Highlights from the Past Year
CEO Marnie Wells shared some of Camp Fire’s highlights from last year at the Annual Meeting.
- This past year, we served over 1,500 youth through Camp Fire clubs. Our clubs run year-round and focus on providing low income youth with opportunities to learn and develop skills in safe environments.
- Using Camp Fire’s research-based curriculum and evaluation, we’re proud to report that 100% of clubs met standards for program quality set forth by the nationally recognized High/Scope Education Research Foundation.
- Over 700 youth attended summer camp at Camp Fire’s Camp Tanadoona.
- This past year, with overwhelming, generous support from our donors and funders, we were able to provide a record 75 youth with financial aid so they could attend summer camp.
- Through our Club-to-Camp Initiative, 130 club youth went on trips to Camp Tanadoona. For many, this was their first time at camp. They conquered new and fun challenges, like scaling the climbing wall, learning to cook camp food, and navigating the ropes course.
- Camp Fire’s former Camp Ojiketa became a regional park. We are grateful for the support of our alumni, Chisago City partners, NorthMarq, and the Trust for Public Land for ensuring Camp Ojiketa’s legacy lives on through Ojiketa Regional Park.
- Camp Fire launched a new website with improved capabilities and tailored information for community partners, donors, camp parents, and youth.
- We engaged 160 families, neighbors and supporters in our second annual Family Fun Day at Camp Tanadoona. Everyone enjoyed a pancake breakfast and joining in on fun camp activities.
- Camp Fire’s administrative office moved. Our current office is located across from Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. We are thrilled with our new space.
- Camp Fire’s second annual wine-tasting benefit was a huge hit. 150 supporters gathered at the Semple Mansion in Minneapolis to taste wines hand-selected by wine expert, Bill Coy. The event raised $25,000 to support our work with youth and families.
- Despite a difficult economy, Camp Fire donors and funders contributed 50% more than the previous year. We are grateful and humbled by the community’s outpouring of support.
- Thanks to our supporters and the board’s commitment to controlling expenses, Camp Fire ended its most recent fiscal year with an operational surplus of $27,530.
