Berkshire Country Day School Holds Grade 8 Awards Ceremony

• Abbey Boyd, Gail Heady Citizenship Award
• Anje Capala, Anna Zaffanella French Prize
• Halle Davies, Marilyn Orner Cromwell Art Prize
• Symaira Elliott, a Steffi Fletcher Creative Writing Prize
• Esme Lazar, Eighth-Grade Science Prize
• Clara Mollerus, Excellence in History Prize, Ned Douglas Mathematics Prize, and Eighth Grade Spanish prize
• Keely O'Gorman, Viv Murray Caputo Vocal Music Prize and a Steffi Fletcher Creative Writing Prize
• Chase Vermeulen, Marcia V. Jones Latin Prize

• Sam Creelan, East Chatham, N.Y., a Eugénie D. Fawcett Classics Prize
• Gus Geremia, Great Barrington, a Seventh Grade English Prize
• Miles Goldfarb, Hudson, N.Y., Virginia I. Peterson Citizenship Award
• Rafi Karpowitz, Hudson, U.S. History Prize, a Eugénie D. Fawcett Classics Prize, and Seventh-Grade Growth in French Prize
• Eli Mamousette, Craryville, N.Y., Theater Ensemble Prize and a Nancy Cowhig Growth in Mathematics Prize
• Esme Mamousette, Craryville, a Nancy Cowhig Growth in Mathematics Prize
• Lilah O'Neil, Stockbridge, Seventh-Grade Growth in Spanish Prize
• Petra Orloff, Ghent, N.Y., Seventh Grade Science Prize
• Samantha Seeley, Richmond, a Seventh-Grade English Prize

New Camp Is Safe Place for Children Suffering Loss to Addiction

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
06:26AM / Saturday, December 27, 2025

Last year's Happy Campers courtesy of Max Tabakin.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A new camp is offering a safe place for children who have lost a parent or guardian to addiction. 

 

Director Gayle Saks founded the nonprofit "Camp Happy Place" last year. The first camp was held in June with 14 children.

 

Saks is a licensed drug and alcohol counselor who works at the Brien Center. One of her final projects when studying was how to involve youth, and a camp came to mind. Camp had been her "happy place" growing up, and it became her dream to open her own.

 

"I keep a bucket list in my wallet, and it's right on here on this list, and I cross off things that I've accomplished," she said. "But it is the one thing on here that I knew I had to do."

 

The overnight co-ed camp is held at a summer camp in Winsted, Conn., where Saks spent her summers as a child. It is four nights and five days and completely free. Transportation is included as are many of the items needed for camping. The camp takes up to 30 children.

 

"I really don't think there's any place that exists specifically for this population. I think it's important to know, we've said this, but that it is not a therapeutic camp," Saks said.

 

She said the focus is on fun for the children, though they are able to talk to any of the volunteer and trained staff. The staff all have experience in social work, addiction and counseling, and working with children.