Two Camps.

One Legacy.

Camps Airy and Louise kick off their
100th anniversary celebration
this summer
BY LINDSAY C. VANASDALAN
M ark Fine recalls the most memorable moments of his
experience at Camp Airy with humor.

During his first summer as a counselor in 1996, he got
caught in a huge downpour at a Hagerstown Suns minor league baseball game as
he and another counselor huddled around 10 campers to keep them safe.

“Those 8-year-olds were in this small circle, where Erin (a counselor) and I
were holding hands and shoulders just to keep them in place while it was truly
downpouring for a good 15 minutes when we finally got them into the bus,” he says.

Despite a less than ideal situation, this experience drove home the greatest
strength of the camp: its relationships. Bonding experiences bring everyone
together, and they are the memories that last a lifetime.

Of course, many delightful stories—more recently, trendy obsessions with
Sheetz and Royal Farms or camp songs created by kitchen staff—remain among
the bonds of the campers who share them.

Longtime camp alumni Mark and Kim (Hyatt) Fine share their memories along
with leaders at Camps Airy and Louise—Jewish overnight brother-sister camps
marking the beginning of their centennial celebrations this summer.

They all shed light on why these camps have endured for so many years.

Traditions The camps started with a vision from founders Aaron and Lillie Straus. During
the 1920s, the couple discovered a need for an outdoor respite from Baltimore’s
cramped working conditions for young Jewish women.

Camp Louise for girls was founded in Cascade, Maryland, in 1922. Camp Airy
12 Washington FAMILY MARCH 2022