Camp Manitowa started #CampFerguson fall, 2014 as a response to the unrest and school closings following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. We felt camp would be an ideal place for kids to come for a respite at the time, as well as a place where they could gain new skills and strengthen relationships with their peers. We've hosted five different retreats and served over 150 kids.We would love to expand these.

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My guest today is Dan Grabel, social worker, educator and owner/director of Camp Manitowa. Welcome to OpEdNews, Dan.

JB: How did you get into the camping business?

DG: Thanks so much in your interest in Camp Manitowa and our #CampFerguson.

Thanks so much for your interest in our camp and Camp Ferguson. I first got into camping when I was 12 years old, attending my very first sleep away camp. I was a shy and quiet kid who was a bit reluctant to go away to camp and spent four weeks where I knew no one. I quickly felt comfortable, was accepted by the boys in my cabin, and came to absolutely love the camp experience. Camp allowed me to take risks and succeed in social situations, participate in an array of new activities, take on leadership role, and build confidence that was unique at that time in my life. I continued to attend the camp for the next seven years as a camper and chose to work as a camp counselor throughout high school and college.

After having graduated Indiana University I was hired by Andy Brown, who became my long term mentor and current business partner, into my first camp administrator role. I found this to be very engaging and rewarding as I was able to influence younger counselors and inpart my love of camp and belief in its potential to be a transformational experience.

During the next five summers, I worked as an administrator, social worker, and adventure trip leader at three different camps. I reconnected with Andy in 1997 where we worked together directing a residential summer camp in the Midwest for 12 years. We would often talk casually about our desire to start, own, and operate a private camp where we could incorporate the best practices learn from our work and experience at dozens of previous camps. In 2008, fearing time may be passing us by, we decided to go for it and embarked on a two-year search for the a camp property to purchase. In 2010, on the verge of giving up, we finally found what we believed to be an ideal camp in southern Illinois. It had a large lake for waterskiing, a nice sized ball field, and land perfect for building a high ropes challenge course and zip line, the three facility prerequisites we had for starting a great camp. We bought the property, renovated the entire facility, and were open for business in the fall of 2010. We are entering our sixth year and have served over 10,000 children, families, and adults.

I couldn't think of anything I'd rather be doing that would give me as much personal and professional satisfaction. And I clearly remember the seed being planted way back in 1982, on my very first day as a camper.

JB: Before we move to Camp Ferguson, you mentioned that you also service adults and whole families. When I think of summer camp, I think of kids. Tell us about your adult and family programming. How do you do it? Does it go on simultaneously with the kids' programming?

DG: We offer a variety of family and adult retreats such as our Mother/Daughter Spring retreat Father/Son Fall retreat, Women's weekend retreat, yoga events, family reunions, etc. where we serve over 400 total people annually.

We thoroughly enjoy the diversity of clientele we serve.

JB: I'm curious, Dan. Did all this diversity of programming and clientele spring into being immediately or has it evolved along with the camp? How did you get into the mother/daughter, father/son and yoga events? Such great ideas; where did they come from?

DG: Building an active "off season" retreat business has been the most interesting and unexpected part of starting Camp Manitowa. We started the camp with the mindset that it would be strictly a summer camp but soon realized the need for revenue during the fall and spring. Marketing and developing our retreat business became a fun and challenging aspect of our overall business. Andy and I would brainstorm retreat ideas, would reach out to parents, schools, universities, the yoga community, and other organizations we met throughout the year, and advertise our camp as a unique outdoor retreat and education center, all in an attempt to develop creative programming for a diverse clientele.

JB: The growth process sounds fun and creative. How has it gone? Are there programs one in four off-season weekends, more, less? What's your goal that both satisfies the bottom line but doesn't burn you out?

DG: Yes, the growth process has been very fun. The diversity of groups and people we've hosted and the growth of our retreat business has been our most pleasant surprise. During the months of August through October and March through the end of May we average three and sometimes four weekends each month hosting groups as well as five or so schools during weekdays. Our goal is to maximize the use of our facility. School groups and businesses throughout the week as well as weekends. we'd like to be able to hire a full-time retreat staff and serve as many possible campers, people and groups in the fall spring and summer. I don't think either Andy nor I worry about burnout as we truly enjoy being at camp and offering a camp experience for others.

JB: Lovely. That brings us to #CampFerguson. Tell us how that came about, please.

DG: Camp Manitowa started #CampFerguson in the fall of 2014 as a response to the unrest and school closings following the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, MO. We felt camp would be an ideal place for kids to come for a respite at the time, as well as a place where they could gain new skills and strengthen relationships with their peers. In the following months, we were able to raise over $15,000 from individual donations, fundraisers with Yoga Buzz, Sugarfire Smoke House, and Brothers Lazaroff Band, and grants from Good People Fund and Wells Fargo to host five free retreats serving over 150 students from Westview Middle School, Jennings High School, and the PAKT Community Center, plus students from Ferguson and the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Day School who participated together in Circus Harmony's Peace Through Pyramids program.

That's from our website so might be a bit formal but we strongly believe that a camp experience is a unique way for kids to build self - confidence, improve social skills and understanding, take safe risks, and have fun. Kids from economically underserved communities often never get an opportunity to get out of the city and go to camp. The events in Ferguson and the national spotlight on it's community needs seemed like a perfect opportunity to engage our Camp Manitowa families, other philanthropic organizations and businesses, and Ferguson schools and community organizations to make these free retreats happen.

