We are celebrating last summer and eagerly preparing for the next one!
It’s hard to believe we are about to have our 25th summer at camp, and we continue to welcome more campers every year. In 2025 we welcomed 276 new campers, and we are so excited to see what 2026 brings!
Growth at Spirit in the Pines is not only exciting but it’s important.
The wellbeing of all of our youth deserves to be center stage. Last summer our camper and parent survey aligned with findings from the American Camp Association indicating that a weeklong camp experience improves mental health namely, “affinity for nature, willingness to try new things, social awareness, independence, and grit.” This is why we are turning to you, our valued community, for support. Spirit in the Pines offers these benefits and more in abundance for our local youth. Our unique mentorship model, which integrates high school counselors from our campers’ home communities into every camp week, adds even more positive impact.
To support this growth, our goal is to raise $10,000 for a new dock and $15,000 for scholarships.
Your contribution will help us to continue to welcome more youth into our nurturing camp community. These funds will enable us to reach the following goals, and we are grateful for gifts of all sizes.
- Replace aging dock that has been their since we bought the property in 2001.
- Offer full and partial scholarships to 8-9% of our campers
Our successful fundraising campaign last year resulted in over $42,000 raised! This supported all needed scholarships, in addition to important property projects like building new bunk beds.
Thank for considering the possibility of making a special gift this month!
Your generosity empowers us to give more youth lifelong memories and the chance to grow confidently into their authentic selves. Any gifts received beyond our goal will go to our Camper Scholarship Fund for future summers.
Key highlights from this past summer include:
- We were proud to work with 158 counselors – a new record of high school students serving as upcoming leaders!
- Parents rated their campers’ experience a 9.3 out of 10!
- Over 938 campers and counselors came to Spirit in the Pines!
- We were thrilled to welcome 276 first-time campers!
We need your help to support our growth by raising $25,000!
Your gift will strengthen Spirit in the Pines by enabling us to:
- Purchase a new dock
- Offer full and partial scholarships to ~8-9% of our campers