Report from Horsethief: "Crazy storms and evening rains have not dampened our spirits"

Treasure Valley Family YMCA Camp and Leadership Development Director Bob Sellinger checked in with a quick update on the happenings at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir. Here's what he had to say:

The crazy storms and evening rains have not dampened our spirits, and camp is rolling along smoothly.

Campers started activities today like rocketry, Crazy Creations, archery, swimming and more.  We got the water trampoline set up and ready to go this evening, so watch for some shots of that fun activity!

Our rangers are working hard and having fun. Today they built two new canoe racks that campers and staff will be using for years to come.

Still time to enter Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening photo contest!

The Treasure Valley Family YMCA is holding a photo contest for the YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening and Family Day, and there's still plenty of time to enter!

If you were there at the Grand Opening on June 12 and have some great shots, you should enter the contest for a chance to have your photo featured on a commemorative Grand Opening poster! Other prizes will be announced shortly.

Amateurs and professionals are welcome to enter. The deadline to enter is July 10 (don't worry — we'll remind you again before the 10th). For full details on the contest, click HERE.

"The next summer, I was dying to return"

Happy Monday from YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir! Here's a story for your reading pleasure from our counselor Ryan:

For as long as I could remember, my mom had told my brothers and me about the fun she had had at overnight camps, and all of us looked eagerly toward that summer when we turned 10 and got our chance to go to camp, too.

When I was in kindergarten and first grade, I spent several afternoons every week with my cousins, who happened to be members of the Y. Soon after, my family became Y members as well, and thus it was decided that Y Camp would be where we went when we finally turned 10 and got to go to camp.

That first year was fun. I attended camp with one of my good friends from school and had a good time with him but, not being a very outgoing person at the time, I didn't really branch out and I had no trouble making the decision the following year to skip resident camp and go to horse camp instead.

The next summer, I got deeply involved with sports and, as a result, did not return to camp. (But) in the summer after my ninth grade year, I became an LIT and attended Adventure Camp. That was the summer I decided that I wanted to become a counselor. As the oldest LIT (I was 15), I was looked up to by the others and had a role as leader to them.

The next summer, I was dying to return and, in spite of my football coaches' hopes, spent a week at Ranger Camp (where I was second oldest) and a week as a CIT (where I was again oldest in my group). At Ranger Camp, I was again a sort of unofficial counselor and loved the extra bits of responsibility I picked up here and there. As a counselor, I look back and realize that, as far as trials by fire go, I'm glad mine was at a Y Camp.

"Close friends and memories that I still hold dear"

YMCA Camp counselor Ben started out like so many of our staff, a youth camper. Ben admits he was a reluctant camper his first year, but he quickly warmed to the unique Y Camp experience and started on his journey to counselor. Here's an excerpt from his story:

The camp was nothing like I imagined; it was filled with activities, bonding and loads of fun. In fact, I had so much fun that I came home and my voice was so hoarse from all the yelling I had done.

In 2004, I went to Teen Camp for the first time, and it was double the fun of Youth Camp. The campers were older, and it seemed as if the camp games were more competitive, too. To this day, however, the Teen Camp Dance is the most fun thing I do every year, and is always something to look forward to.

There is also an activity called Cross the Line, a very powerful activity that breaks all judgment and brings people together. I cried the first time because of how powerful and full of emotion it was.

Two years of CIT and Teen Camp also challenged me as an individual. I learned many lessons from my counselors and took heed of their wisdom. Teen camp also brought me many close friends and memories that I still hold dear to this day.

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.

"I will always carry camp with me"

Most kids, before they've had the experience for themselves, have an idea in mind for what summer camp should be.

This was the case with one of our leaders, Amy, who tried a week at YMCA Camp after a disappointing summer camp experience elsewhere. Here's an excerpt from her story:

My older sister had gone to a YMCA Camp up in McCall. She came back with dozens of pictures and overflowing with good stories to tell.

"Can I go to YMCA Camp?" I asked, curious as to what made this camp so great. My mom smiled at me. I knew she loved the idea of Chelsea and I being together. I always loved the idea of summer camp — you know, like the kind you see in the movies. But I had not been too pleased with my camp experience thus far. I was hoping this YMCA Camp would be different.

This is now my sixth year at Y Camp. We have a new location. I am now surrounded by new staff members. I am no longer a camper. Now an LIT leader, I have the opportunity to show teens how to become a leader. I now know who I am, I know what I want to do with my life, and I know that even if I never come back to this place, I will always carry camp with me. Camp is a part of me and I will never let it go.

Enter our Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening Photo Contest!

The Treasure Valley Family YMCA is holding a photo contest for the YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening and Family Day, and you're invited to enter!

