{"id":2451537,"date":"2019-11-24T22:56:00","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T05:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community\/"},"modified":"2019-11-25T09:14:44","modified_gmt":"2019-11-25T16:14:44","slug":"aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Aspen Camp works to rebuild, reconnect with Roaring Fork community"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.9020979020979\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-316637-996\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Eric Kaika walks down by Snowmass Creek on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. There are hiking paths and a fire pit that the campers can enjoy. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Eric Kaika walks down by Snowmass Creek on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. There are hiking paths and a fire pit that the campers can enjoy. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Eric Kaika walks down by Snowmass Creek on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. There are hiking paths and a fire pit that the campers can enjoy. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-1-1024x683.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Double bunk beds are set up for the campers of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Double bunk beds are set up for the campers of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-1-1024x683.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Double bunk beds are set up for the campers of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-2-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Eric Kaika unlocks the door to one of the many rooms available to campers on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Eric Kaika unlocks the door to one of the many rooms available to campers on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-3-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Eric Kaika unlocks the door to one of the many rooms available to campers on the Aspen Camp property in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Names and dates decorate the walls of one of the craft rooms at the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Names and dates decorate the walls of one of the craft rooms at the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-4-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Names and dates decorate the walls of one of the craft rooms at the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-5-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property past old art supplies in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property past old art supplies in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-5-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Eric Kaika walks on the Aspen Camp property past old art supplies in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-6-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Bikes are piled outside of a new shed on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"10\">\n<p><strong>Bikes are piled outside of a new shed on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-6-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Bikes are piled outside of a new shed on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-7-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-7-1024x682.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | Eric Kaika peeks through the window of the main lodge on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>Eric Kaika peeks through the window of the main lodge on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-7-1024x682.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Eric Kaika peeks through the window of the main lodge on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing on Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-8-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-8-683x1024.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times | A bolted tree looms over Snowmass Creek where an obstacle course and zipline can be set up on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov.r 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"11\">\n<p><strong>A bolted tree looms over Snowmass Creek where an obstacle course and zipline can be set up on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov.r 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/11\/camp-atd-112519-1-8-683x1024.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A bolted tree looms over Snowmass Creek where an obstacle course and zipline can be set up on the property of the Aspen Camp in Old Snowmass on Thursday, Nov.r 21, 2019. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">On Sunday afternoon, about 20 people stood in a local art gallery drinking wine, eating snacks and conversing in small groups.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The scene seemed typical for a gallery space. But for the group gathered, the occasion was one they\u2019d been anticipating for over a year: the rebirth announcement of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, a 52-year-old nonprofit based in Old Snowmass aimed at empowering the deaf and hard of hearing community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In November 2018, the camp suspended its operations in response to receiving a $145,000 federal tax lien notice for roughly two years\u2019 worth of unpaid payroll taxes, <a id=\"N0x1310ae0N0x12dcfb0:N0x1310ae0N0x1302f38\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/aspen-deaf-camp-closing-campus-suspending-operations-for-a-year-nonprofit-faces-145k-tax-lien\/\">as previously reported.<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">On Sunday, the nonprofit announced that its offer to settle that lien had just been accepted the day before by the IRS at a price \u201cgreatly reduced\u201d from that of the original notice, and that its three-member board has been working over the past year to pay off its debts, revitalize its year-round programming and brainstorm ways to do more for both the deaf community and the Roaring Fork Valley, despite its \u201cradio silence.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cA lot people have questions because there hasn\u2019t really been anything about the camp out since last year,\u201d said Eric Kaika, current treasurer for Aspen Camp. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to be out of mind, we want to tell the valley what we\u2019re doing and to restore the belief in and integrity of the camp.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">A SENSE OF BELONGING<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A few days before the Sunday event, Kaika toured the expansive Aspen Camp grounds just off Snowmass Creek Road and reflected on his time there as an employee from 2008 to 2010.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He pointed out a room full of costumes and theater props that used to be a computer lab, old pottery wheels, the area where the camp\u2019s ropes and zip line course used to be and an art room with walls decorated in colorful inscriptions of dozens of names, some he said he recognized.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe deaf community has never really had a campus like this for us. It creates a sense of ownership,\u201d Kaika said. \u201cSome of what happens here could never happen in school or in a controlled environment. It really is magical.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Over his two years at Aspen Camp, Kaika said he witnessed the immense growth deaf and hard of hearing campers have experienced for decades in Old Snowmass through spending time with their peers and deaf community leaders from across the country, building confidence and communication skills.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And for one of those veteran campers, Aspen area native Christy Smith, without the exposure to American Sign Language and to deaf culture she received through Aspen Camp as a kid, she doesn\u2019t know where she\u2019d be today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cNo one signed in my family, so the first signing exposure I had was at camp,\u201d Smith said. \u201cMost people and doctors think of hearing loss as a medical thing but they forget about the social and support aspects, too \u2026 many kids are not born into the deaf culture so they have to learn from somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, about 2 to 3 of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss, and more than 90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Smith, who started losing her hearing at 1 year old, is one of those children, and said she was first exposed to the deaf community and culture through Aspen Camp.