The Anderson sisters: Taylor, 10, Jordan, 12, and Kelsey, 8 show off their rabbit, Hasempfeffer, and English bulldog, Diamond, at a Pet Parade organized by the Grafenwöhr Library on Thursday. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Swimming, bowling, amusement park visits and a pet parade are a few of the activities keeping children here busy over the holidays at Camp Adventure.
The holiday activity program, run at military communities all over the world this summer, started last week and entertains 25 to 30 kids most days at Grafenwöhr’s School Age Services building, Camp Adventure counselor Alison Keil, 18, of Toledo, Ohio, said.
“We go swimming at Amberg, bowling on post and we are also doing trips to Playmobile — a large children’s playground at Amberg — and Geisilwind — a large amusement park,” said Keil, known to the children as Miss Sprite. Keil supervised children and animals marching in the pet parade on Thursday.
The parade included a bird, a rabbit and numerous dogs of different breeds including Diamond, the English bulldog, who had been dressed as a military police officer by the Anderson sisters — Jordan, 12, Taylor, 10, and Kelsey, 8 — in honor of their father, Sgt. 1st Class Mark Anderson of the 615th Military Police Company.
The girls also were keen to show off their rabbit, Hasempfeffer’s hopping ability but did not have much luck.
“When he takes a bath he hops. That’s the only time he hops,” Kelsey observed.
“We like getting the kids pumped and having a good summer keeping them active,” said Keil, who is working at Camp Adventure for the first time.
A bonus for counselors in Europe is the chance to travel to exotic destinations on weekends, she said.
“We went to Prague last weekend and hopefully we are going to Florence this weekend,” said Keil, who is studying international business at the University of Northern Iowa.
Camp Adventure’s other Grafenwöhr counselor — Krystie Daley, 20, of Davenport, Iowa — said it was her second year in the program.
“Last year I went to Okinawa. I spent the summer on a tropical island and it was really relaxed and laid back, but it was also really hot and humid. In Europe, it is more interesting. I feel like I’m experiencing more cultures,” said Daley, whose nickname is Miss Pepsi.
Camp Adventure will run for another seven weeks, the counselors said.
The Anderson sisters: Taylor, 10, Jordan, 12, and Kelsey, 8 show off their rabbit, Hasempfeffer, and English bulldog, Diamond, at a Pet Parade organized by the Grafenwöhr Library on Thursday. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
In Camp Adventure T-shirts: Counselors Krystie Daley, 20, of Davenport, Iowa, left, and Alison Keil, 18, of Toledo, Ohio, with children participating in the holiday program at Grafenwöhr, Germany, on Thursday. (Seth Robson / Stars and Stripes)
