Giving Tuesday
To me, Camp is the most beautiful place in the world. Of course, the lake, the mountains, and the stars shooting across the sky after a colorful sunset are gorgeous; but that only scratches the surface of the beauty I’m referring to. Camp is beautiful because it is home to things like the sound of belly laughs coming from the Dining Hall – the kind that make your cheeks ache, or the smell of woodsmoke at Closing Campfire and the feeling that arises when Melissa Yonan reads the final sentence of the poem To An Old Camper, “Heaven can only be heaven with a camp in which to play.” The magnificence of two Whitetails holding hands as they skip down to the waterfront after rest hour beats the Eiffel Tower for me any day of the week!
What you’ll find each year at Brookwoods, Deer Run, and Moose River Outpost is hundreds of children coming together from all different walks of life, accepted for who they are while being encouraged to grow in many different ways. Camp is beautiful because of the way it changes lives, mine included. I often find myself thinking of all the people, young and old, who have walked the pathways in between cabins, or sat in a circle in their pajamas on the same wooden floor for devotions, and been held by the grace of God. This is a place where unconditional love has dwelled for over 80 years. To witness love on this scale is to experience a glimpse of heaven and it is more radiant than I can even begin to describe.
I can’t imagine my life without Camp, but the reality is, Camp would not have been possible for me and my three sisters without the Scholarship Fund. The significant sacrifices my parents made and the scholarships I received that granted me the privilege of attending are some of my greatest blessings in life. Camp gave me an eternal relationship with Jesus, a place I can forever call my home, and my best friend – the man I get to marry in May! For 18 years, I have been in awe of how much joy exists in the middle of the woods of Alton, NH and Jackman, ME; I know I will spend the rest of my life witnessing this joy because of the people who choose to make a small sacrifice for a long-lasting impact on the life of a camper.
This Giving Tuesday all donations will go toward the Scholarship Fund. Every gift, no matter the size, will touch the heart of a camper, just like it did for me. I hope you will join me and make a gift on December 2nd so that Camp can continue to be a place of love and joy for everyone for another 80 years and beyond. And if you are like me and forget pretty much everything unless it’s written down or done right away, no worries! Camp is prepared (no surprise here) to welcome early bird gifts as well.
Molly is a 3rd grade teacher in Rockville, MD. She spent 6 summers at Deer Run as a camper, 3 summers on staff, and volunteers whenever she can. At Murray family meals, Camp often comes up in discussion, usually resulting in belly laughs similar to those you’ll find in the Dining Hall. Molly and Alec Armstrong met in their Wilderness First Aid training when they were on staff together the summer of 2022. Alec splinted Molly’s fake broken leg and the rest is history. They will be married in Wolfeboro in May. Find her on instagram @mollycarolyn or email [email protected]
