S’mores & Pours Recap
Celebrating Another Year of Camp Fire Heart of Iowa!
What a great night it was for Camp Fire! A total of 75 people joined us in celebrating all we have accomplished this past year and looking forward to all that we have on the horizon for Central Iowa. Held at West End Architectural Salvage, we had a variety of things for guests to enjoy, like food, drinks, and activities! (and yes, a roast-your-own-smores-bar was there!)
Despite challenges, with your support, we’ve continued to explore new opportunities to serve MORE youth and families rather than withdrawing to our comfort zones:
- The Before-and-Afterschool program in Prairie City doubled enrollment this year! This program is particularly challenging because it exists in a childcare desert and rural area. This is the only licensed center in the district!
- Partnership with DMPS – our after-school clubs continue to grow. Last year, we served 200 kids in afterschool clubs and provided six weeks of FREE day camp at Lovejoy Elementary for 40 students, providing wrap-around care for their summer school program.
- Invested more than $500,000 in updating our facilities
- Served more than 1,500 unique youth this year through our programs
S’mores & Pours Details
We brought camp to West End by bringing in activity stations that embody the camp experience – all led by our current seasonal summer staff members. Guests were able to connect with these staff members and hear some of their stories and camp memories, showing just how much impact camp has had on these young adults. Most of them grew up going to Camp Fire programs! Counselors shared how they are impacting the next generation, just like the counselors before them did. We have a live guitarist to entertain guests, who also was a Camp Fire & Camp Hantesa alumni! She also shared her experience at Camp Fire and how those experiences have molded her into the person and musician she is today.
Guests had the chance to Tie Dye bandanas, navigate around West End with compasses learning about orienteering, write Postcards to campers or family/friends, Plant a Seed to start their own garden (we had an abundance of seeds to choose from!), Whittle a fun design into custom wood blocks, and stop by the Giving Tree to learn about how they can help create more magic at Camp Fire programs. All of these activities are typical camp activities we do with our campers (minus the giving tree).
We also had a silent auction and raffle prizes! Prizes included:
- A 3-month coffee subscription to craft, gourmet beans delivered right to your door from Treeline Coffee Roasters
- 2 tickets to the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad Valentine’s Day Dinner Train experience with a complimentary bottle of wine
- A week of summer camp of your choosing in summer 2024!
Our silent auction was for a week-long stay at a 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condo in Keystone, Colorado. A special thank you to our generous prize donors!
Your Generosity Makes a Difference.
Because of your generosity, we are excited to share that over $6,800 was raised! All of those dollars help us better serve the young people in Central Iowa through safe and accepting program spaces at Camp Fire. Thank you for your incredible generosity.
There were SO many more memories and moments we could recap. We are honored to have spent the night with those who support and believe in our mission!
Join us for S’mores & Pours 2024, you won’t want to miss it! Keep your eye out for a date announcement soon.
If you are interested in expanding Camp Fire’s impact, it’s not too late to make a donation! Click here to make your donation today.
