Camping Opportunities Fund (COF)
It takes a village to raise a child. United Church wilderness camping programs help kids learn that our families are bigger than we think: they can include the whole village – our friends and neighbours. At camp, we practice what we as Christians preach. The programs of Ryde Lake Camp, Sparrow Lake Camp, Camp Big Canoe, Camp Simpresca and Lake Scugog Camp benefit from the fund’s contributions.
Every year, the Camping Opportunities Fund (COF) helps send 600 children and youth to camp.
In 2021, the camps continue to face unprecedented challenges as a result of COVID-19. The provincial government’s decision that overnight camps would not operate in Ontario in 2020 has been followed by an even more stringent directive to restrict free movement early in 2021. We support this focus on public health and children’s welfare knowing that it may place a burden on the camps to meet fixed costs if campers do not attend on-site programming this year. Your gift to the Camping Opportunities Fund will help us ensure that the camps survive these difficult times and upon their return to active programming, come back with renewed facilities and programs.
The Camping Opportunities Endowment Fund
Launched with a few generous gifts from faithful camping enthusiasts, the COF Endowment Fund also helps send kids to camp. The Fund and other endowed “camping” funds contribute more than $30,000 to the COF annually. If your passion is for the long term good health of your church’s camping programs, consider a gift to the fund that contributes annually, and in perpetuity, to sending kids to camp.
The Camp Capital Care and Maintenance Fund
A contribution to this fund helps secure the camp properties with annual grants in support of the maintenance of the camp properties.