JB: I understand that you raised the funds. But have these retreats happened already? If so, tell us how it went. That's what we really want to know!

DG: Yes, we've hosted five different retreats and served over 150 kids from Westview Middle School, Jennings High School, and the PAKT Community Center, and students from Ferguson and the Saul Mirowitz Jewish Day School who participated together in Circus Harmony's Peace Through Pyramids program. Every retreat was awesome. The kids were adventurous and tried all of our camp activities, many such as canoeing, hiking, climbing tower, ropes course, zip lining, that they had never tried before. They also tie dyed t shirts, played sports, rode bikes all around camp, had great conversations at the campfire and made plenty of s'mores. They told us these were some of the most rewarding and memorable experiences for them. Our camp staff volunteered to come work the retreats, we had adults come volunteer, and partnered with the U. of MO St. Louis School of Social work and had three social work students volunteer at the retreats. Overall, every retreat was an overwhelming success where kids had a ton of fun!

JB: It sounds wonderful. Going forward, do you plan to repeat or expand the program of free retreats?

DG: Yes, we would absolutely love to expand these retreats to serve larger groups of students from the schools who've already attended as well as reach out to new schools and organizations. As with any high profile event that garners a lot of publicity and support, things eventually fade from people's' collective attention. We've gotten positive responses from each group that's come to camp and a commitment that they'd like to return. We're committed to putting up our own money and are actively searching for additional funding.

JB: If our readers agree with you that this is a real and positive way to counteract what happened in Ferguson in August of last year, how can we help?

DG: We believe there are lasting positive outcomes for kids who have a camp experience which multiply with repeatedly returning to camp. We've seen shy, awkward middle school kids grow into confident leaders in high school and college based in part on consistently attending camp.

It costs us $3000-$4000 to run a two-night, three-day retreat for approximately 50 people. Readers can consider making a tax-deductible donation to Camp Ferguson, help organize a fundraising event, or let others know what we're doing and encourage them to help.

JB: Got it. Any readers out there who like to make end of year contributions that will make a difference? Here you go! Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up, Dan?

DG: We have really enjoyed putting together this Camp Ferguson project. We been able to meet so many wonderful kids, parents, and educators and have been overwhelmed by the financial and staffing support we've received.

We are working with the American Camp Association as our fiscal agent and we'd certainly appreciate it if people would consider a tax deductible donation to Camp Ferguson. Checks can be made to "American Camp Association" with "Camp Manitowa-Camp Ferguson" in the subject line. Mail to: Camp Manitowa, PO Box 16613, Clayton, MO 63105.

Online donations can be made through this link: https://www.formstack.com/forms/?1107541-khUxP4aEdr= - Include Camp Manitowa in the "camp name" box and Camp Ferguson in the "special event donation" box.

JB: It's been a pleasure talking with you about #CampFeguson, Dan. Good luck with this great idea!

All retreat photos are from Summer PAKT Camp Ferguson.

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campmanitowa.com

Check out our camp video & YouTube Channel

Follow us on Facebook!

Press coverage:

Camp retreat helps Ferguson kids unite and heal, KSDK, St. Louis, 11.1.2015

American Camp Association blog story

St. Louis Magazine "Into the Woods" article

Let's Talk Camp blog story

YouTube movie of #CampFerguson fall 2014 retreat

The Southern article

St. Louis Jewish Light article

#CampFerguson FB Social Media Fundraiser - Click "going" and follow all the plans for the Spring 2015 retreat!

American Camp Association donation link - All donations tax deductible

Authors Website: http://www.opednews.com/author/author79.html

Authors Bio:

Joan Brunwasser is a co-founder of Citizens for Election Reform (CER) which since 2005 existed for the sole purpose of raising the public awareness of the critical need for election reform. Our goal: to restore fair, accurate, transparent, secure elections where votes are cast in private and counted in public. Because the problems with electronic (computerized) voting systems include a lack of transparency and the ability to accurately check and authenticate the vote cast, these systems can alter election results and therefore are simply antithetical to democratic principles and functioning.



Since the pivotal 2004 Presidential election, Joan has come to see the connection between a broken election system, a dysfunctional, corporate media and a total lack of campaign finance reform. This has led her to enlarge the parameters of her writing to include interviews with whistle-blowers and articulate others who give a view quite different from that presented by the mainstream media. She also turns the spotlight on activists and ordinary folks who are striving to make a difference, to clean up and improve their corner of the world. By focusing on these intrepid individuals, she gives hope and inspiration to those who might otherwise be turned off and alienated. She also interviews people in the arts in all their variations - authors, journalists, filmmakers, actors, playwrights, and artists. Why? The bottom line: without art and inspiration, we lose one of the best parts of ourselves. And we're all in this together. If Joan can keep even one of her fellow citizens going another day, she considers her job well done.


When Joan hit one million page views, OEN Managing Editor, Meryl Ann Butler interviewed her, turning interviewer briefly into interviewee. Read the interview here.

While the news is often quite depressing, Joan nevertheless strives to maintain her mantra: "Grab life now in an exuberant embrace!"


Joan has been Election Integrity Editor for OpEdNews since December, 2005. Her articles also appear at Huffington Post, RepublicMedia.TV and Scoop.co.nz.