Friends offer summer camps
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From left, Ari Cole, Hodges Councill and James Neely take a break. - Photo Submitted
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Piper Luhn, left, and Lawson Hearp play in camp leader Michael Tarantino’s backyard pool. - Photo Submitted
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Virginia Ann Councill and Kingston Williams with a volcano-themed science project. - Photo Submitted
Summer program cancellations gave long-time friends Will Lewis and Michael Tarantino an idea to offer a fun-filled camp of their own.
Under the moniker “Splash ‘n Dash,” the 2017 Bearden High School graduates and current University of Tennessee rising seniors have been teaching and leading dozens of children ages 5 to 12 during three four-day sessions earlier this summer, with plans for three more in the weeks ahead.
They have 14 years of youth sports camp leadership experience between them, but it was a realization of a need that helped spur the camp.
“Our mission is to get kids out of the house and away from screens by engaging them in various sports and fun activities in a camp environment,” Tarantino said.
“Parents and kids have been very receptive to Camp, and you could really tell the kids especially have been really excited to get out of the house,” Lewis said.
“We have really been enjoying it too,” Tarantino added.
Among the many activities offered — soccer and basketball instruction, science experiments, tie-dying, cooking lessons, cards, Water Olympic-style games and fishing — most have been outdoors.
Tarantino’s family has a backyard swimming pool just off Ebenezer Road, and they take turns at each others’ houses one day a week (Lewis lives in Lakeridge). The other two camp days are spent at Carl Cowan Park off Northshore Drive.
“We have had a lot of variety,” Lewis explained. “We have also been able to adapt what we offer, based on what the kids enjoy, too.”
They also are willing to adapt in the future, mixing up the offerings for any returning campers, Lewis added.
Another factor for the friends was realizing this would be their “last free summer,” as their senior year is looming, with job decisions and internships likely to take precedence in the year ahead.
“This has been a great way to spend what will probably be our last summer in Knoxville, having fun with the kids,” Tarantino said.
Helping out in a big way has been Tarantino’s mother, Lisa Tarantino, who teaches fourth grade at Northshore Elementary School. “She has really helped us with projects, crafts and educational ideas,” Tarantino added.
Additionally, Lisa Tarantino posted about the camp on social media, to help get the word out. From there, parents who discovered the camp typically suggested it to their children’s friends, which widened the circle.
Both Lewis and Tarantino are quick to acknowledge their adherence to safety and cleaning practices, and they don’t accept more than 10 children per session to limit interaction.
They had camp this week (Monday through Thursday, July 6-9), and will be offering it again from 9 a.m. to noon, July 13-16, July 20-23 and Aug. 3-6. Cost is $120 per week, and $100 for siblings of campers.
One idea Lewis and Tarantino are toying with is possibly extending the camp into the fall, depending on how schools decide to re-open.
“We’ll just have to see what happens, but we are open to that possibility,” Lewis said.
For more information, call or text 865-661-4089 or 865-250-7954.
