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FAMILY CAMP
We had a great time at Family Camp on Labor Day weekend. About 80 people came throughout the weekend. We had a corn hole tournament, candy bar bingo, and hammock rest time, along with campfires, s'mores, a talent show, and more! We also had a "memory lane" set up, where people could help identify old camp pictures and share stories and memories from camp to prepare for the 75th anniversary of Camp Mardela. Shania Morse shared stories from her trips as a missionary and a message about our theme for the summer, "This is our Prayer". The Sunday service was lead by the participation of the Camp Mardela community. Suzanne Bowdle lead worship with the help of Ellen Wile and Stacey Layton. Pastor Ken George shared a word, and there was a time of sharing where many shared how Camp Mardela has impacted them in their faith journey. We then fellowshipped over lunch. Overall, it was a successful weekend filled with laughter, singing, games, and memories.
CAMP SUPPER
In the past 2 years, we had to get creative with our Camp Suppers. We hosted the first Drive-Thru supper in September 2020 with massive success. All of the meals were sold out about an hour into the event! We then added another supper in the spring on Sunday at lunch time rather than the traditional supper time. We used a ticketing system and pick-up at the pavilion. Then in this past month, we had a modified in-person meal with drive-thru to-go meals available, and once again found success. Three quarters of the meals sold were to-go meals, and we had spaced out seating with outdoor options for those who wanted to dine in and fellowship. Meals were served in a buffet line and, of course, were as delicious as each time before! With this meal, we sold just under 500 meals, and we made over $6,500 for camp! We have all learned to shift and pivot in these constantly changing times, but the support for Camp Mardela has stayed constant. Thank you to Amy Hutchison and her Fairview crew for their work in preparing and serving the meals, and thank you for supporting camp through all of the fundraisers we have done this year. Camp wouldn't be possible without your support!
CAMP AUCTION
Our annual Camp Auction is coming up on Saturday, October 30th, from 9am-1pm! This auction is our biggest fundraiser of the year, and is a huge source of income to support our camp programs. We will have a live auction, a silent auction, a yard sale, a food stand, and activities for kids. This is a great way to support Camp Mardela by shopping for a cause. We will have a wide range of items for sale, including furniture, tools, decorations, gift cards, event tickets, hand-made items, and more. There are sure to be many surprises and lots of fun at this year's Camp Auction, so make sure to come out and support it!
If you would like to donate items to be sold at the auction, please contact campmardela@gmail.com or call 410-479-2861 by October 25th.
If you would like to purchase an ad or a sponsorship for the Camp Auction booklet, send a completed ad form and payment to P.O. Box 460, Denton, MD 21629 and any artwork to be put in the booklet to campmardela@gmail.com. You can find a link to the ad form and donation letter at www.campmardela.org/fall-auction.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS
We are so excited to be hosting the first EVER Sights and Sounds of Christmas event at Camp Mardela on Saturday, December 4th, from 5pm-8pm. We will have Christmas lights and decorations around camp, Christmas music and treats available to all who come. We will also have a Christmas Workshop for kids to make their own Christmas present. For just $2 they can make unique gifts for the whole family! We hope this will be a fun way to celebrate Christmas with the Camp Mardela community, reflect on the last year at camp, and enjoy some fun Christmas activities for all ages. Come see the beauty of Camp Mardela in the winter time and celebrate the birth of Jesus while supporting the mission of camp. A schedule of specific activities will be posted to the event page at www.campmardela.org/sight-and-sounds-of-christmas.
WINTER RETREATS
We have just published our schedule for winter retreats. These retreats are opportunities for campers to experience Camp Mardela outside of the summer season, to get their fill of camp activities and to be spiritually refreshed. Registration is $85 for each camp. You can register online at www.campmardela.org/camp-programs or send a completed registration form and payment to P.O. Box 460, Denton, MD 21629. The retreat schedule is listed below:
Tween Retreat - February 25-27
Youth Retreat - March 4-6
3rd & 4th Grade Retreat - March 11-13
MEMORIES MADE AT CAMP MARDELA LAST A LIFETIME!
