1998, July 12 – 15 – Theme, Christmas in July
First Deaf-Blind retreat created under Deaf Interfaith
Mini-camp held with 8 campers at Manidokan Retreat Center
Camp Visionary and Director, Rev. Peggy Johnson
1999, June 13 – 18 – Theme, My God is DeafBlind
Camp is expanded to six days and sets the camp date for the second week of June every year. Camp directors Peggy Johnson and Angyal Bulsiver.
2000 – Theme, Olympics
Aniko Kuschatka becomes the director and serves until 2004.
Camp moves to West River Camping Retreat Center to begin a wonderful partnership.
The number of campers grows every year until the maximum capacity 42 campers and 85 Support Service Providers.
2001 – Theme, USA – Red, White, and Blue
2002 – Theme ?
2003 – Theme, Blue Hawaii
2004 – Theme, 1950s Sock Hop
2005 – Theme, Western
2006 – No DeafBlind camp because everyone is busy with the American Association of the Deaf-Blind conference in Towson, Maryland.
2007 – Theme, Carnival
Pastor Peggy Johnson becomes a United Methodist Bishop and moves to Philadelphia. She turns over the administration of the camp to four coordinators, Carol Stevens, Brenda Talley, Belinda Milligan, and Toby Witte-Dix.
2008 – Theme, Fiesta
2009 – Theme, African Safari
Camp takes a field trip to the Nation Museum of African Art in Washington D.C.
2010 – Theme, Pirates
Camp takes a field Trip to Six Flags and campers are delighted with meeting actors in the Pirates of the Caribbean show.
2011 – Theme, Wild West
Frontier Days is offered at West River including Native American dancers and drum circle, lasso presentations, the New Moon Theater, and horseback riding at a nearby barn.
The coordinators begin proceedings to incorporate the camp, write by-laws, and obtain non-profit status.
2012 – Theme, Our Olympic Spirit
Special Guest, blind and Hard of Hearing World Champion power lifter, Coach Cody Colchado, presents a motivational presentation. Did the campers really bust solid boards with their bare hands?
2013 – Theme, Out of This World, NASA
Camp takes a field trip to a special tactile exhibit at the NASA Goddard Space Center and campers meet an astronaut.
The Myrtle Harper Scholarship fund is established to help campers in need defray the cost of camp registration.
2014 – Theme, By the Bay
Camp takes a field trip to the Calvert Marine Museum.
Scott Stoffel, for the first of many years, brings the Tactile Carnival to camp.
Andrew Cohen and Kelly Brittingham share their wedding with everyone at camp.
The first international campers attend.
The camp becomes incorporated and adopts the name, The DeafBlind Camp of Maryland, Inc.
First Board of Directors elected; Brenda Talley, President, Toby Witte-Dix, Treasurer, Belinda Milligan, Secretary, Andrew Cohen, Kim Best, and Christine Hitchcock.
2015 – Theme, Bollywood
The DeafBlind Camp of Maryland, Inc. is granted 501 © (3) non-profit status by the Internal Revenue Service.
The camp adopts a logo.
The Metropolitan Asian Deaf Association members attend camp to provide a cultural experience.
2016 – Theme, The Roaring 20’s
Camp takes a field Trip to William Brown’s London Town.
2017 – Theme, A Trip to the Tropics
The camp offers a field trip to Gallaudet University as an option for the half-day field trip.
Camp adds a new tandem trike.
2018 – Theme, Twenty Years and Counting
Founders and early participants Peggy Johnson, Carol Stevens, and Aniko Kuschatka return to camp to share the camp history.
The camp takes a field trip to tactile exhibits at several Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C.
The last night gala is open to the public to celebrate twenty years of camp. Campers and SSPs honored outgoing President, Brenda Talley for more than a decade of service to camp.
Current Board
Brenda Talley, President
Kathi Jeffra, Treasurer
Steven Collins, Secretary
Toby Witte-Dix (deceased April 28, 2018)
Kim Best
Lisa Wirkus
Ingrid Martinez
