Dear Clearwater Community,
As some of you may know, Clearwater has been working for the last six years on a comprehensive plan to update our buildings and grounds. Clearwater has always been a place of beauty, rich with history and traditions, and our hope is that these updates will allow us to preserve this legacy while meeting the needs of future generations of campers and staff.
To make this plan a reality, we will need to raise a total of six million dollars. We know that this is an ambitious goal, but we also know that we have an incredibly generous and supportive community that believes in the mission of Clearwater, and funding this plan will enable us to fulfill our mission and vision for many generations to come.
We will only meet this goal by working together, which is why we have titled our capital campaign,“The Bond That Binds Us: Building Clearwater’s Future” in honor of the Clearwater pledge. Each Sunday we say this sacred pledge around Council Fire as a reminder of the bond that we share as Clearwater sisters. Though we may be spread out across different generations, states, and even countries, we hope that the memory of these words will bring you a spark of joy and unite us as Clearwater voyageurs.
We at Clearwater are no strangers to a challenge and have learned from our Canadian trippers that in order to cover the most ground, you need to take it one portage at a time. Through the support of some very generous donors, we are halfway to our fundraising goal of six million dollars, and we have completed the first “portage” of this journey. Some of the improvements that were seen and experienced at camp this last summer include a brand new welcome building with an upgraded space for our health and wellness team, a state-of-the-art sport court, a new maintenance building, and expanded green space in the front and back of camp for various activities.
Our next “portage” will be building two of four upgraded staff cabins. This is a vital need for camp because offering more comfortable and family-friendly housing options enables us to fill crucial leadership positions that require specialized skills, knowledge, and broader life experience. Having seasoned staff members in senior positions will provide even more opportunities for mentorship and guidance for our younger generations of counselors which will elevate the camp experience for all.
An anonymous donor who understands the importance of this level of staffing has issued a challenge to the rest of our community to contribute $150,000 by the end of October and they will match this amount giving us a total of $300,000. We ask you to help us achieve this goal by making a gift today!
If you would like to learn more about the capital campaign, we have put together a brief video of our Camp Director, Kat, explaining what has been accomplished at camp so far and what is coming up next. We also have a special section of our website that gives more information on the capital campaign as well as the Master Site Plan.
Video: Clearwater’s Capital Campaign & Special Challenge
Website: Bond that Binds Us: Building Clearwater’s Future
We also want to invite you to join us for one of two Town Halls where we will provide more updates on the capital campaign and site plan.
Town Hall: Wednesday, October 2 at 6 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88362744706
Town Hall: Thursday, October 10 at 6 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84880683472
Contact our Development Director, Sheila Ferguson at sheila@clearwatercamp.org or 901-830-7896 if you would like more information about making a capital gift.
Thank you to everyone who has already made a gift to the capital campaign and thank you to our whole community for helping us achieve this challenge to raise $150,000 by the end of October. Wishing you all a wonderful and beautiful autumn wherever you are in the world!
with appreciation,
The Clearwater Team
By Sheila Ferguson, CFRE