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">From attending summer and winter programming first as a camper, to working with campers on and off as a staff member and board member, to now continuing to offer her support as an adult, Smith said she\u2019s been involved with Aspen Camp her whole life and is passionate about its rebirth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Without places like Aspen Camp for deaf and hard of hearing children to learn how to communicate with their peers and the outside world, and to relate to each other through similar and shared experiences, Smith feels it\u2019s hard for them to thrive as people.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIf I never went to camp, if I never went to school, where would I be? Where would the other hearing loss kids like me be?\u201d said Smith, who attended the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., then Gallaudet University, and now works as an American Sign Language teacher.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThrough camp, you meet friends you can relate to for the first time, you build connections all over the country. \u2026 That\u2019s why it was so devastating for the deaf community to find out the camp was struggling,\u201d Smith said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">STARTING OVER<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">When asked how she learned about the Aspen Camp\u2019s financial problems, Smith said they were a long time coming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Smith said she believed the nonprofit\u2019s No. 1 priority in the past was to ensure campers could afford to attend the summer and winter programming, and that she felt some of the other maintenance and logistical costs slipped through the cracks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Kaika said he also learned of rumors about the camp\u2019s financial struggles, but that it wasn\u2019t until after he found out Lesa Thomas, the previous executive director, resigned last fall that he felt something was wrong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Shortly after Thomas left, Kaika said he reached out to rejoin the Aspen Camp leadership, which is when he really learned about the nonprofit\u2019s financial troubles \u2014 including the lien, other debts and the zero balance of the nonprofit\u2019s endowment fund \u2014 and grew determined to get it back on its feet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since February, Kaika has been working on the Aspen Camp board alongside Ryan Commerson, board president, and Karen Immerso, board vice president, to revitalize the camp\u2019s mission and programming.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Commerson and Immerso served on the board last year when the federal tax lien came to light, but said they weren\u2019t involved in the decision-making that led to the financial turmoil.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to Commerson, he\u2019s learned over his two years on the board that the camp hadn\u2019t been managed well financially in the past and that its relationship with the community was on a rapid decline for over a decade, two things he knows have to change for the camp to succeed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cTo ensure that what happened in the past doesn\u2019t happen again, we need to establish a collective accountability,\u201d Commerson said via email. \u201cThis is where the relationship with the (Roaring Fork) Valley community comes in. We will build our programming with roots in valley partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Together, the board trio has been working toward Aspen Camp\u2019s near-future focus, which is to create programming in collaboration with other nonprofits and businesses up and down the Roaring Fork to offer deaf and hard of hearing kids specific skills enhancing opportunities, like weeklong mountain biking, whitewater rafting, filmmaking and STEM camps.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Once those programs build momentum and support as early as this summer, the board hopes to start a year-round school for deaf and hard of hearing children on the Aspen Camp grounds, which would be the only school of its kind in the U.S. managed by the deaf community.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe board understands that the camp has to evolve and be much more responsive to a rapidly changing world,\u201d Commerson said. \u201cWe are turning the traditional \u2018disability\u2019 model on its head. Instead of being content with receiving, we are determined to give back and actively participate in the valley\u2019s growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">GIVING BACK<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Although Aspen Camp is looking to create more partnerships, gain more visibility and do more to give back, part of what\u2019s kept the nonprofit afloat over the past year is its longstanding collaboration with Snowmass Village and Aspen Skiing Co. to provide and serve alcohol at the town\u2019s Thursday night summer concert series.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since 2013, Aspen Camp has paid for the liquor license and alcohol inventory for the weekly Snowmass concerts, worked with Skico employees to serve attendees and collected the profit made from the beverage sales.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to Julie Hardman, special events manager with Snowmass Tourism, this past summer wasn\u2019t much different. Hardman said the town didn\u2019t host the camp\u2019s annual benefit concert, which is usually held on a Saturday over the summer, but that Aspen Camp committed to handling the alcohol sales just as in years past.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s amazing they pulled it off with the situation they\u2019re in. It\u2019s a huge commitment,\u201d Hardman said. \u201cThe camp is an important piece of our community and we\u2019d love to see it come back even bigger and better in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">On Sunday, the Aspen Camp board said it was grateful for the opportunity to partner with Snowmass during the summer concert series this past season and hopes to continue its partnership moving forward.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But the board hopes to do even more within the community through its programming revamp this summer, and is working on finding more businesses and nonprofits to collaborate with for its new specialized camp series planned for as early as June 2020.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThere\u2019s no reason we shouldn\u2019t all be working together,\u201d Kaika said of Aspen Camp collaborating with other valley groups. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of mutual overlap and it\u2019s another way to give our kids a positive experience, give a new experience to the different organizations and show the community we can all work together.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Overall, the board aims to continue Aspen Camp as a place where deaf and hard of hearing kids receive an authentic education, connect with their peers and develop confidence in a space filled with natural beauty.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe Roaring Fork Valley is a gem. It\u2019s gorgeous out here, complete with world-class activities and premiere institutions,\u201d Commerson said. \u201cDeaf people are traditionally disenfranchised. So, if we provide them with the best of the best, they will be able to achieve their best, yes?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:mvincent@aspentimes.com\">mvincent@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/aspen-camp-works-to-rebuild-reconnect-with-roaring-fork-community\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eric Kaika walks down by Snowmass Creek on the property of the Aspen Camp of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Old Snowmass on Thursday, November 21, 2019. There are hiking paths and a fire pit that the campers can enjoy. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Double bunk beds are set up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2451537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 05:05:56","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2451537"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2451550,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2451537\/revisions\/2451550"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2451537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2451537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2451537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}