WINSTED, Conn. — Five years ago, Skye McKinnon, 12, lost her father to addiction. This summer, for the first time, she left her home in Lanesborough to join other kids like her for a five-day camp.

“I felt nervous for going to a new camp so far away, and also excited,” she said.

Once she began her journey to Camp Happy Place, however, some of that worry faded away.

“I made some friends on the bus, and I just felt like I belonged there,” Skye said.

Five years ago, Skye McKinnon, 12, lost her father to addiction. This summer, for the first time, she left her home in Lanesborough to join other kids like her for a five-day camp.

On June 19, 20 campers aged 9 to 12 bused down to Greenwood Trails campground in northern Connecticut for five days of rock climbing, swimming, arts and crafts and drum circles. This year, the camp’s second season ran for an additional day and night, and included six new campers who lost a parent or guardian to addiction, said Gayle Saks, founder and director of Camp Happy Place.

Campers enjoyed ropes courses and rock climbing.

Saks, of Pittsfield, recalled a moment during a nightly gratitude circle.

“Everyone was acting up, and one of the kids said, ‘We’re all here for the same reason, we all lost somebody, so why can't we all just get along with each other?’” Saks said. “And that was beautiful to hear.”

Saks, who has worked as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor for more than 10 years, first experienced the lasting trauma of addiction while volunteering in a Boston-area prison. After she lost a close friend to drug abuse, she decided to commit herself to the field of addiction treatment.

Gayle Saks, founder and director of Camp Happy Place, has worked as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor for more than 10 years.

While Saks and many of her staff and volunteers have experience counseling both children and adults, their goal for Camp Happy Place is not to offer therapy, but to provide a joyful space.

Jessi Caritey, a licensed substance counselor, met Saks when they shared an office at the McGee Recovery Center in Pittsfield. Caritey has struggled with her own addiction, and is in long-term recovery. She is on the camp’s board of directors and spent time there last week.

“One of the campers said, which melted my heart, ‘I was really grateful that I was just able to be myself today,’” Caritey said. “I think it's important for them to know that there are other kids who have gone through similar things and that they can come together and support each other.”

The Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership, a state fund dedicated to supporting community-led initiatives addressing the opioid crisis, awarded the camp a three-year grant providing $23,000 annually for operating expenses through this year. The camp has also received donations from Pittsfield and Berkshire organizations, such as Spectrum Health Systems and several civic clubs. Saks is hoping to find additional money to help fund next year’s camp.

Camp Happy Place campers playing soccer.

Jim Yeaman, guardian of a 12-year-old girl from Pittsfield, said that she enjoyed her time so much that she wants to return even as she nears the age cutoff.

On June 19, 20 campers aged 9 to 12 bused down to Greenwood Trails campground in northern Connecticut for five days of rock climbing, swimming, arts and crafts and drum circles.

“She’s going to continue to go and be a mentor,” Yeaman said. “She can help out the kids, be a support system, someone with experience to relate to.”

At camp, the ropes course was the standout event to Skye.

Would she return to Camp Happy Place if given the chance?

“Definitely,” she said.