If you were there at the Grand Opening on June 12 and have some great shots, you should enter the contest for a chance to have your photo featured on a commemorative Grand Opening poster! Other prizes will be announced shortly.

Amateurs and professionals are welcome to enter. For full details on the contest, click HERE.

"The most perfect summer job I could ask for"

While most kids looking for a summer job are just looking to make money, it's evident that our counselors at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir are there for much more.

Katie started along her road to camp counselor as a curious Leader-In-Training attending Y Camp for the first time. From the start, she was sold on the Y Camp experience, recognizing the positive impact on our campers, our staff and herself. Here's a snippet from her Y Camp story:

Now as I am preparing for my first year as senior staff, I can hardly believe I have finally grown up enough to be a counselor all summer in the most rustic setting yet, with a paycheck — although any of my fellow counselors or anyone on the street could look at my check and know it's not the reason I chose to come to camp as a counselor.

We have 18-hour days, are subject to being woken up at any hour of the night, and have to constantly be on our best behavior knowing campers are always watching and learning from our actions.

All that may sound like torture to some people, but to me it describes the most perfect summer job I could ask for. I say this because making a positive impact on a camper's life is not only fun, but the most satisfying experience I have ever had.

Updates from camp start next week!

Next week, our first group of campers will be welcomed to YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir, as resident camp for this historic grand opening year officially gets underway!

The Y Camp staff has spent the past week training and preparing for what will be a memorable year, and once campers are on the grounds and the fun has begun, you'll be able to read regular updates direct from camp right here on our YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir blog!

Whether you're a parent, former camper or curious kid still thinking about coming to Horsethief Reservoir this summer or in the years to come, our updates will give you a glimpse of what's going on at camp. Stay tuned!

View photos from the Grand Opening Torch Relay!

As more and more photos trickle in from Saturday's YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening, we are going to share them with you!

The latest batch, available for viewing on the Treasure Valley Family YMCA website, is of the Torch Relay — a 50-mile trek from the YMCA's first camp property to light a campfire at Horsethief Reservoir.

View the photos HERE.

If you attended the Grand Opening and have photos to share, we would love to see them! Contact us HERE.

Carolyn Holly: "The new YMCA camp is awesome"

KTVB Channel 7's Carolyn Holly got to see the new YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir during Saturday's Grand Opening and had one word for it: AWESOME!

Read Carolyn's full article and view some photos HERE.

YMCA Camp KTVB scholarship essay contest winners announced!

The winners in KTVB Channel 7's YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Scholarship Essay Contest have been announced!

The seven winners are: Aslen Whitmore, Lillie Atkison, Hannah Whited, Christian Fuentes, Seth Canter, Jaime Schneider and Landan Hooker.

Congratulations, kids — enjoy your free week at Horsethief Reservoir! Read more about the essay contest HERE.

View a photo gallery from Saturday's Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening!

If you missed Saturday's YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening or just want to revisit it, KTVB Channel 7 has a recap article and photo gallery available for viewing HERE.

Thank you to everyone who helped make it a wonderful event! We will be posting more photos and videos as they come in.

YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir Grand Opening is tomorrow!

1 DAY UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

After years of planning, hard work and dedication, YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir officially opens tomorrow!

With the big day just one more night of (much needed) rest away, the Treasure Valley Family YMCA wants to say THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who played a role in making this dream come true.

Whether you're a donor, sponsor, committee member, volunteer, journalist, politician, camper, Y staffer or anyone else who had a hand in making Horsethief Reservoir happen, we are deeply grateful. See you tomorrow!

Historic torch relay to kick off YMCA CAMP: HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR Grand Opening

2 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

What do a local camera shop owner, a philanthropist, a governor’s daughter, a freelance writer and a human resources professional have in common?
 
Each has a personal connection to the Treasure Valley Family YMCA’s 70-year camping history in Idaho and will play a significant role in launching the next century of that legacy as the Y celebrates the grand opening of its new camp at Horsethief Reservoir on Saturday, June 12.
 
Beginning in the early morning on Saturday, the first of 10 “keepers of the flame” will embark on a 50-mile trek from the shores of Payette Lake in McCall to the Waterfront at Horsethief Reservoir, passing a sealed lantern lit from a campfire at the YMCA’s first camp property to light another campfire at its brand-new location at Horsethief.
 
“The campfire is an enduring symbol of the YMCA’s camping experience,” says Laura Mahan, YMCA Youth Development Branch Director. “Using a campfire flame to connect our original camp property with our new one, and especially considering the people involved who will carry that flame, enables that symbol to endure for future generations of campers.”
 
