Aloha Beach Camp Summer Camp Blog 2020

We hope this message finds you healthy and safe, you had a great summer, and your school year has gotten off to a great start. We wanted to post this brief update to keep you apprised of our overall status here at Aloha Beach Camp.

As you may know, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken (financially  and more) a huge negative toll on the camp industry. At least 62% of camps shut down as a direct result of the pandemic. Unfortunately, we were not immune; Aloha Beach Camp was  unable to open due to COVID-19 this year.

Sadly, we are also unable to open our annual Fall early enrollment program this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. We are extremely regretful about this, because we know so many families look forward to and depend on this program to save money at camp.

For all intents and purposes, we will remain closed and unable to accept any registrations or sign ups until the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic clears up and all of this is behind us. We hope to reopen by January 2021 and look forward to an another safe, fun and amazing beach camp experience with your kids soon.

If you would like to join our interest list for future summer or year-round programs, please email us  at info@alohabeachcamp.com so we can notify you when we are able to reopen and begin accepting registrations again.  Thank you and stay safe!

Dear Friends,

As you may know, Aloha Beach Camp was unable to open this summer (2020) as a result of Covid-19.  Sadly, we are also unable to open our annual Fall early discount program -- which we know so many families look forward to every year -- this year for the same reason.  Instead, we hope to open enrollment for next summer's program (COVID-19 permitting) sooner rather than later, and hopefully by January 1, 2021.  We look forward to seeing you at camp next summer, but please note we expect pent-up demand for camp to be at an all-time high. Since we are only a small camp with limited availability, we anticipate selling out quickly once enrollment opens for camp next summer. If you would like to be notified when enrollment opens for next summer, please send us an email at info@alohabeachcamp.com to let us know you'd like to join our 2021 interest list. As soon as registration opens for camp next summer, we will email you to let you know so you can sign up right away and beat everyone else to the punch. Stay safe!

Not a day goes by when we don't try to figure out how we can safely and feasibly run camp amid the coronavirus pandemic. We know parents are desperate for their kids to enjoy a camp experience because they say so all the time. In fact we hear from families every day asking to put put on our mailing list so we can notify them if and when camp opens. 

My wife Teri and I (along with our kids Josh, Noah and Sarah) will continue to brainstorm ways it might be possible to run camp, but as of now it just isn't the safe or responsible thing to do.

Not only would opening camp cause us to present a program that wouldn't come close to resembling the program your kids have come to know and love over the years (let alone meet your high standards or ours), coronavirus cases are rising in L.A. to such a significant extent our Mayor is warning of the possibility of  the city  being locked-down again.

We refuse to put your child's or our staff's health or safety in jeopardy.  A summer camp in Missouri just got shut down after 82 cases of coronavirus circulated throughout camp.

A local beach camp here in L.A. tried to operate its program while conforming to all the new modifications camps are required to make in order to operate with the pandemic going on. They learned the hard way it wasn't doable, and shut down after just one day of trying.

We'll continue brainstorming how we might be able to run camp this summer, just as we always do. But the fact is, opening camp right now just isn't possible due to the coronavirus pandemic. It simply be unsafe and the wrong thing to do.

As you've probably seen in the news, California (and L.A. County in particular) is experiencing a 
drastic rise in coronavirus cases . 

This is a troubling trend, and just another reason why, among others,  we would  not don't feel  
comfortable opening camp right now.  Potentially jeopardizing your child's and family's health or safety and/or the health and safety of our staff (many of whom have decided against working this summer due to the threat of COVID-19) is just not an acceptable risk for us.

Hopefully later this summer Aloha Beach Camp will open for a few weeks. For now, we  will cross our fingers for better times.  Stay safe!

Dear Friends,
 
After months of waiting, we finally received guidance from L.A. County with requirements for reopening camp amid the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, after reviewing the new guidelines, we have not been able to find a way to safely operate at a level that meets both your standards and ours. Accordingly, Aloha Beach Camp will remain closed this summer.

