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- Category: Current Issue
Teens raise
$11k to save
4-H pond
POMFRET — Since 1954, thousands of campers have enjoyed the jewel of the camp — the pond. It is the site for all the watersports programs and home to the fish campers catch and release every summer and the birds that swoop over it and do some fishing, too!
There is a problem though — issues with the long-term stability of the earthen dam, last repaired in the 1970s. It appears that this time around a new dam will need to be constructed. The fund-raising goal for this project is $1 million.
The kickoff event for this fund-raising challenge was held on Sept. 11, a “Dam-Aid Craft Fair & Family Fun event”. Camp teen leaders were offered the opportunity to help raise funds separately however by gathering pledges and camping out on the dam the night before. They needed to obtain at least $100 in pledges to participate. Twenty-nine teens accepted the challenge, raising $11,000.
They arrived Friday night, had dinner and s’mores by the campfire and spent a somewhat chilly night under the stars. The next morning, they were available to help vendors set up, spent time reconnecting with each other and helped with clean up at the end of the day.
Camp staff and teens also accepted a “big check” donation of $500 for the cause from the Pomfret Proprietors Association. This volunteer organization of business owners in Pomfret raises funds at the annual Town Wide Tag Sale event and has donated over $16K for community needs since 2006.
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