“I am so excited; I can’t wait,” one of the two recipients of the Second Annual TC’s Pawn Company Camp Farwell Sponsorship Essay Award said when she heard that she was one of the two girls whose essays were selected. “I’ve never been camping before. I heard all the stories from the girls who went last summer.”
After the success of last year’s essay contest, the Pitkin Street decided to commit to the project again. Last June TC’s Pawn Company offered students at Hockanum Elementary school the opportunity to write an essay on one of three topics, said Jay Sargent, General Manager of TC’s of Waterbury and East Hartford.
“First we approached Mayor Melody Currey and she suggested the school.” After that, Sargent contacted Hockanum Principal Lisa Beauchamp, and things progressed quickly.
“Camp Farwell is a picturesque girls camp that has been providing unique wilderness experiences exclusively for young girls for over a hundred years,” Sargent said.
Nestled in the Hall’s Lake region of Newbury, Vermont, the camp is a long way from the inner city. The rural camp provides numerous opportunities for life-changing experiences, especially for kids who have never camped out before. The camp’s mission involves bringing together girls aged 9-16 of different cultures from around the world, fostering friendship and personal growth.
The camp features horseback riding, water-skiing, sailing, hiking, a variety of sports, art classes, dance and theater activities and even a petting zoo. There are over 100 acres of lush forest, meadows, lakeside log cabins and rustic living that will help develop the girls’ confidence, community spirit and “an underlying appreciation of nature’s beauty” that they will bring home with them.
“This is a unique experience for the children,” Mayor Currey said. “We don’t have riding stables in East Hartford. The Camp gives the girls an opportunity to connect with large animals.”
“Camp Farwell provides a variety of activities and adventures for the kids. We’ll be sponsoring two girls for three-week stays throughout the month of August, before they return home to begin the new school year,” Sargent said.
Last year, the essay topic for the contest was “My Hero is…” and the selected best essays were quite emotional, according to Sargent. The Mayor’s office, Principal Beauchamp, and Sargent selected the chosen essays.
“The girls we sponsored last year were very bright young ladies,” Sargent added. “Their writing was heartfelt and powerful. This year was no different.” The two essays selected this year were read in front of a school assembly on June 5th.
“Everyone is so proud of these students,” Sargent said. Essay topics this year included the timely “Going Green – recycling”, “My Country the USA”, and also “My Hero is…” Surprisingly, both girls chose the “My Hero” topic. Sargent continued, “One of the youngsters wrote about her father. She was the only student from both years who did so. Her essay was extremely touching.”
Noted Mayor Currey: “They were three very good topics. [The selected essays] were the strongest and most heartfelt” of those submitted.
“During these tough economic times, many small businesses and even larger companies are scaling back on giving, and unfortunately projects such as our Camp Farwell Sponsorship get left by the wayside,” Sargent said.
“But, as difficult as it may be for business, it’s even harder on an inner city kid in the summer.”
As part of each sponsorship, valued at $4,000, the girls will both receive a shopping spree to help purchase supplies and camp equipment required for their stay. “We’ll also be helping their parents with transportation costs,” Jay added.
Mayor Currey thanked TC’s and said that local businesses should be encouraged in their support of the community.
“They have a better understanding of families making ends meet. They have the ability to give back.”
Such is the case in East Hartford and Waterbury, where TC’s Pawn Company has served the community for 25 years. The buildings are attractive; the showrooms are clean; the staff is friendly and helpful.
“We are not the stereotypical pawn shop,” Sargent explained. “We are open, clean, honest, and we provide a valuable service to our customers.” At TC’s, Sergeant notes, customers buy a wide variety of heavily-discounted and what the staff calls “previously-enjoyed” items.
The company also purchases many different items or can give someone the opportunity to get their item back later on nearly anything of value, specializing in gold and silver jewelry. “What bank is going to give someone $25 to pay a babysitter or $50 to fill their gas tank for the week?” Sargent asked.
To TC’s, the Camp Farwell Sponsorship Essay Award has been a completely successful endeavor. Sergeant feels it is one of the many ways that his business can partner with and support the community.
“Look at the pictures on the web [CampFarwell.com]. It’s a very meaningful experience for kids,” he added. In fact, one of the finalists [from last year’s contest] wrote again this year. “She must have wanted to go again,” Mayor Currey said.
“We’re just happy to help provide these bright kids with memories that will last a lifetime. They so very much deserve it. In these difficult economic times it is important that we do not forget about the children who are also dealing with the recession,” added Sargent.
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