The Devi Mandir’s 3rd Annual Summer Camp that ran from July 14th to July 18th was organized  by Auntie Indra Persaud , Uncle Sam Persaud  and Uncle Gordon Persad. They led everything, all the documents were in check, all necessary transportation was accounted for… they simply forgot that nothing could prepare you for kids.
The Summer Camp truly thrives on the laughter and joy of the kids who make the experiences so much richer by simply being their unpredictable, fun seeking selves. This year with even more kids, we started the week on a high note that just got higher.

Each day was started with morning prayers and throughout the course of the week all the kids participated in Havan, which was followed by some of the kids doing a short presentation on deities of their choice. Over the five days, the kids enjoyed a wide range of activities. They toured a fire truck and police cars and bikes, went swimming (all the kids agree – water slides rule!), zoomed across go cart tracks (a camp favorite), and made an impressing record for strikes in bowling. The kids played competitive games of soccer, got the opportunity to visit (and were impressed by) the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.  The kids also learned some Hindi, participated in multiple sessions of yoga and relaxed while watching religious movies together.

Even when events were not going as planned – whether it was the kids ability to keep the fun going, our organizers impressive leadership, or a guiding hand from above – everything always worked out in the end. A slight detour on our way to the go cart tracks in Uxbridge let us have a fun ride up and down hills, a miscalculation resulted in some of the volunteers staying behind and providing everyone with a cleaner Mandir, and a paint mishap resulted in some new fashions for the camp shirts.

Special thanks go out to…

• Uncle Jai Jokhu who provided camp T-shirts for all participants (they ended up going from white to painted and signed in every color), kept the energy level high and organized the sports.
• Andre Binda our dedicated photographer who made the kids super happy by providing lots of treats including freezies and a pizza lunch among others.
• Adi Persaud , who stepped in as our photographer when Andre couldn’t be there.
• Uncle Tommy and all those who helped in the kitchen to provide the kids with delicious and nutritious meals and snacks.
• The parent volunteers who came out, helped where necessary and also enjoyed themselves
  And to the many other helping hands - this camp could not have been the success that it was without you all.

This year everyone had lots of fun and great experiences, Auntie Indra was moved to tears by how tough and amazing the week had been, and everyone who was there will agree, that the week went by much too fast….

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