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Media Contact:
Stephanie Slater
Palm Beach Post - Staff Writer
561-279-3468
stephanie_slater@pbpost.com
Mother
of Two Shares Adventures By Matching Kids with Camps
Delray Beach, FL, March 12, 2003 - Looking to give your
child the opportunity of a lifetime this summer? Lisa Mullen's
got the inside scoop on the best in travel adventures, wilderness
expeditions and sleep-away camps.
Mullen
is a consultant for Tips on Trips and Camps, a 32-year-old free
referral service that has reviewed more than 500 programs worldwide
and personally matches each child with the ideal camp. Consultants
visit all of the camps they endorse, speak with the directors,
observe games and activities and ask the campers about their
experiences.
"We're
like a travel agency for families looking for overnight options
for children 7-18 years old," she said. "The programs
do tend to be expensive, $750 to $1,000 a week, but you can't
beat the spirit and camaraderie of a summer away from home."
Mullen
knows the Washington, D.C.-based service is effective -- her
parents used it 26 years ago to choose the eight-week sleep
away camp she attended for four years.
A
graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in political
science, Mullen began her career as a teacher and summer programs
director at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. It
was there that she developed three sleep-away programs -- a
general camp, a women's leadership camp and an adventure sports
camp.
Then
Mullen, who was assisting Tips on Trips and Camps part time,
took a trip to Delray Beach and met her husband, Rich, at Boston's
on the Beach. The two dated long distance for four years --
never living in the same city until they got married. Of course
they chose to move to Delray, where Rich works as a project
manager for Levitt Homes in Boca Raton. They are the proud parents
of daughter, Taylor, 3, and son, Tucker, 1.
"Every
summer I pack up the family and leave Delray for six weeks to
run the adventure sports camp in western Maryland," said
Mullen, who recruits most of her staff from local high schools
and colleges. "Taking care of 55 kids, plus my own, is
a challenge, but I love it."
During
the year, Mullen manages Tips on Trips and Camps' Web site,
which she also created, and runs the company for the Florida
market. With thousands of options from backpacking in Tibet
to surfing in Australia to camping cross country, parents can
become overwhelmed and worry about making the right choice for
their children.
Parents
first need to figure out how much money they want to spend per
week and the location of the program, Mullen said. Is the child
willing to go camping? Do they want a single-sex or coed camp?
Are they competitive in sports, or would they prefer a performing
arts program?
"There
is so much out there," she said. "It's important to
find what's right for your child."
A
self-proclaimed multi-tasker, Mullen said camping will always
be a part of her life. So will sailboat racing with her father,
Larry Bulman. Mullen's the pit person on the Farr 49 named Javelin
and is in charge of putting the sail up and down when rounding
a mark or at the beginning of the race, as well as preparing
the boat and operating the radio. The father-daughter team,
including their crew of 12, recently competed in the Terra Nova
Trading Key West 2003.
"I've
been racing my entire life -- except, of course, when I was
pregnant," she said. "It's an adventure."
For
information about Tips on Trips and Camps, call Lisa at 279-1333
or visit log onto www.TipsonTripsandCamps.com
What
do you like to do on rainy days? "Snuggle in bed, watch
TV and hang out with my kids."
What's
the best advice you've ever received? "Never go to bed
angry."
Have
an interesting neighbor you want the community to know about?
Call Stephanie Slater at 279-3468.
stephanie_slater@pbpost.com
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