St. Francis Camp on the Lake
- Wed, Apr 14, 2021 8:15 AM
SPRING 2021
Worthies, Greetings and Vivat Jesus!
A lot has happened at camp since our last correspondence. As you can imagine we had to close camp this past summer for the safety of our counselors and campers. Perhaps you were in the same boat if not the same storm. As we try to reboot this summer (2021) it will take time, energy and money. Thanks to people like you who have opened your hearts and your wallets I know that we will once again be creating that joy worthy of a campers smile. We have created the ultimate camping experience for campers with developmental disabilities in the Great Lakes Region, making our camp the finest facility in the State of Michigan if not the entire Midwest, truly one of a kind. And yet we are the least expensive camp program. Our cost per camper is $879 each but we only charge $560 leaving a shortfall of $319 which is subsidized by various donations including those from Knights of Columbus councils thru the MI drive.
Besides your continued financial support, we need your help.
A famous saying is “IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME”. Our campus can house 350 campers per year in our new “KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS HALL”, a 35 bed dormitory. Two years ago (2019), we served only 175 smiling faces who enjoyed a week long, fun filled, challenging activities on beautiful Goose Lake in the Irish Hills. So you can see there is plenty of room to grow. This was 75 campers short of our goal of 250.
We don’t want just your financial support, we want more campers. Statistics tell us there are between 18 and 30 deserving developmentally disabled potential campers in your council area. They just need to know about this great camp and the joy that it will bring to them if they attend. So here is the plan: find some campers who want to go, get them registered and together we will find the necessary funds to complete the deal. So please, you can be that voice, spread the word and help recruit more campers. If you can’t find any campers this year, please donate to the campership fund so that someone else has your financial support and an opportunity to go to camp.
Its people like you and me who have answered God’s call to be “Christ – like” in our everyday life, because we believing in the teachings of our patron saint, St. Francis of Assisi, who taught us that:
“IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE”
And the Knights of Columbus give unconditionally. Thank you for continuing to support St. Francis Camp on the Lake.
“Living and Playing Together in Dignity, Respect, and Love.”
Check out our website: http://www.saintfranciscamp.org/
May God Bless You & All Our Campers,
Russell E. Smith
Knights of Columbus /Liaison Director
St. Francis Camp on the Lake is a501 (c) (3) Tax Exempt # 52-0614583