By Paul, Amy, PJ, Ethan, Jacob & Lane Hutchison
"Memories made at Camp Mardela last a lifetime! Some memories should probably not be talked about, while others bring a smile to your face. Paul has been coming to Camp for many years. He started as a camper and fondly remembers Mrs. Berkey’s cooking, Jerry Garey’s nature walks & Stanley Hutchison teaching them to dive off the diving board. Paul’s mother, Darlene remembers cooking in tin cans over the campfire. Amy never did “camp” except as the “me” part of the Me & You camp and has organized the Camp Supper for the last 10 years. As we were leaving Camp Supper 10 years ago, Paul said Patsy wanted to retire from being in charge of the supper, but he found someone to take her place. Little did I know that he volunteered me! It has been quite a blessing to see how all our churches can come together and do such a great thing for Camp Mardela!
"Our oldest son, P.J., loved being at camp as a camper. He remembers the zip line and the kissing tree. Our middle son, Ethan, went as a camper, and his children can’t wait to come as campers next year! Our youngest son, Jacob also loved Camp Mardela as a camper. He remembers the crazy utensil night at spaghetti dinner. Our daughter, Lane, would stay at camp all summer if we let her. She loved being a camper, and now that she is old enough to be a CIT, she thinks that might be even better! Everyone especially loved the lane walks at night (we tell Lane that is where her name came from), making new friends, seeing old friends, the swimming pond, silly songs, campfires, and 4 square. Being at camp and praising God in such a beautiful, unique setting is something kids of all ages never get tired of. We are blessed to have such a natural treasure so close to us."
RENTAL GROUPS
We had many rental groups come in and enjoy Camp Mardela. There were several retreats that stayed for the weekend and camped in RV sites, a couple family reunions, and groups came for prayer meetings, kayak trips, fishing, and hikes throughout the summer and fall. We are happy to accommodate groups like this for any occasion. If you need a place to host an event, you are always invited to come to Camp Mardela. Check out our website at www.campmardela.org/rentals for information about our facilities and rental fees. By choosing Camp Mardela for your rental needs, you are helping to support the mission of Camp Mardela, so consider us for your next event!
PROJECTS AT CAMP MARDELA
A couple years ago, the Camp Mardela Board came up with a 5-year plan for camp. So far, we have done a good job at staying on track with our goals. We got a new website and a regular newsletter started this year. We raised over $10,000 to replace all of the roofs on the camp buildings. The Thursday volunteers have upgraded the playground equipment, and repainted the King Retreat Center, the Craft House, and many other places on the camp property. While a lot has been done so far, there are still projects we are looking forward to doing that will require your help and support. Those projects include:
Purchase a new camp pick-up truck
Replace gaga ball pit
Redo paneled ceiling in Krabill kitchen
New flooring in Krabill Hall
Replace mattresses in cabins
These are very exciting, but very large projects that will require funds and man power. We will need $8,000-$10,000 to complete these projects in 2022. Finding a new camp truck is high priority. Camp Mardela is a special place to so many people, and it is because of our community support. You can donate funds directly to the Camp Mardela Building Fund to help with any of these projects or you can donate items directly to help camp achieve these goals to keep camp going for future generations. You can send donations to P.O. Box 460, Denton, MD 21629 or donate online at www.campmardela.org/donate.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Camp would not be possible without your help. Here are some ways you can support:
Donate money to Building Fund
Donate items to the Camp Auction October 30th
Rent Camp Mardela
Volunteer to help at the Camp Auction or the Sights and Sounds of Christmas
Help decorate for the Sights and Sounds of Christmas December 4th
Volunteer as a counselor for Winter Retreats
Donate items on Camp Mardela's Christmas List:
- 8-person tents (need 1 or 2)
- Small freezer for Camp Store
- Heavy duty can openers
- Paper Products (toilet paper, paper towels)
- Ball pumps
- Christmas Trees
- Christmas lights (plug-in or solar)
Check out campmardela.org/how-you-can-help for more ideas.
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