January 29, 2019
Seven years ago I walked into the KV YMCA with a desire to create a place where young girls could come to connect with each other, their dreams, and with likeminded individuals in a community that believed in them. It was through these aspirations that the Julia Clukey's Camp for Girls at Camp KV came to life. Julia Clukey's Camp for Girls has welcomed the bright, smiling faces of more than 700 young girls from all walks of life. The Camp fostered an environment of inclusivity and belonging while creating a lifetime of memories.

It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I will not be able to hold camp this summer. Due to a shift in balancing work and school, I can no longer invest the time and energy that the program and the young girls deserve.

It was always my intention that Camp would welcome girls from all walks of life so they could build confidence, become leaders, set big goals and achieve their biggest dreams through hard work and dedication. I imagined that Camp would serve as a classroom for important life lessons. I wanted every girl to leave Camp knowing and believing that they can make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others. That it doesn't matter where they come from, their zip code or neighborhood doesn't determine where they go in life or what they can achieve. Every moment is a teachable opportunity to live life with self-compassion and confidence. To my greatest joy, I believe Camp has been successful in all these areas. I hope that Campers will always remember these lessons and embrace the importance of staying true to oneself and to trust their moral compass.

I remain committed to the youth in our community and will continue to look for ways to provide opportunities to the next generation to discover and celebrate the best versions of themselves.
BIG thanks too - I would like to profoundly thank the Kennebec Valley YMCA and their staff for opening Camp KV and their commitment to the partnership for the past seven years. Their commitment to enriching and empowering the lives of the children in our community is unmatched, and I am grateful that we were able to collaborate and deliver this program to the girls in our community. I'd thank our community partners for their continued financial support which allowed us to bring more than 50% of our campers through the program on scholarship. Committed to the idea that socio-economic status should not be a barrier for a young person to dream.

Lastly, but most of all, I would like to thank all the Campers. Thank you for spending two weeks of your summer with me. For voicing your ideas & dreams, recognizing and celebrating your strengths, being great friends and for sharing your enthusiasm with me every day. I am proud of each and every one of you, who you are and what you have achieved. I am pleased to know that our community and world has such a strong and capable generation of future female leaders. Remember, there are no limits to what you can achieve.

- Julia