By Khalida Sarwari
What happens when you outgrow your dolls but aren’t ready to completely give them up just yet? When three Los Gatos teens faced just such a dilemma, they put their thinking caps on and collectively came up with a way to enjoy their hobby in a new way while sharing their passion with other girls.
What’s more, twin sisters Madeline and Gabrielle Pollock, 14, and their friend Kate Lally, 13, made a nice chunk of change from this endeavor. Some may know the entrepreneurial trio from their YouTube channel where they demonstrate crafts and discuss their love of the perennially beloved American Girl dolls. This summer, the girls removed the screen between them and some of their audience members by hosting a doll camp in the leafy confines of Kate’s grandmother’s back yard on Via Colina in Saratoga. About 10 girls from Saratoga and Los Gatos ages 5 to 9 participated in the three-day camp. It was so successful that the girls have agreed to offer additional sessions in the future.
The Pollock sisters, both incoming freshmen at Los Gatos High School, and their friend Kate, an eighth-grader at St. Mary’s School in Los Gatos, came up with the idea last summer and started planning right away.
“We have loved our American Dolls since we were 4 years old,” said Madeline. “We have always loved making clothing and miniature foods for our dolls. We had always wanted to go to a doll camp, but our moms never found one.”
As such, the girls were relegated to playing among themselves. The dolls became their constant companions, by their side on every trip and at every tea party. They even made accessories, clothes and food for their dolls.
“We were always creative with our dolls; we’d have holiday parties, just the three of us,” Madeline said.
Last summer, the girls began brainstorming ideas for a camp focused on crafts and then created a website and advertised to get the word out. Their labor eventually resulted in the creation of the AG Sisters Summer Camp held this summer from July 29 to 31.
Between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day, campers dabbled in various crafts and activities centered around a specific theme; one day they did “garden day,” while another day they focused on baking. On the final day, they held a tea party where they served and ate the food they had made. Madeline, Gabrielle and Kate served as the camp leaders and took on the responsibility of setting up, giving instructions and cleaning up at the end of the day.
They charged $110 and donated 30 percent of their proceeds to three charities: the Sunbeam Foundation, Make-A-Wish Foundation and Humane Society Silicon Valley.
After paying back their parents for the supplies they purchased for the camp, the girls stored away the remainder of the cash for next year’s camp expenses.
In the meantime, they’ve taken up a new venture where they’re offering to host American Girl-themed home parties for girls ages 5 and up. Similar to the camp, the parties are centered on crafts and activities; packages start at $150.
Madeline said the camp taught her the value of teamwork and responsibility, while Gabrielle and Kate learned that the camp offered girls a way to make friends through a shared passion.
“The dolls brought the girls together,” Gabrielle said. “It’s something that they all have in common and can connect with.”
To learn more about the American Girl doll camps or parties, visitagsisters11.wix.com/agsummercamp.
