Jonathan Baldwin and Sarah Hodgdon’s love story began one very hot day in July of 1996. It could have been fate; it could have been timing; or it could have been Neal Verge’s idea to get them together. On that day, Neal walked Jonathan down to the lakefront at Camp Knickerbocker where Sarah was lifeguarding. He really hoped for a romantic spark that day, but, while Sarah and Joh became friends, Neal had to wait six years before they became a couple. “Neal never gave up hope,” says Sarah. “At our wedding in 2004, he said that he always had a plan for the two of us.”

Camp Knickerbocker, known as Camp K, is a 65-acre property nestled on the shores of the Knickerbocker Lakes. Established in 1985, it is a full-service day camp that serves over 675 children each summer. Camp K also provides leadership opportunities for young adults as camp CITs (counselors in training) and counselors. In 2002 the Baldwin Adventure Center connected to Camp K was created and named after Johnathan’s father, John Maddocks Baldwin, a long-time supporter of the Y. The Baldwin Center provides adventure-based programming with a complete adventure challenge course.

Sarah Hodgdon was brought up on Southport Island later on Barters Island. She started out working as a 13-year old counselor-in-training at Camp K. “My mother worked and I needed a place to go for the day.” Camp K’s founder and Camp Director for 24 years, Neal Verge, remembers that day well. He said, “I’ve known Sarah her whole life and it has been a joy to watch her grow from camp counselor to lifeguard to waterfront director over the years. She is a special young lady.” Sarah has always been a mentor and a teacher in her career. She currently serves as an Ed Tech at the Boothbay Regional Elementary School.

Jonathan Baldwin’s family has a long history in the region. Both sides of Jon’s family have summered in the area since the 1930’s and his grandmother Baldwin is from Boothbay. After the briefest stint at Mario’s pizza, Jon was a lifeguard at Camp K during the summers from 1994 to 1996. Jon’s true passion, though, was flying. He earned his pilot’s license in 1993 when he was seventeen and then graduated from Franklin and Marshall College in 1999, with a degree in history. Jon went on to serve as a pilot at Commutair, a regional airline for United, for 21 years. He now flies for JetBlue Airways out of Boston Logan International airport.

Sarah and Jon have a son, Neal, who is named after one of Sarah’s grandfathers and the man who brought them together. Born in 2007, Neal is a strapping 6’2 and already towers over his parents. Sarah says, “Neal grew up at the Y. He attended the Early Childhood Education Center starting when he was six months old. Now, he swims, plays tennis and soccer, and likes to hang out with his friends there.”

Working and playing together as a team is how the Baldwin family operates. This year all three of them are co-chairing the Camp K Fund, an initiative that raises funds to provide scholarships for children to attend Camp K. Last year, the Camp K Fund met 100% of the projected need, and over 60% of campers received financial assistance.

Sarah says, “We really feel that the Y is the heart of the community. We are so pleased to be able to participate together in an effort that serves so many people in our region. Since both of our families have

been involved in Camp K and the Baldwin Center for so many years, we believe strongly in helping provide the experience that Camp K offers to others.”

Neal Verge may have had a sixth-sense that Sarah and Jon were destined to be together. It seems prophetic that the couple’s lives have circled back to their roots at Camp K. Their relationship continues to thrive as they serve their community and help to provide Camp K experiences and lifelong memories for others. What a match!

If you would like to join the Baldwin family and support scholarships for Camp K this summer, please go on-line at https://boothbayregionymca.org/camp-knickerbocker/boothbaycampkfund.html