‘It’s a shame’: Families shocked by abrupt summer camp closure in Maryland

For decades, the summer camp at the Patuxent River 4-H Center in Bowie, Maryland, served thousands of kids.

But now, the camp has announced it’s closing its doors, sending shockwaves to parents now looking for other options.

The camp has been a staple for families living in and around Prince George’s County.

Families and their kids said this was an important part of their childhood, especially coming out of the pandemic.

“After that long break during COVID of just not really being near anybody, it was really good for me to really get out there pushing myself out there and like meet new people,” Allison Holley said.

For the last four years, Holley and her brother have looked forward to a week at camp away from their parents. This year, she was looking forward to being a counselor.

“I was surprised at first,” Holley said after learning of the closure. “I was just like, ‘We’ve been going there for so long, like that’s crazy,’ and then I got really sad because I’m not going to see a lot of those people again.”

The center posted on its website that the summer camp would be closing for good this year, leaving parents stunned and questioning why the camp would shut down.  

“It’s a shame,” parent Joanna Shane said. “It will be something that they don’t get to have.”

“Very disappointed, because this is what we do every summer. This is what we were planning,” parent Julie Holley said.

The abrupt announcement comes at a time when parents say many other camp slots are filling up. 

“Now, I will have to look for other alternatives … The only thing is, there’s no other camps like 4-H in this area,” parent Christine Bennett said. “You have to travel, like almost to the Eastern Shore.”

In a statement, the 4-H center wrote, in part: “It has truly been an honor to be part of so many childhood memories over the years. For many of us, it has been a second home. It has been a place where children gained confidence.”

That was a key reason why parents like Julie Holley said she wanted to send her kids there.

“Learning about nature, appreciating the environment. And not only that, but they’re off their cellphones, they’re off their tablets and they don’t even think about them the whole time,” she said.

The center sent a statement to News4 listing the reasons for the closure, saying in part, “Unfortunately, due to budget constraints, finances and the funding to keep Patuxent River 4-H Center operating and many repairs to the buildings, we are forced to close.”

Campers hope Patuxent River 4-H leaders and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission reconsider the decision.

“4-H made a really big impact on my life,” Allison Holley said. “I was so excited to be a counselor, and I really, really, really hope it opens back up.”