Updates from Board Chair Matthew Denenberg, July 2023

Hello North Star Reach Community:

Welcome to our Summer update on our journey to Keep the Campfires Burning. Today, we are excited to share critical progress in our pursuit for long-term sustainability in delivering life-changing camp experiences for campers and families.

Campers

Through the strength of SeriousFun Children’s Network, our friends at Flying Horse Farms, the SeriousFun camp in Mt. Gilead, OH, welcomed North Star Reach campers and volunteers into their 2023 summer programming. Through this collaboration, more than 35 campers and 10 volunteers, including a group from The University of Michigan Transplant Center’s Camp Michitanki, are enjoying magical, transformational camp experiences this summer.

Fundraising Progress and Opportunities

As reported last month, SeriousFun offered another investment of vital support with a second $100K match. Thanks to so many of you, we met the challenge! Special thanks to The Well Church, Mark- Lis Family, Denenberg Tuffley Law Firm, Edith S. Briskin/SKS Foundation, Carolee Kvoriak, Consumers Energy Foundation, and others who contributed generously.

While our team is just getting started to ensure the resources needed for camp programming in 2024, we are excited and appreciative that our community has raised $400K in just over two months. This vote of confidence from the North Star Reach community, as well as the investment of funds and volunteer time, is helping keep the camp’s mission alive and will have a lasting impact on kids and families.

In addition to the current fundraising initiatives, we continue to build and enhance our infrastructure to achieve our 2023 fundraising and operational goals including: recruiting an experienced fundraising professional; expanding our board and development committee; and, thanks to the generous support of the marketing team at Hatch Stamping, reigniting our social media presence. Interim CEO David Leckey has been actively engaging and collaborating with supporters, non-profit experts, and campily members in our efforts to Keep the Campfires Burning.

If you have skills, ideas, or opportunities that could support us in our endeavors to create sustainability and bringing back life-changing camp experiences kids and families in the region, please contact CEO David Leckey at david@northstarreach.org or you can donate here.