We Were Willing to Make Every Reasonable Modification

 We knew from the very beginning we’d have to make modifications in order to reopen camp. We were prepared to make every reasonable adjustment to make camp happen. But as we've said from the start, we would only operate camp this summer if doing so would be safe and feasible. And we would never be willing to make modifications so drastic that they could potentially:  

1. Jeopardize your child’s (or our staff’s) health or safety in any way; and/or
2. Force us to present such a “dumbed-down” version of our program that it would not resemble the same fun program, or operate with the same high standards, you (and we) have come to know and expect from Aloha Beach Camp the past 20 years.
   

As we reviewed the guidelines for opening camp, all of the required modifications presented unique challenges, although many seem relatively workable. One, however, in particular stood out:  the requirement for campers to wear cloth face masks at camp.

When you send your child to Aloha Beach Camp, you are entrusting us to protect your child’s welfare. We don’t take that responsibility lightly. Under the new reopening guidelines, kids are required to wear cloth face masks during the entire camp day, except when swimming or eating. This requirement is something we (and other parents and health professionals we’ve spoken to) deem potentially unsafe.

Campers would be incredibly uncomfortable, taking their masks on and off all day, playing with them, burying them in the sand, all of that.  This is completely understandable, because it's what kids do. But since masks are a legal requirement to operate, we’d be spending most of the day managing masks, reminding kids to keep them on, etc. This is not something we think campers should be concerned with in the first place.

We have a saying at camp that goes like this: “If it’s not safe, we aren’t going to do it, and if it’s not fun, we aren’t going to do it for very long.” In our view, wearing cloth masks at the beach is unsafe, and would seriously diminish the fun of camp.

RELATED: Rising coronavirus cases in Los Angeles another reason to keep camp closed.

We’ve heard some camps intend to combat the face mask issue by keeping campers in the water for longer than normal periods of time. In our view this creates a new potentially dangerous health and safety issue, such as hypothermia (overexposure to the cold ocean water), among others. But let’s say for a minute we could actually find a workaround for the face mask issue.

Even then, we'd still have to contend with the fact the additional modifications would cause us to deliver a program that looks, feels, and operates differently from anything you’ve come to know and love about Aloha Beach Camp over the years. We'd be facing all kinds of additional issues, such as:

• The inability to provide transportation (which we know many parents rely on);
• Cancelling ALL field trips including boating and jet skiing at Castaic Lake, ocean kayaking in Oxnard, and Hurricane Harbor days;
• Trying to help kids apply sunscreen from 6 feet away;
• The inability to offer food service or purchased lunches;
• Helping our staff feel comfortable at work (many of whom prefer not to work in the COVID-19 environment)
• The list goes on and on
  

As the only accredited beach camp by the American Camp Association, licensed by the L.A. County Dept. of Beaches and Harbors, permitted as an Organized Camp by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and with an immediate family member in a high-level position at the CDC in Atlanta, we're sad about this decision but know it's the right one.

If anything changes and campers are not required to wear cloth face masks later this summer,  and additional requirements and modifications loosen allowing us to provide the camp experience you expect and deserve, perhaps we’ll operate for a few weeks down the line. Please join our interest list and we’ll keep you posted about that going forward.

We also have some exciting new programs coming up, such as our new Camp Counselor Academy where kids who want to become counselors (at Aloha or elsewhere) can learn everything they need to know about the job interview process, how to lead camp activities, child development and more.

We're also offering surfboards and boogie boards for rent if you need any equipment for your own day at the beach.

We look forward to staying connected with you. Rest assured Aloha Beach Camp will be back next year better than ever. We can’t wait to see you then. Meanwhile, we hope you and your loved ones stay healthy and safe. Thank you for supporting Aloha Beach Camp.
 
All the best,
 
Eric Naftulin and Family
Teri, Sarah, Josh and Noah
Aloha Beach Camp

After months of uncertainty as to whether or not we will be able to have camp this summer, we have finally been given the preliminary green light by L.A. County to open camp this summer, subject to our ability to conform to various modifications and safety protocols.

Here's where things stand now.

We have submitted to the L.A. County Department of Beaches and Harbors (the government agency who licenses and permits us) a written proposal detailing how we plan to conform to the new guidelines. Once they've reviewed our proposal, we hope to receive official approval from them we can reopen camp. At that point - which we hope will happen this week -  we hope to open registration to campers!

Regarding operating dates, our hope is to open camp sometime between mid-July to early August while operating for at least 4 to 6 weeks this summer. At the same time, please remember protecting the health and safety of our campers is our top priority,  so we will only open camp if: 1) we get final approval from the County (hopefully this week or next), and 2)  we feel we can operate camp safely and feasibly in light of COVID-19.

