Camp Bournelyf Kicks Off Down Syndrome Awareness Month

It’s spelled Bournelyf.

It’s pronounced “Born-a-leaf.”

And for nearly 40 years, this summer camp tucked away on 20 beautiful acres in West Chester has been providing transformative experiences for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Though summer may be over and autumn’s leaves changing colors on Bournelyf’s campus, October by no means marks a quiet time for the little-known non-profit tucked away on the grounds of the Church of the Loving Shepherd. Rather, just the opposite.

October marks Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and getting the word out about Bournelyf Special Camp (also known as Camp Bournelyf) and its campers is just one of the reasons for the busy month.

“We’ve been around since 1980,” says Anne Catlin, executive director at Camp Bournelyf, “but there are still so many people within our own community who have never heard about Bournelyf. We’d love to change that – and get more people involved in our mission.”

That mission is to provide individuals with special needs a place where they can build confidence, improve social, physical and communication skills, and see themselves as important members of both the Bournelyf community and society as a whole.

To this end, Bournelyf offers a summer camp for individuals ages eight and up who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The camp’s 20-acre campus includes a modified Olympic-sized swimming pool, a pond, woods and more, providing campers with countless opportunities to develop friendships, challenge themselves and their own potential, and create lasting memories through outdoor recreationally-based activities.

“So many of our campers – and our staff – come back year after year,” Catlin notes. “The experience of summer camp at Bournelyf is so impactful for so many. We’re a family here – and we affectionately say Bournelyf is the place where friends become family.”

To help raise funds for its summer camp, Bournelyf is holding its 4^th annual Barn Gala later this month. The ticketed event, which includes dinner, live music and a silent auction, will be held on October 25 at The Inn at Grace Winery in Glen Mills. Last year’s gala netted over $20,000 for the non-profit.

“We hope to top that mark this year,” says Catlin. “The funds raised by our Barn Gala are critical to our ongoing success and help ensure necessary upkeep and improvements to our facilities. And by expanding our profile in the region and beyond, we hope to build a growing base of new supporters.”

One such new supporter is the West Chester Downtown Foundation, which last week awarded a grant of $1500 to Bournelyf. The funds will be used to offset the costs of renting vans for Bournelyf’s summer transportation needs during next summer’s camp season.

In addition to its summer camp, Bournelyf holds monthly activities open to all its campers and alumni. This past week, Bournelyf provided a day trip to the beach at Ocean City, NJ, and later this month it will host an outing at Highland Orchards and a Halloween dance at the Bournelyf Barn.

As many of the individuals Bournelyf serves have Down Syndrome, Bournelyf is also dedicating efforts this month to participate in Down Syndrome Awareness Month, which is held each October. Bournelyf has launched a social media campaign to celebrate its campers and spread awareness about Down Syndrome.

“We have a wonderful story to share here at Bournelyf,” Catlin explains, “and we’d love for the entire community to become part of it.”

To learn more about Bournelyf or its upcoming Barn Gala, visit www.bscwc.org or call (610) 692-9027.