In August 2017, we finished our first summer with new directors. We owe so much of our success to all of you!
Many of you reached out to us with incredible generosity and warmth! Our Nantucket friends embraced us more than ever.
You helped us raise $27,000 this past year. We used your donations to pay for food, transportation costs, rent, costumes for our musical, and insurance. Your donations get us to and around Nantucket, keep us well fed and safe.
Your gifts in-kind added up $25,000 worth of discounts, reduced rent, donated dinners, use of vehicles, theatre space, bike and boat rides, yoga lessons and more. Because of your donations, our Tulgey Wood community enjoys exciting activities and new glimpses of Nantucket every day of camp.
Last summer we were a big group of 37 energetic, creative, talented and outgoing folks with and without disabilities crammed into the rental house and sleeping in a tent on the porch. Our original musical, "Na Na Land," our sing-along, our pottery, our story-telling after meals and our dancing was all the best ever!
No one gets paid to be a part of Tulgey Wood and this year we are officially eliminating any requirement to pay to be a part of Tulgey Wood. All of you and all of us donate what we can, because we all value our community. Camp works because of everyone's generosity!
We could not have done this without your support. We thank you and look forward to another summer!
P.S. Thank you Jamie Kelleher for designing our new logo at the top of the page!
We have big organizational news! After 12 great years as a program of the Katie Johnson Fellowship, we have been successfully 'spun off'. The intent of the Katie Johnson Fellowship is to launch camps like Tulgey Wood and let them start their own organizations. We leave Gillian Butchman's organization with lots of love and as close friends. We feel confident that we can thrive independently with your support.
This spring, Tulgey Wood became its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit! The process was complicated but surprisingly fast. We secured IRS approval about two months after deciding to take steps to become an independent nonprofit. For this year, Tulgey Wood will partner with the Community Foundation for Nantucket which will process donations for us. The Community Foundation for Nantucket is a trusted organization on Nantucket that will help us reach new people.
We are also excited to announce that John O'Reilly has joined us as a board member on Tulgey Wood's founding board of Jan, Mike, and John. John is the father of Katie who has been a part of Tulgey Wood for the past several years. The whole O'Reilly family has been exceptionally supportive of Tulgey Wood over the years. We can already tell that John is a valuable partner.
Peter was playing a famous actor for our whaling musical. He tried out a part where he would make whale noises in an audition. Peter tried a few times and found that he didn't care that much for the part.One of our favorite moments of the was in a play rehearsal.
"Why don't you give this part to Jack?" Peter suggested.
There was a moment of stunned silence – Peter doesn't give up roles easily – and everyone knew that Peter was 100% right. Jack would be the perfect whale actor.
Jack rolls onstage with his irritated co-star, Monik, as Jack earnestly whales "Oooooh, ooooooooooh!"
"But he's a method actor!" responds the surprised director.
The mission of Tulgey Wood is to create integrated community for people with and without disabilities to live, create, play and adventure together.
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