If you have registered your kids for camp, there’s no doubt that you have seen that the fees to send your camper(s) to camp have increased this year. There are a few reasons why that is, and we thought it would be fair to explain why that is.
Park Rental
Since 1982, Shakamak State Park has been the home of Midwest Summer Camp. Over the years, the camps have developed a very strong relationship with many different personnel who have managed the park over the years. Historically, they have overall been very good to the camps, even mentioning on several occasions that they very much appreciate how we have treated their property.
At the end of 2022, however, they let the Friends of Indiana Youth board know that they would have to be raising their fee to rent the campground, which was a fee that had remained the same for several years. The increase would be in line with what it would have been if annual increases would have happened, an approximate doubling. This increase was simply too large to absorb and still operate the camps.
Liability Insurance
There was a recent discussion at the board level about different situations that could arise during camp, specifically involving the injury of a camper, which could leave the board vulnerable to financial loss. As a precaution, we thought it best to add liability insurance for a situation like this which arises, which adds to the overall bottom line to provide this benefit.
Inflation
This is something that we are sure everyone can surely relate to. Costs of everything have been going up: fuel costs, food costs, clothing costs, energy costs, etc. All of these increases in costs have affected the operation of the two camps, and unfortunately, those cost increases must be passed along to the camp fees.
How can you help?
We realize that these cost increases will affect some families’ ability to send their kids to camp and we are working hard to find ways to keep these costs from further increasing.
One idea we had was to ask for help through a fund raiser. We are asking for anyone who is willing and able to contribute, and we will use this money to bridge the gap of rising costs over the next 2-3 years, allowing us to slowly adjust camp fees to a sustainable amount. If you are able to help, even a small amount, every dollar will make a difference. All of the money we receive through this fundraiser will go toward camp expenses, in order to limit the size in the increase in fees each year. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity in helping make MSC the best week of the year for so many campers!
