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Auction & Dinner on October 4th
Everyone is invited to attend our annual celebration of Birchwood Camp on October 4, 2015! This event is for people who care about the Camp and want to support our mission and ministry; it is also a great time to learn more about Birchwood Camp, so bring a friend who might be interested in connecting with us. The event will begin at 4:00pm with tours of the Camp, and the silent auction will open at 4:30pm in the Main Lodge. Dinner will begin at 5:00pm, with the program and live auction to follow. Kids are welcome to attend with their parents– we will have childcare available after dinner. The event is free to attend, but seating is limited so please RSVP to 907.688.2734 or by email.
Get all the event details here.
Winter Youth Break-Away
 Students in grades 6-12 are invited to join us for Winter Youth Break-Away (WYBA) on December 27-30, 2015. Campers will enjoy four days
full of fun and community with old and new friends, Plus, there will be good food, crafts, games, sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, broom ball, snow shelter building, a sweat-prayer experience in our sweat lodge, and much more! Campers will have the opportunity to build community, make new friends, try new winter activities, experience different and unique worship styles and have some fun during their winter break!
Online registration opens on October 1st.
Click here for Winter Youth Break-Away details.
Summer 2015 in Review
What a great summer we had at Birchwood Camp! Here are a few things we are celebrating as we wind down from summer:
- We celebrate the seven Birchwood summer camp sessions that provided safe spaces for spiritual formation, genuine community, and character development. These sessions served campers entering grades 1-12, plus people of all ages at our Summer Family Camp. We served 274 campers this summer, for a total of 1253 camper days, which is our highest enrollment since we started recording enrollment in 1998.
- We celebrate an excellent team of program staff and volunteers who made camp happen for a record number of campers.
- We celebrate the wonderful team of NOMADs and local volunteers, who replaced the roof on Cabin 4, and completed several other much needed maintenance & building projects around camp.
- We celebrate to the generosity of our awesome camp supporters who made it possible for us to add Stand Up Paddle (SUP) Boarding to our waterfront this summer. Each of the 8 new SUP Boards was sponsored in full by an individual or family. Our campers & guests are loving this new waterfront activity!
- We celebrate the many Guest Groups who held their camp programs at our site around our summer programs. With campers or guests on site nearly every day from May 1 to mid-September, and we are pleased to be able to offer the Birchwood Camp experience to so many in our community.
  
What campers are saying:
- "I love coming to Birchwood Camp each year. All year I wait and think about last camp and the camp to come. I love how it is a place where you can come and always feel welcomed, and you can meet a lot of new people and also see familiar faces that this may be the only place you see them. Thank you so much!"
- "Birchwood is a place that you can start anew, no matter your background or past. It offers a safe environment where people feel open and willing to be vulnerable. This allows for growth and learning in what it means to be a disciple of Christ."
 
What parents are saying:
- "For my camper, spending time away from his parents for the first time and making new friends was huge. I think he has more confidence from his experience at Birchwood Camp."
- "My camper has never joined in much at church, but at camp he connected with God in a way that seemed to open his eyes."
- "As a parent, I value the love, encouragement, and support each and every staff member proves to the kids...each child knows they are unique, special, and valued as a child of God!"
 
