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It sounds like summer in Greenbelt again. The warmth of a humid July morning seeped in and out of each word of Camp YOGO lore as a new crop of campers learned about the mystery of the amongalong – “a mythical yet very real creature” – and the childlike laughter and energy that can deter its presence. Camp YOGO, short for “Youth on the Go,” is in its 13th year; however, in response to the coronavirus, Greenbelt Recreation has replaced the traditional three field trip weeks with a cornucopia of classic camp activities during the shortened three-hour camp day. Still, each day provides the laughter and energy needed to deter the mythical monster that generations of YOGOs can recount.
Despite the alterations to the typical YOGO routine, counselors and campers alike are excited to return after the first Greenbelt summer void of camps since their inception. Fourteen-year-old camper Henry Dynan, one of only two returning YOGOs so far this summer, is happy to be “getting out of the house,” while he anticipates visiting the pool for the first time in nearly two years. Longtime counselor and pillo polo extraordinaire, Jenna Whelan, is happy to be “interacting with kids in person” since you “can’t goof around on Zoom.” For those unfamiliar, pillo polo is a classic YOGO game similar to hockey that pits a yellow team against a blue team. Generations of YOGOs, many now camp interns and staff members, can recall epic pillo polo battles as easily as they can recite the legend of the amongalong.
And the assortment of new campers, aged 12 to 15, have quickly taken to the Camp YOGO balance of routine and spontaneity. After her first week of camp, 12-year-old Evangeline Costen said, “the games were really fun” and decided to sign up for a second week. Whether they are making bracelets, discovering “the green glass door,” playing kickball, or walking through the paths of Greenbelt, the YOGOs are still “on the go,” even if they don’t have a bus to transport them this summer.
Perhaps that’s even better as their laughter and merriment can continue to protect Greenbelt from the ominous presence of the amongalong.
