CEO Jim Everett on YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening

In case you haven't read it on the Treasure Valley Family YMCA website, here is our CEO Jim Everett's blog post on the YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening:

Saturday, June 12, 2010 was one of the finest days in the wonderful 119-year history of this YMCA. The magic and the spirit of camp were with us. Carolyn Holly of KTVB served as the emcee for the event and remembered fondly her days at camp. More than 700 friends of the Y assembled on a glorious and cloudless day to celebrate the opening of our magnificent new Y camp that will serve kids for generations to come.

After recent weeks of record rains, several years of the toughest economic conditions most of us have ever experienced, and just more than seven years since the Wilcombs acquired the first 142 acres of what has now grown to more than 400 acres for Y Camp, the sun came out to help us celebrate this wonderful occasion. We were in awe of the beauty which surrounded us.

As we all gathered, we shared a feeling of gratitude for the generosity of so many who have made this camp dream a reality with gifts and pledges of nearly $18 million. There was a closeness and fellowship in knowing that everyone in attendance was there because they believe in kids and they believe in the power of a Y camp experience. However, if there were still any non camp believers in the crowd, they became believers after two bald eagles did a fly-by right in the middle of the ceremony.

We celebrated the day by taking a flame from the former Y Camp’s campfire at Payette Lake and taking it by boat, canoe, horse, bike and foot to our new camp. The flame was handed off from the canoe to Barbara Emery, whose husband Vern was the Y Director and former Y Camp Director. She handed it to our oldest Boise camper, 89-year-old Jim Bruce. Jim handed it to Honorary (the hardest working Honorary any of us will ever meet) Campaign Chair, former camper under Vern Emery and largest donor ever to our YMCA, John Fery, who lit our campfire to officially open camp and carry forward the connection and traditions from the old camp, which was sold 42 years ago.   

Thanks to the volunteer group who planned the day, which was led by Kristen De Angeli, Tod McKay and Rich Binsacca, and to staff Laura Mahan and Kim Peel who led from the staff side.   

If you have not seen the new camp, you owe it to yourself to see it. Words and photos don’t do it justice. Laura Mahan, our Youth Branch Executive, Tim Wilcomb, the contractor, Cheryl Pearce and Andy Erstad, the architects, Don Belts, the landscape architect, and Betsy Roberts, the engineer, did an incredible job in designing and building this world class year-round camp. The summer season is almost full, with more than triple the numbers of kids in recent summers in the few weeks we were able to offer camp. The fall, winter and spring months will fill up fast with school groups, family camps and retreats.

Some people ask us, so why camp? Personally, I don’t know of another setting that can so deeply change a life for the better and in a lasting way. For many, it is a first time away from home. For too many, it is their first time in nature.  Even sadder, for a surprising number, it is the first time they have felt unconditional love, have had a chance to dream of possibilities and to make lasting friends.

KTVB recently sponsored an essay contest for kids who want to go to camp. A1 Plumbing, Johnny on the Spot Disaster Cleanup and KTVB sponsored kids to go to camp. Here are a few excerpts from letters we received:

“I just want to be a kid again. My mom is living with breast cancer … it feels like I have had to grow up way too early,” writes 12-year-old Hannah.

Nine year old Seth says, “I have never been camping in my whole life. I lived with my Grandma since I was four because my mom gave me and my sister up for drugs … Please help my dream come true and send me to camp.”   

We are sending seven of the essay writers to Y camp and will work to find spots for the other 50 kids that wrote essays. This is part of the reason we have Y camp.

If you would like to sponsor a kid to camp for a week, please let us know. It is $350 for members, $450 for non-members for a week that includes transportation from Boise and back and promises to be the experience of a lifetime. To see pictures of the Y Camp Grand Opening event and Torch Relay, please click here.

Thanks to all who have supported this dream. Special thanks to John and Dee Fery and Tim and Mary Wilcomb, who have led this effort with such commitment, vision and inspiration.    

We will be working to raise money to build the main lodge, but in the meantime, we have a great camp to serve us well.