Relay participants will use several modes of transportation to pass the “torch” on its journey to Horsethief Reservoir, including a canoe from Ponderosa to Pilgrim Cove (another former Y-Camp location in McCall), a ski boat from Pilgrim Cove to the historic Shore Lodge Resort, and a 1958 Cessna 182 airplane that will transport the lantern from McCall to Cascade to continue its route.
 
Though the flame will have to be doused for that leg of the relay, per Federal Aviation Administration rules, a “backup” lantern lit from the same campfire will be used to relight the torch once it lands in Cascade.
 
Other modes include a bicycle (from Shore Lodge to the McCall Airport), horses, the old YMCA Camp truck, and a trio of runners that will carry the torch down the 3-mile Horsethief Cutoff and into Camp.
 
At that point, the flame will be transferred to another “keeper” in canoe, paddled to the Camp’s waterfront dock, and carried by the second-oldest living YMCA camper, Barbara Emery, to a campfire waiting on the beach. John Fery, the former CEO of Boise Cascade and a major contributor and champion of the new Y-Camp property, will use the flame to light a campfire on the waterfront beach and begin the Grand Opening ceremonies.
 
“I can’t think of a better way to kick off the Grand Opening,” says Jim Everett, CEO of the Treasure Valley Family YMCA. “The people involved have a special connection to the YMCA and our camping program, which highlights the impact camp has on the lives of our youth and community.”

The new YMCA Camp at Horsethief Reservoir - continuing the YMCA's tradition of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. Visit ycampidaho.org for full description, resident camp schedule, registration information and more.

John B. Fery: Philanthropist, grandson of historic painter

3 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

If you know the story behind YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir, then you know the name John B. Fery. But what you may not know is that Mr. Fery is the grandson of the historic painter John Fery.

After appearing at Saturday's grand opening of Horsethief Reservoir, Mr. Fery — who chaired the campaign to raise $22 million to build the first YMCA Camp west of the Mississippi in more than 60 years — will head to Montana for the opening reception of John Fery: Artist of the Rockies June 17 at Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana.

The exhibit is part of the museum's celebration of Glacier National Park's centennial year. Mr. Fery's grandfather studied in Europe under Peter Jansen at the Dusseldorf Academy in Germany. His first experience with America was bringing European nobility on hunting trips through the Northwest between 1892 and 1893, when he painted the landscape of the American West.

Fery made an important contribution in the creation of Glacier National Park through his work.   He was commissioned by the Great Northern Railroad to paint the scenery along its route and in Glacier National Park in order to attract people to the area. The Hockaday is presenting this collection of historic paintings in cooperation with the Fery family, BNSF Railway and private collectors.

John B. Fery will speak about his grandfather at the opening reception on June 17. For more information on the reception and exhibit, click HERE.

Need a Father's Day gift idea? Family Camp at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir!

4 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Dad deserves more than a golf shirt. This Father's Day, give him a gift he'll treasure forever from the Treasure Valley Family YMCA!

The YMCA knows a little bit about treating Dad right on his special day. Father's Day was founded by Sonora Louis Smart Dodd, the daughter of a single father who served in the Civil War. On Mother's Day in 1909, Smart Dodd heard a sermon honoring mothers and wondered why there was no similar tribute for fathers. With the support of ministers in Spokane, Smart Dodd launched the first Father's Day celebration at the Spokane, Wash., YMCA on June 19, 1910.

Today, the Y remains committed to strengthening families, and the Treasure Valley Family YMCA offers programs that foster understanding and companionship between children and their dads (and moms).

One of those programs is Family Camp at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir. That's right, our historic Grand Opening year isn't just for kids — the entire family can get away from the hectic schedules of everyday life to relax and reconnect.

Enjoy brand new cabin and yurt housing (or tent camping if that's more your style), plus access to Horsethief's multi-purpose lodge, beautiful pavilion, waterfront area, climbing tower, basketball court, archery range and miles of hiking and biking trails. For more information, visit ycampidaho.org.

Today is the last day to enter KTVB's Scholarship Essay Contest for a chance at a free week of camp!

5 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Have you written your essay yet? If not, today is the last day to enter for a chance to win a free week of summer camp!

 

Seven deserving kids age 7-17 will win a scholarship for a week at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir through KTVB Channel 7's Scholarship Essay Contest! The deadline is 5 p.m. TODAY!

To enter, write an essay 150 words or less on why you are deserving of one of the seven scholarships! Click HERE to enter and for more information. Good luck!

Resident camp spots are filling up, but there's still time to register!

8 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Wow! We're counting down the days until the grand opening of YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir, and the excitement continues to build as more and more campers register for this historic summer.

