Many Summer Sleepaway Camps Being Canceled Amid Pandemic
KEILAR: Parents could face a long summer indoors with their kids as sleepaway camps across the U.S. wait to see if they'll be allowed to open. One camp in Maine already had to make the hard decision to close for the year.</s>GINGER CLARE, CO-DIRECTOR, CAMP KIPPEWA FOR GIRLS: Due to the current situation with coronavirus, we have made the difficult decision to postpone Kippewa to next summer. We know the Kippewa bond is strong and it's real. And it's so much more than being in one place. So we'll continue to find ways for us to stay connected over the upcoming weeks and throughout the year.</s>KEILAR: I'm joined now by Ginger and Steve Clare, the directors of Camp Kippewa for Girls. We've been talking to health experts. Some say, Ginger, away camps are a good option because of this containment but it's very difficult. Tell us the factors that went into your decision to close down.</s>GINGER CLARE: Yes, certainly. As I say in that video, this is one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make, and there's so many different factors that really played into it. It's hard to pinpoint any one specific thing. I'll say that we, as you've done, we've consulted with experts and doctors. We've pored through the different guidelines that have been made available to us for opening camps safely this summer. And, you know, we went through them and realize those protocols would really impact every aspect of camp for us, from dining hall to the bunk settings and our facility and how we run our activities. So ultimately, personally, we just didn't feel that we could maintain the level of support and kind of the Kippewa magic that our kids really expect and deserve.</s>STEVE CLARE, CO-DIRECTOR, CAMP KIPPEWA FOR GIRLS: It's very specific to our program, I think. I think some other camps may find a way and even for us, able to modify some of the smaller programs. And we are still looking to run some programs this summer, Kippewa Academy and family camp.</s>KEILAR: Did you guys feel like the guidelines were enough? Did you feel like they answered the questions you had about how do we do this and that at camp?</s>STEVE CLARE: The CDC guidelines were called considerations for summer camp, not mandatory but quite late coming out. They came out last week. Before that, the American Camp Association did a fantastic job and produced an 80-page field guide for us. They partnered with a health professional company and came up with something that was very great for us to try and plan around. And then ultimately, we were guided by the main CDC guidelines so that the main guidelines were mandatory and involved a checklist that we had to sign off on. So really, we based our decision more around the main guidelines rather than the CDC guidelines but they were all helpful.</s>GINGER CLARE: I would also say, we feel fortunate that Maine has come out with these guidelines. There were a lot of camps and camp directors either having to make a decision without knowing what the state is going to allow or are still waiting to hear if and how states are going to allow camps to open this summer.</s>KEILAR: Yes, it's going to be tough for so many of them. We know so many families who you are used to seeing are going to be so disappointed. But we wish you luck, Ginger and Steve Clare. Thank you for talking to us from Charlottesville, Virginia. We appreciate it.</s>STEVE CLARE: You're welcome. Thank you.</s>GINGER CLARE: Thank you so much.</s>KEILAR: Stunning videos of crowds completing ignoring the advice of medical experts over the holiday weekend. Plus, the NBA is considering finishing out the rest of its season at Disneyworld. CNN getting reaction from a Hall of Famer just ahead.