Generations Unite for the Return of Camp Phoebe

By Dominic Trabosci, Phoebe Ministries

After a nine-year hiatus, Camp Phoebe at Phoebe Allentown (Pa.) returned Aug. 4-8, 2025. The week-long celebration of fun, creativity, and intergenerational community building was a huge success for all.

Led by Community Life Campus Manager Joan Wickel and the community life team, Camp Phoebe is open to relatives and friends of Phoebe residents, employees, and volunteers. Campers aged 5-12 participated in day-long programs filled with laughs, learning, and adventure.

The campers were split into teams corresponding to neighborhoods across Phoebe Allentown. The games and activities for each day had campers interacting and making friends with residents from their respective neighborhoods. Still, there were plenty of opportunities for the entirety of Phoebe Allentown to get together for some Camp Phoebe fun.

Here are just a few of the many highlights from Camp Phoebe 2025:

On Monday, campers made their very own Camp Phoebe Tie-Dye shirts. These shirts were worn as badges of honor for nearly the whole week, boasting the group’s vibrant creativity.

Tuesday brought adorable baby kangaroos to the Terrace patio, courtesy of Aldinger Farms. Residents and campers got up close to these beautiful, gentle creatures, petting them and posing for pictures. Meanwhile, Rita’s Ice was served up for everyone in attendance to help beat the heat.

Things got musical on Wednesday with the first and only performance from the two-piece cover band “The Buggy Drivers.” Campers and residents took to the lawn of Phoebe Allentown for a concert played in the bandshell. The band—composed of Phoebe Copy Coordinator and drummer Dominic Trabosci and former Director of Pastoral Care and Education, vocalist, and guitarist Leah Knox—played a cheerful set spanning multiple decades. Campers played lawn games and waved bubble wands during the performance.

Thursday saw campers scouring every nook and cranny of Phoebe Allentown with an exciting scavenger hunt. Later in the day, campers were led through an intergenerational worship service before letting off some energy in a bounce house.

The culmination of Camp Phoebe came on Friday afternoon, when all of Camp Phoebe convened for an intense and competitive Minute-to-Win-It-style game show party.

This event saw the different Camp Phoebe teams pair up with residents for competitions that included a basketball shootout, an Oreo stacking challenge, foam axe throwing, and a wacky Cheeto-toss game in which teams attempted to stick snacks to heads covered in shaving cream.

Wickel emceed the event with the same disposition as some of the most excellent game show hosts. With a packed audience of residents, the room excitedly counted down each challenge. Teams were awarded gift cards and goodies depending on their placement. Everyone received a Phoebe hoodie in the end and posed for one final picture as Camp Phoebe came to a close.

Overall, this year’s Camp Phoebe proved to be another fantastic opportunity for the residents and children of Phoebe to connect.

“Everyone involved had a blast,” said Wickel. Seeing the generations come together so seamlessly instilled Wickel with greater “faith in our youth.”