While we may be coming down the home stretch to the grand opening, do know that we are still taking reservations for resident camp. Several sessions have already been filled and others are getting close, so don't delay!

Register today HERE!

FULL AND NEARLY FULL SESSIONS:

• Male Youth: All sessions except August 16-21 are full (only 14 spots are left for August 16-21)

• Female Youth: July 19-24, August 2-7 and August 9-14 are full; only 2 spots are left for July 12-17

• Teen Adventure Series: 

Amazing Race, both sessions full

Survivor, both sessions full

Choose Your Adventure, 3 spots left for Aug 16-21

Climb On, 4 spots left for June 28-July 3

Fishing Frenzy, 4 spots left for July 12-17

• Male Counselor-in-Training: July 12-24 is full; one space left for June 21-July 3

• Female Counselor-in-Training: one space left for July 12-24

• Rangers: June 28-July 3, July 12-17, July 19-24 and August 2-7 are all nearly full

Deadline to enter KTVB Scholarship Essay Contest is approaching!

9 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Seven deserving kids age 7-17 will win a scholarship for a week at YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir through KTVB Channel 7's Scholarship Essay Contest! Have you or your child entered yet? If not, better hurry, because the deadline is 5 p.m. Monday, June 7!

To enter, write an essay 150 words or less on why you are deserving of one of the seven scholarships! Click HERE to enter and for more information. Good luck!

YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir in the news!

10 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Check out this great clip on YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir's CIT camp that recently aired on KPVI News 6 in Pocatello! (Read the article HERE.)

Partnerships, generosity and vision make new YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir a reality

11 DAYS UNTIL HORSETHIEF RESERVOIR GRAND OPENING!

Five years ago, many people thought the Treasure Valley Family YMCA's dream to raise $22 million and build a state-of-the-art, environmentally-friendly camp at Horsethief Reservoir was just that - a dream. Turns out that YMCA Camp is the stuff dreams are made of, and on June 12, YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir will welcome the first generation of campers to the new site.
 
"Building this camp has been a dream come true," said Laura Mahan, YMCA Youth Development Branch Director. "Y-Camp has a life-long impact on children's lives - the things they learn and experience here travel with them as they grow and many of them come back and say, 'I would not be who I am today without Y-Camp.' It truly is the greatest gift we can give our children."
 
Those life-lessons and experiences are what have brought so many people, organizations and agencies together to build YMCA Camp: Horsethief Reservoir - the first YMCA camp built west of the Mississippi in more than 60 years.
 
"The list of donors and supporters is lengthy - ranging from gifts of $1 to $2.25 million - and the stories behind those gifts are an integral part of the history and legacy of this camp," said Mahan.
 
Some of the highlights include:

- Twelve years ago, Greg Huff (former Assistant YMCA Youth and Camp Director) moved away and has not been back to Boise since. Despite this, Greg and his wife have sent $500 twice a year to benefit the Y's camp program, to date totaling $13,000.

- Warren McCain, former Chairman and CEO of Albertsons, had fond memories of camp as a child, and he and his wife, Bernie, made a generous contribution prior to Warren's passing.

- The Idaho Department of Fish & Game, owners of the reservoir, partnered with the YMCA to ensure the camp had safe drinking water.

- The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality played a key role in protection of the watershed found on camp property.

- Lemley International - a worldwide construction company with offices in Boise - donated in-kind project management services in order to keep the project on schedule.

- J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation contributed $1.41 million to provide kids with the YMCA Camp experience.

- John and Dee Fery have provided leadership and dedication to the fundraising effort, and have contributed the largest gift ever given to the Treasure Valley Family YMCA - $2.25 million.

- The Wilcomb Family, along with their family business Jordan-Wilcomb Construction, have contributed more than $700,000 and have tirelessly led the charge to share the camp story and their passion for YMCA camp with countless individuals.

- A former camper, who wishes to remain anonymous and is the mother of two young kids, contributed $25,000 - all because of the memories she had from attending camp as a child.

- Despite never having attended YMCA Camp and not living in our community, Buzz and Ann Wooley have contributed $750,000 to bring the magic of camp to the lives of thousands of children.

- Jordan-Wilcomb Construction, Erstad Architects and CH2M Hill have contributed countless hours and resources to ensuring that this camp provided the traditional camp experience, while having minimal impact on the environment. 

The Treasure Valley Family YMCA has been in the camp business for more than 100 years and the new location at Horsethief Reservoir will allow the YMCA to continue the tradition for generations to come.

The new YMCA Camp at Horsethief Reservoir - continuing the YMCA's tradition of building strong kids, strong families and strong communities. Visit ycampidaho.org for full description, resident camp schedule, registration information and more.