During my time as a camper, one of my favorite days of VAMPY was the Fourth of July. As a counselor, the Fourth of July remains my favorite day of camp. Every year on the Fourth, the campers trek to downtown Bowling Green and attend a Hot Rods baseball game and enjoy the fireworks show after. The outing is a great time for campers to hang out with the friends they may not see during a normal day.
This year, our campers participated in several different activities on the field while the game was going on, such as a T-Rex Dance off, musical chairs, and a hot dog-eating contest. One of our campers, Connor Sheehan of Bowling Green, was even invited to throw one of the first pitches. The campers who were not especially interested in baseball played Magic the Gathering and other card games, blew bubbles, or received free Henna tattoos from Audrey Thacker of Louisville. Many campers enjoyed the variety of food available, especially funnel cake fries and Dippin’ Dots, two staple foods for baseball games.
Thankfully, the weather held out and was absolutely spot on. When the game concluded with a Hot Rods win, the holiday show began. With red, white, and blue fireworks exploding in the sky and a live band playing patriotic music, campers — and counselors — experienced the perfect way to celebrate America’s 241st birthday.