May 15, 2020 – (Portland, OR)
*Update as of 5:00 PM May 15, 2020
Camp Howard has been working closely with the state over the last month, and on May 7th the state gave all camps the green light to open as of May 15th, and when Clackamas County was allowed to be open by the state. This afternoon Governor Brown released an update which prevents overnight camps from opening at this time.
After the devastating news broke we contacted the Governor's Office and the American Camp Association. At this time, we are awaiting more details and will communicate when updates are available.
Once again, we appreciate your support and patience.
On behalf of the entire team at CYO/Camp Howard, I’d like to take a moment to say thank you for your loyalty and support. Governor Brown’s May 7 announcement that summer camp is ON was an answered prayer for the youth and their families in our community. Our camp team has been solidly working towards this goal and I am thrilled to announce that we are able to offer *2020 overnight general summer camp at Camp Howard, albeit in a re-invented way. It seems everyone is ready to get back to some semblance of normalcy and spending time in the beautiful outdoors at Camp Howard will be even more spirit-building and precious this year.
Camp Howard has been working closely with the American Camp Association, the Oregon Health Authority and the Clackamas County Health Department in putting together the proper procedures to operate camp. Our goal is to provide an outdoor experience for youth within the framework of the recommended and required protocols for camp operations.
· We are reducing the number of campers per cabin in half and as you might imagine, physical distancing will play an important role in what we do at camp.
· Activities that do not allow for physical distancing or disinfecting after use, will not be available. Giant swing and zip line for example cannot be sanitized after use and physical distancing cannot be practiced, therefore these activities will not be available.
We are working with our youth leadership to introduce activities that will give campers the great experiences they are used to at Camp Howard. We will offer the most fun, unique experiences for campers possible while following the necessary guidelines, including replacing some of our regular programming with innovative, small-group focused activities.
Thank you in advance for choosing Camp Howard for your child’s summer experience. We greatly appreciate your loyalty and patience as we continue to prepare for a re-invented fantastic camp summer season:
· Click here to register and learn more
· Click here to read what Camp Howard is doing to prepare for COVID-19 this summer
· Click here to watch a video from our youth camp leadership team
· Visit our website for the latest updates: www.camphoward.org. We will continue to update our website as more information becomes available.
We look forward to making some great memories for your camper this summer. God bless you and your family.
Sr. Krista von Borstel
Executive Director
* Note: In order for summer camp to operate Clackamas County must be in Phase I of reopening and Camp Howard’s revised camp plan must be approved. Visit Oregon.gov for more information.