Remembering their roots

Gencheff family returns to the camp that was named after their relative

Located in Bellevue Cove, Camp Gencheff is a year-round camp for children and adults with special needs.

It was named after Dr. Tudor Gencheff in 1966 before he departed from P.E.I. He was a well-known orthopedic physician.

This month, some of his family came back to visit Camp Gencheff from their home in Wisconsin, this month. His son, Dr. Chris Gencheff, was presented with a lighthouse pottery craft made by one of the campers, which read Camp Gencheff 2017. Chris and his brother Ken both made donations of $1,000 U.S.to the camp and met with several of this summer’s campers.

This camp has a rich history. The Polio Foundation P.E.I. chapter, led by Lincoln Dewar, founded the camp to provide a place for people with polio. Tudor was on the polio board. Herbert Baxter first thought up the idea of such a camp in the late 1950’s when polio affected many children all over Canada and the world.

The camp began as a place for children with polio to attend during the summer in 1961 and has grown into a yearround facility following a fund raising campaign put on by the Rotary Clubs and Easter Seals to build a heated main building that is equipped with a kitchen and dining area and bedrooms for both boys and girls as well as a meeting area. The new addition to the camp came in 1992 which was 25 years ago.

Campers of all ages now attend summer camps and year round respite visits.

Over 110 campers are attending Camp Gencheff this summer.

46#.*55&% 1)050 Dr. Chris Gencheff, second right, returns to the camp that took its name from his late father. From left are Nelson Gencheff and campers Victor, Debbie and John.