when they realize they can truly be a kid out here, you see the weight lift off their shoulders. I’ve had countless parents come up to their kids after a week of camp and say, “Oh my gosh, you got so much taller!” And in a sense, they’re right. Those kids walk with a new confidence after spending a week out here, remembering what it’s like to disconnect from the world and have fun with their peers.


We also host retreats and events throughout the year and recently, we were appreciative to host families for a weekend program where each family had at least one child with a specific medical need. They came in from all over the country and spent time learning how to take care of their kids, including how to cook in our dining hall and embracing the activities we provide. It’s incredibly powerful to meet other people who are going through the same challenges as you and to learn how to take maybe one more step outside your comfort zone than you thought you could. That can make all the difference and you can take that confidence back home to approach new challenges.


The sense of community that makes Camp Immokalee special extends beyond just the campers. We’re blessed to have some of the most selfless and passionate people serving as counselors throughout the year. Some of them aren’t much older than our 14–15-year-old campers, and yet they’re pouring into them and helping them detox from the technology tedium that can be pervasive in today’s society. It may take a little while at first; some kids are hesitant to let their guard down. But inevitably, the kids’ “masks” start to fade – this persona they think they have to be - and they connect with counselors in a way they never would’ve thought of at the start of camp.


For me, I had to leave my own “mask” at the gate last summer when, four days before the end of camp, I was diagnosed with cancer for the second time. I shared my experience with everyone at camp at the time and when I was at my weakest, I had the strongest people around me. The vulnerability at camp allows us to connect with people and sure enough, when I shared my story, a little boy named Lucky came up to me and said, “My sister is really sick right now and I needed to hear that.”


I am fortunate that the cancer is in remission, and I’m convinced it’s my ministry to serve at Camp Immokalee. I get to see one more day. I get to see one more Lucky, one more Luke, one more counselor who needs to get away from everyday life and embrace nature again. Maybe that one more will be your son or daughter, or even your whole family during our annual family camps. We’re open year-round so we can help as many people as possible discover a healthy life in body, mind, and spirit. Just remember when you get here to leave your mask at the gate.

"The sense of community that makes Camp Immokalee special extends beyond just the campers. We’re blessed to have some of the most selfless and passionate people serving as counselors throughout the year."
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