Our Story
Camp Carton was founded by Craig Carton, an American radio personality who currently co-hosts the Boomer and Carton in the Morning radio program. Craig has Tourette syndrome as do two of his four children. In addition to his work to raise money to find a cure, Craig wants to give children with Tourette syndrome opportunities that they might not otherwise have.
Karri Wolfe
Karri began her career working with young people as an early childhood teacher and Director. Her love of summer camp began at Camp Ramapo, Rhinebeck, NY in 1997. During her years working at Ramapo, Karri developed behavior management, relationship-building and supervision skills that continue to be fundamental to her work. Karri graduated from The Ohio State University with a B.S. in Child & Family Studies. Her child-centered passions and having a sister with Angelman’s Syndrome nurtured her commitment to supporting children facing challenge. She has worked in residential care, held the position of Recreation Director for the Town of Rhinebeck, was a motivational speaker for Monster.com and served in several leadership roles at Ramapo for Children. She has her master's degree in Organizational Management and is active in her community. Karri is the mother of two girls; ages 9 and 11 years, and currently resides in New Paltz, NY.
Meet Your Camp Director
Letters from Parents
A small sampling of notes we received from the parents of our inaugural year campers:
Hi Craig,
We just wanted to thank you and your organization for allowing ___ to attend the inaugural year of Camp Carton. He had an amazing experience this past week! In addition to his TS, ___ suffers from anxiety and the fact that was able to stay away from home was a blessing. He has has never slept away from home without us other than his grandparents, not even at a friend's house. He learned to have some independence and we have noticed some significant changes in him already. He has talked non-stop about the friends he made and the experiences made available to him, such as the high-rope climb. The volunteers you had were all wonderful. I had the pleasure of meeting Aly, his counselor and Cliff, who gave us the tour on pick-up day. Everyone was so welcoming and we felt very comfortable leaving him in their care. I know ___ has aged out this year, but if it is possible, he would love to attend next year, even as a volunteer! You are doing great things for the TS community and we really appreciate it. We look forward to all you and Tic Toc Stop have to offer in the future.
Dear Mr. Carton,
My husband and I are so pleased that our son, participated in Camp Carton. Thank you for your vision, for your generosity, for making this wonderful camp happen. He loved it!!! Like many children with Tourette Syndrome, suffers from bouts of extreme anxiety. The prospect of going off on his own, without his parents attending to his needs, filled him with dread. Panic attacks ensued. The only way he agreed to go was with the understanding that he could leave on Wednesday, if that's what he really wanted. When he called us on Wednesday, determined to leave, we felt obligated to honor our agreement. We were about to pick him up when we got the surprise phone call from.
She told us the unbelievable news that you had spoken with him and had convinced him to stay. We are so grateful. That conversation was pivotal. As a result, he let go of his fears and thoroughly enjoyed camp. When we picked him up on Sunday, we saw a delighted child who didn't want to leave. He spent much of the car ride home sharing some of the funny experiences and reciting the antics of the camp counselors. I believe that I am seeing positive changes at home too. He seems more confident and more focused in the moment. You, and the camp, have been a source of wonder and inspiration. We are truly thankful.
Warmest regards,
Dear Craig,
It was so wonderful to finally meet you in person. I cannot possibly begin to say how thankful I am to everyone at Camp Carton. All the counselors were great. he had the best week of his life. He said he liked it even better than a vacation. He has grown so much in so many ways and best of all, he has so much more confidence in himself.
This experience has been such a blessing for our family and we will be forever grateful.
The Ramapo for Children Campus
Less than two hours from Manhattan in Rhinebeck, NY, the Ramapo for Children campus has been the host for Camp Carton. The campus boasts a fantastic assortment of modern yet rustic buildings, a beautiful lakefront, sports fields, nature areas and so much more. It provides a wealth of activities, facilities, and comforts for the campers at Camp Carton.
Camp Carton’s inaugural program was in July 2014 and was attended by 24 children representing four states. The camp hosted over 40 children in July 2015, its second year. Campers enjoy a traditional camp experience where they get to enjoy favorite pastimes, try new things and most importantly, connect to a group of campers who have similar interests and face similar challenges. From the moment a camper enters camp, they are told, this is a place where you are accepted and free to be yourself.