Ronza Reynard loves ferrying kids and families back and forth from the Salvation Army鈥檚 (SA) summer camp retreats at Beaver Creek, near Saskatoon. Reynard, the Army鈥檚 administrative manager in Estevan, enjoys observing the transformations that happen with just a few days of open-air living in a safe environment, while 小蓝视频 able to commune with nature.聽
Reynard sees this year鈥檚 camping experiences as 小蓝视频 extra positive because the total number of participants from the Estevan area exceeded expectations.聽
Of course, that put a strain on the camping budget, but still, those who wanted and needed to go to Beaver Creek, got there.聽
鈥淗ow could I look a kid in the face and tell them they couldn鈥檛 go to camp because of a budget problem?鈥� said Reynard.聽
A total of 37 people, mostly children, enjoyed the experience this year, she said.聽
Last year there were 23 campers, so the budget challenges were very real.聽
鈥淲e keep the costs down per family, between $25 and $75 per camper, she said.聽
The first camp of the season is always the most popular due to the age of the participants since it focuses on youngsters between the ages of seven and 12. This year the local Salvation Army sent 22 young campers up to Beaver Creek between July 27 and 31.聽
The Aug. 4 to 7 camp was for mothers and kids. That camp caters to moms with children as young as newborn babies to children as old as 12.聽
This year the Moms and Kids Camp attracted four mothers and nine children from the immediate area.聽
The third and final camp offered by the Salvation Army was for teens between the ages of 13 and 15. This year the Estevan branch of the SA sent six campers to that particular outdoor experience which ended last weekend.聽
Reynard said, due to the numbers, they borrowed a bus to transport kids to the first camp, and on the way back, it broke down shortly after leaving the camp. 鈥淏ut STC (Saskatchewan Transportation Company) came to the rescue,鈥� she said, ensuring that she and the kids arrived home safely after she had placed a distress call to the provincial busing agency. The Army鈥檚 van was used for transporting the other campers.聽
鈥淲e did a barbecue fundraising for the camps earlier in the year and Home Hardware partnered with us for another camp fundraising effort, and we always try to put something in our regular budget to cover some camping expenses,鈥� she said.聽
鈥淭he average cost per camper for a week is about $300. So, you can see, this requires a little subsidization,鈥� she added.聽
A lot of the camp-goers this year were first timers, which made it even more rewarding to those who get involved with the camp experiences. 鈥淚 think between 17 and 20 of this years campers from here were first timers,鈥� said Reynard.聽
鈥淥ne little guy kept telling me all he wanted to do at camp was to roast a marshmallow. That was it. He just wanted to toast up a marshmallow over an open fire.鈥澛�
The wish was easily granted since his camp was held prior to the open fire ban that was placed on a number of the more northern communities due to the forest fire hazard levels.
鈥淲e made his summer,鈥� said Reynard.聽
聽鈥淭he kids were pretty excited, and that鈥檚 what I love about the camp. Most of them would go right back if they could and they couldn鈥檛 stop talking about it on the way home. Others see the positive results too. So we can go out into the community nd tell them they did the right thing by supporting our barbecues and partnerships. I see it in the faces of the kids, and when I listen to them talk about it. I鈥檓 looking forward to next year鈥檚 adventure too,鈥� she added with a laugh.聽
Beaver Creek can handle up to 80 campers at a time for a week or more.聽