Get Involved:
Join the Birchwood Volunteer Club
We are looking for volunteers to join the newly established Birchwood Volunteer Club. The Volunteer Club will meet on the first Sunday afternoon of each month (starting in October) to work on various maintenance & grounds projects around camp. Volunteer Club members don't need to be available every month but can attend when their schedule allows. Once you "join the club" we'll send you details and a reminder about the monthly work day. We are looking for people with the following skills:
- People with general construction/repair skills
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Chainsaw workers
If you want to join the Birchwood Volunteer Club, contact Stephen, our camp manager: 907-688-2734 or manager@birchwoodcamp.org.
Sponsor an Item on Our Wish List
The camp is in need of several items. Click here to check out the full list and contact us if you'd like to donate an item.
Sponsor a Camper
You can help a child or teen experience the unique community of Birchwood Camp and the personal & spiritual growth that takes place at camp. Give the gift of camp - sponsor a camper by supporting our scholarship fund. Gifts of any amount are encouraged; the average cost of a Birchwood Camp session is $260. Make a gift.
Summer 2016 Camp Dates
Mark your calendar for Summer 2016 camps at Birchwood!
June 6-10: Faith Adventure Camp (grades 3-6)
June 13-19: Music and Drama (MAD) Camp (grades 5-10)
June 22-24: God Seekers Camp (grades 1-4)
June 27-July 1: Youth Camp (grades 7-12)
August 5-7: Summer Family Camp (all ages)
Grades listed above are for Fall 2016. We are still working on setting the dates for our Canoe Camps; we'll be publishing those dates soon on our website. Online registration for 2016 summer camps will be available starting March 1, 2016.
Connect with Birchwood Camp
Do you follow Birchwood Camp online? We post updates and photos regularly on social media, so it's a great way to keep up with what's happening around camp. Find us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thanks to our Supporters
Thanks to all the individuals, families & organizations that supported Birchwood Camp between May 2 - September 14, 2015:
Al & Judy Kline, Althea & Steven Clapp, Anna Andrews, Benee Braden, Beverly Walters, Brian & Julie Buck, Carla & David Wight, Carlo & Radie Rapanut, Cathy & Chris Barnes, David & Carol Ann Miller, David & Sharon Fetzner, Donald & Candace Olson, Dyann & Bryan Hardy, Eliza & Chris Meier, Ernest Redfield, Eugene & Elaine Hill, Gail Dudley, Jacob Bera, Jana Vanderbrink, Jeanette Legenza, Jillian Parker, Jim & Kay LaBau, John & Connie Quinley, Jon Laughlin & Kristina Lubner, Joyce Hughes, Judy Langerman, Julie Broyles, Kathy Ozlowski, Le Anne Ronio, Lindy Breest, Liz & Hugh Ashlock, Lourdes Simmons, Marcy Shirk, Mary Brown, Melinda Freemon, Melissa Branch, Michael & Kelly Bender, Mike & Barbara Stratton, Mike Redmond, Misty & Shawn Gilland, Mollie Bynum, Nicki & Ben Schneider, Nora Ortiz-Fredrick, North Broadway UMW, Pat & Shannon Dart, Randy Smith & Lorraine Pearce, Rosemary & Ben Fish, Sandra & Nathan Woods, Stephanie Cook, Stephen Hutchens & Celia Obrecht, Susan Stassel Elkins, Terri & Chris Possehl, Turnagain UMC, Turnagain UMC UMW, Vicki Keele, Von & Jan Cawvey, Walt Hays, Willem Van Hemert.
Summer 2015 Volunteers
Know any of these people? Give them a high-five and thank them for their volunteer work at Birchwood Camp this summer! We are truly grateful for all our volunteers- they make camp happen!!
Aaron and Jenny Smith; Al and Judy Kline; Alan Dennis; Ally Brawner; Amy Walters; Andy, Kate, James and Angus Bartel; Bailey Brawner; Benee Braden; Brian Taylor; Betsy McGrew; Betty Burke; Brent and Judith Goodrum; Carla Wight; Carlo Rapanut; Celia Obrecht; Clare Cook; Connie and John Quinley; ConocoPhillips Alaska Day of Caring Team; Courtney Darnell; Cyrus Hicks; Dave Wachsmuth; David and Judith Dyrenforth; Doug Handlong; Doug Schoop; Elaine and Gene Hill; Emily Goodrum; Ellen Franklin; Geoffrey Woods; Jane Bailey; Jeanette Legenza; Jeremy Beckett; Jessie Herring; Joe Aguilla; Jon Laughlin; Jon Survant; Joyce Hughes; Kallie Handlong; Karen and Mark Burch; Kathy Ozlowski; Kelli Williams; Kelsey Lien; Kristina Lubner; LeeAnn Wohlgemuth; Linda Vlastuin; Liz Ashlock; Meghan Dau; Mike Stratton; Monica Bazaldua; Nathan and Sandra Woods; Nico Romeijn-Stout; Nora Ortiz Fredrick; Nyabony Gat; Robert and Tori Hicks; Robin Bassett; Rick Clark; Shane and Teri Inch; Stephen Hutchens; Steve Lambert; Vicki Keele; Von Cawvey; Wayne Martin.
*We appreciate all our volunteers & camp supporters! Please contact us if we've made an error or left someone off this list. We will make sure to publish it correctly in the next e-newsletter.
Thanks to Our Summer Staff
We had a great crew of summer volunteers and staff this year - A big thanks to each team member for their hard work! Pictured here is our on-site summer staff, volunteers and interns (left to right): Stephen Sweezey, Marie Sweezey, Taylor Laiewski, Lydia Krimmel, Philip Lambert, Brent Hoffman, Caitlin Bridges, Liz Hoffman, Kimmy Sanders, Nurse Kathy Ozlowski, Sierra De La Cruz, Weston Kimbro, Ryan Dyleski, Andrew Sherling, Judy Kline, and Al Kline.
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