Northern Indiana YMCA camp struggling to keep doors open, online fundraiser launched
NORTH WEBSTER, Ind. (WISH) — The COVID-19 pandemic has forced Camp Crosley organizers to make some tough decisions, like the future of summer camp.
The camp’s goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of the year. They have seen a 70% reduction in revenue and have had to lay off half of the full-time staff. But former campers are stepping up to help.
Madi Meguschar Butts has spent 16 years as a former camper and counselor. She remembers skits, challenges, bonfires and time on Lake Tippecanoe. The camp has been around for more than 100 years. They were able to get $750,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funds.
The camp could only have five weeks of summer camp, instead of the normal 10-week program. Plus, they had a reduced number of campers each week.
Former campers say it’s the friendships and experiences of the past that makes them want to help spread the word.
“It’s a really hard time to ask people to give and I know that there are a lot of other causes and things that are close to people’s hearts, but I think that so many people send their kids to camp each summer and if it’s something that you love and you want to keep it going,” Meguschar Butts said. “I know a lot of people feel connected to it and have gotten a lot out of it from their childhood years.”
From now until next summer, the camp normally hosts 10,000 people for retreats and weekend camps. As of now, only 1,000 people are scheduled.
You can donate by clicking here. The funds will go towards the overall operations of the camp.