Camp Scully seeks donors to match generous gift

At a recent reception celebrating the 85th anniversary of Camp Scully, an anonymous donor issued a challenge to the Albany Diocese's summer camp for needy children: Raise $100,000, and it will be matched.

That was welcome news to Camp staff, who are in the process of raising $400,000 for its "Campaign for the Future."

"It's a great opportunity," said Angela Keller, director of child care and youth services for diocesan Catholic Charities, which operates the camp, especially since another $100,000 had already been raised. If the challenge is met, "we'll be at 75 percent of the goal."

Donors sought

Catholic Charities is looking for donors willing to contribute towards meeting the challenge.

"People feel really moved by what Camp Scully does for low-income kids, and I have great faith that the money is coming," said Ms. Keller.

At the top of the camp's wish list are new bunk beds and a new public water system. The camp had previously operated off of well water. Due to new state regulations, the water system "absolutely has to be in place before we reopen," she said.

Funds are also needed to pay for a new waterfront dock system to replace an aging one, to replenish the scholarship fund that allows underprivileged kids a week at camp and to replace old equipment that no longer serves campers' needs.

New camp

When campers arrive on June 25, they will notice more than changes in the physical state of the camp; they'll also see a difference in the activities they're involved with.

In the morning, they will be involved in skill clinics aimed at helping them build proficiency in boating, swimming and more. Traditional camp activities will fill the afternoons and evenings.

Also, some campers will be involved in a wilderness adventure program funded by a grant from the Bender Scientific Fund.

"They'll learn how to build a fire, about cooking outside and putting up a tent. At the end of the week, they'll spend a night in the woods," Ms. Keller said. Camping "gives them an opportunity to live in a diverse community, try out new things, stretch their own skills and have a sense of achievement."

(Camp Scully was closed to campers last summer so that much-needed repairs and refurbishment could be completed. Nearly 100,000 children have attended the North Greenbush camp since its founding in 1920. Applications for campers will be available in February. For more information or to donate, call 453-6650.)

(1/5/06) [[In-content Ad]]