Residents Riding for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp's "Camp Challenge Ride" is scheduled for Saturday and two Vernon residents are joining forces while using their love of cycling to help raise money for it.

Nicholas Willette and James Krupienski will be participating in the Camp Ride Challenge, which is slated to begin at 8 a.m. The route starts at the camp in Ashford and travels through Ashford and surrounding towns.

The camp founded by Paul Newman is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

“There’s nothing that compares to the sight of hundreds of cyclists riding for a good cause,” said David MacNiven, director of Team Hole in the Wall, which is overseeing the bike event. “The efforts of the athletes will help provide children battling serious illness with a different kind of healing at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp."

All the money raised by riders benefits the camp and its hospital outreach program. After obtaining consent from their physicians, children with life-threatening illnesses are able to spend a week at camp at no cost
to their families.

Children are able to spend the week participating in activities like swimming, archery, boating, fishing, and horseback riding without worry because medical care is available through a special infirmary at the camp.

Krupienski said riding in the 30-mile portion of the ride presents a chance to give back to an organization that directly helped his family. His son Jack, 10, was a first-time camper this summer during the August session.

Jack was diagnosed with a brain tumor in early 2011 and it was his first time at an overnight camp.

Jack, known for being upbeat anyway, described his camp experience as, “Awesome,” and said it is a place where he didn’t have to worry about being the only camper with an illness. He said he could let loose and just be a kid.

Willette, a teacher at Center Road School, will be riding in the Metric Century 100K event. He said of the 62.5-mile ride, “This is a chance to support local kids fighting diseases they shouldn’t have to deal with, doing something I love, and making kids smile.”

Willette is an avid cyclist who has participated in numerous charity ride events including the Steeple Chase in Willimantic and the Bike MS: Cardio Express Ride. His longest event was the Pan-Mass Challenge at 192 miles, and he raised $4,200 for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

The local team so far has raised $3,315 to support the camp and they are still accepting donations.

Krupienski's donation link is here.

Willette's donation link is here.

In 1988, Newman opened The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut so that children coping with serious illnesses could have a special hideout where they could simply be kids.

The Camp, which served 288 campers its first year, is on in 2012-13 to host 20,000 children and family members.