The Walden Way: Kids Lend a Hand to HELP the children in Malawi by Raising Funds During Summer Camp
Walden is a coed overnight camp in Northern Michigan for ages 7 to 17 located in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula on a pristine 150 acres outside the city of Cheboygan.
As a traditional summer camp, Walden offers a huge range of activities, from sports and arts to horseback riding and star-gazing. Walden campers roast marshmallows, sing songs, go on scavenger hunts and drink “bug juice.” And they do not-so-traditional stuff, like mountain biking, wakeboarding, yoga…and fundraising!
Kids choose their own classes and, with the guidance of a committed and highly professional staff, find out what it’s like to be “on their own” for part of the summer.
2009 will be Walden’s 50th summer. And there’s a reason for its continued success: campers love it there — for the adventures; for the friendships; for the relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere; even for the food.
Their philosophy is this: Summer camp should be a place where kids feel accepted, safe and confident; where having fun is more important than winning; where campers gain new skills and craft life long memories. That’s The Walden Way.
During the first session this summer a fundraiser was held for HELP. Two staff members with a connection to HELP introduced the organization to Walden, and proposed doing a fundraiser to benefit the charity. After showing a promotional film and holding “trading post and silent auctions”, the campers and staff raised approximately $450 for HELP. Walden agreed to match up to $300, so a total of $750 was donated to HELP!
From everyone at HELP: Thank you to the Walden staff and campers for their generosity!
