Kenesserie Camp 2023. (Photo via Kenesserie Camp)
Chatham

Happy Campers in Ridgetown as Kenesserie Camp gets back on its feet

Kenesserie Camp in Ridgetown is thanking the community for helping it get back to normal and reopen this summer after it went through some adversity last summer that affected camp operations and revenue.

The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit told camp officials last June they needed to replace six cabins, the dining hall and kitchen, the staff lounge, Vesper Point, and the campfire area because they were unsafe.

The camp needed to raise at least $75,000 to cover renting a commercial kitchen trailer, buying two large tents for dining, purchasing a 20 foot container and relocating the camp dishwasher into it, turning the Environmental Learning Centre into a double cabin, and reducing the maximum camper capacity from 98 campers per session to 70, resulting in 10 cabins instead of 14. The money raised helped the camp finish 2023 with a balanced budget.

Camp Executive Director Dan Richards told CK News Today the community came through in a big way to raise the amount needed to get the camp back on its feet, especially friends and neighbours in Ridgetown.

"Special shout out to the little community of Ridgetown, which the camp is closest to. They really shone through, $20,000 in donations from groups and individuals just from Ridgetown alone and that was really humbling for us," said Richards.

Richards said they have raised the amount needed for the changes last summer and then some.

"The local community and supporters and service clubs, we're blown away and really humbled and grateful for the support that we got. We were able to cover all of those costs and it set us up with a little cushion to start the new year," he added.

Richards added another camp fundraiser is set to start in a couple of weeks to help cover the bills for the major cabin, dining hall, and kitchen renovations and relocations to be done before this summer.

Richards said some things will be in different locations, but overall the camp will feel the same.

"Kenesserie is still going to be Kenesserie, it's still going to have the same feel and look and the same activities and the same great staff and fun games," Richards noted.

Camp registration opened on February 7, 2024 with a strong response, according to Richards.

The camp will hold its annual open house on June 2, 2024 and Richards said the upgrades should all be complete by then.

Kenesserie Camp opens to campers July 7, 2024 and has an average of 550 campers each summer that will leave with memories to last a lifetime. The camp wraps up August 23, 2024.

Richards noted discussions are underway to explore possible changes to their programming, but doesn't have any new activities to announce yet. He said some of the old favourites will return and a couple of new things will be added, but camp officials haven't figured that out just yet.

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