Did you ever read a book outdoors as a child or have a favorite spot for reading? Was it far up in a tree, on a sun-drenched beach, or in a wooded fort? Pretty Lake Vacation Camp tried to recreate this experience for campers this summer and also support the community’s literacy efforts of engaging children in year-round reading. For many years, PLVC has provided campers with books, but there has not always been a dedicated space for the books. That changed this past year with the construction of our very own camp library.
The library had interesting roots. When a long-timer supporter and friend of PLVC’s, Sara Jane “Missy” Bald, passed away last year, some of her friends wanted to honor her with a lasting memorial at camp. At the same time, a Scout, Willie Vorbrich, approached PLVC looking to do an Eagle Scout project. We were able to connect the two groups, the result being the conversion of a seldom-used picnic pavilion into a wonderful library. The collaboration did not stop there. There were many volunteers who helped with the construction of the library, as well as many donors who made financial contributions to the project or gave donations of books. These included friends of Missy’s and PLVC’s, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation, the Junior League of Kalamazoo (JLK) and its members, The Downtown Kiwanis Club, local organizations, individuals, libraries and children themselves. Truly, it was a community effort for the “community’s camp”.
Our campers really caught the reading bug. Delighted campers began using the library this summer and loved being able to go to a library to select a book to read during their daily quiet time. We are thrilled to report that 80% of our campers read a book while at camp!
We are proud that we could support the community’s literacy efforts of engaging youth in year-round reading!
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