We will keep you updated as further details become available. If you would like to be notified if and/or when we are permitted to open, please email us at info@alohabeachcamp.com to let us know you want to join our interest list. At that point, we expect a large enrollment rush, so please be prepared to act quickly. Thank you!

Dear Friends, just a quick update, even though the beaches are open for "active use," youth camps such as ours are still currently prohibited from operating our programs on the beach due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.  Accordingly, we are not accepting new registrations at this time.
We hope to open camp July 6. We are waiting for the official green light from LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors and the LA County Department of Public Health, the two government agencies who license and permit us. If you would like to join our interest list, please email us at info@alohabeachcamp.com to let us know. If and when camp is permitted to open this year, we will let you know immediately. At that point, we expect a large enrollment rush so please be prepared to act quickly.

Aloha Friends,


We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe. We are contacting you to let you know that we are cancelling this Saturday's May 9 Open House due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Open House was scheduled to take place from 1:30 to 3:30 PM at Zuma Beach, Lifeguard Tower 7, where Aloha Beach Camp takes place during the summer.


For now, we do not have an alternate date planned for any more in-person Open Houses this season, but we hope to re-purpose the May 9 Open House into a virtual event where we can meet together online. 


We are considering a Facebook Live Open House in the near future where you can meet our staff, ask questions, and see how camp operates every day all summer right from your own phone, tablet or computer.  We will contact you again shortly once we have more details.


Regarding camp this summer, we know you may have questions as to whether Aloha Beach Camp will operate. We do intend to operate, even if it means an abbreviated summer.  One thing we are strongly considering is opening camp Monday, July 6 rather than June 15 as first intended. We will contact you soon with further information once we have more clarity about our plans.


In the age of coronavirus, where the only predictable thing is unpredictability itself, one thing we do know for sure is that kids need camp now more than ever.  After being cooped-up inside so long, there can be nothing better than a safe. fun, and healthy outdoor beach camp experience where kids can laugh, run, play and socialize with their counselors and friends.


Accordingly, if you have not yet reserved your space at camp, you can do so with a small deposit.  Deposits are refundable if you change your mind or it turns out we cannot operate this summer;  we expect to make a final determination by June 1 about that.


In the meantime, assuming it's "all systems go" and we are able to operate camp, we expect a mad rush for enrollment like never before. Please feel free to  sign up here since space will be highly restricted on purpose this summer.


That's it for now. Please stay safe. We will be in touch again soon.   

Sincerely,
Eric Naftulin
Aloha Beach Camp

We hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe in these uncertain times. We recognize you may have questions as to whether Aloha Beach Camp will be able to operate this summer amid the coronavirus public health outbreak and, if so, in what capacity.  You will be glad to know we hope to operate as planned. At the same time, even though the beach has finally opened for "active use," unfortunately it remains  closed to youth camps like ours. So,  we still awaiting the official "green light" from government and public health authorities. Protecting the health and safety of our campers, staff, and customer families will always be our top priority, so we will only open camp this year  if it's safe and feasible to do so. Please continue reading so you have the most updated information.

You will be glad to know we hope  to provide children with a much-needed, fun-filled summer camp experience year, even it means an abbreviated season.   

As mentioned, youth camps such as ours are currently prohibited from operating our programs on the beach due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Accordingly, we are not accepting new registrations at this time.  We are waiting for the official green light from LA County Department of Beaches and Harbors and the LA County Department of Public Health, the two government agencies who license and permit us. If you would like to join our interest list, please email us at info@alohabeachcamp.com to let us know. If and when camp is permitted to open this summer, we will let you know immediately. At that point, we expect a large enrollment rush, so please be prepared to act quickly. Thank you!

If you have already registered for camp and it later turns out we can't operate, you can get a full refund or apply your payment to summer 2021 for a full credit with a guaranteed spot. If you decide to cancel your enrollment but camp operates this summer, you can transfer your deposit to summer 2021 for a full credit. We will save a spot for you. 

Please feel free to call us at (818) 932-4600 or email us at info@alohabeachcamp.com. It may take us a few days to get back to. Thank you again and stay safe!