Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation Supports New Gathering Space at Camp Otter
For the 280 children attending summer camp each week at Camp Otter on Captain’s Pond, the brand-new pavilion where they eat lunch, gather with their counselors, and do crafts and activities is just a typical part of their day.
But for the Merrimack Valley YMCA, the new timber-frame pavilion completes a long-term goal to upgrade and improve the camper experience. The new pavilion, constructed in June 2025, was made possible thanks to a generous gift of $100,000 from the Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation.
The previous pavilion structure was part of the camp property when the Y purchased the site in 1957 and created Camp Otter, a co-ed day camp serving youth ages 6 to 13 years old. It had exceeded its lifespan.
“The pavilion is a central gathering place at Camp Otter,” said Merrimack Valley YMCA President and CEO Francis J. Kenneally III, whose long career at the Y includes time as Camp Otter program director. “Thanks to the investment by Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation we have built a safe, permanent structure that will be well-used during our camp weeks and other programming at Camp Otter. We are so fortunate to have partners like Pentucket Bank that make meaningful, lasting investments in the community.”
Pentucket Bank and the Merrimack Valley YMCA celebrated the new Pentucket Bank Pavilion at Camp Otter with ribbon cutting event on Tuesday, July 29.
“We are proud to support the Merrimack Valley YMCA and its incredible work in our region, particularly through Camp Otter, which provides a safe, joyful, and enriching summer experience where kids can truly be kids,” said Steve Jaskelevicus, President and CEO of Pentucket Bank and President of the Pentucket Bank Charitable Foundation. “The new Pentucket Bank Pavilion at Camp Otter stands as a lasting symbol of our commitment to the YMCA and to the families and children it serves. Through the Foundation, we’re honored to invest in meaningful partnerships that strengthen our community for generations to come.”
Nearly 800 children will attend Camp Otter for summer 2025. Camp Otter has a staff of 51 as well as 17 counselors-in-training, a program that provides leadership development for teens ages 14-16. Along with Camp Otter, the Y’s two overnight camps on Lake Winnipesaukee serve more than 1,000 youth this summer.
The Merrimack Valley YMCA aims to make the camp experience available to all youth. This year, the Y awarded $215,000 in scholarships and financial aid for campers to attend Camp Otter and overnight Camp Lawrence and Camp Nokomis. Money for scholarships is raised through annual giving and the Y’s charity golf tournament, which is on August 11 at Indian Ridge Country Club.
