Pearce Williams Summer Camp and Retreat in Fingal, Ont., celebrated on Friday after being honoured with $100,000 through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) Grant last year.
The camp, also known as Pearce Williams Christian Centre, received the grant back in September 2021 “to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.”
All upgrades and changes were completed as of April 2022, “giving campers and people in the community safer and more flexible spaces that take into account all of the health and safety requirements needed,” officials stated.
According to the OTF website, the foundation, part of the provincial government, offers a range of grants supporting non-profit organizations across the province and is one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. OTF recently marked its 40-year milestone on Nov. 17.
“Since 1982, the OTF has built communities, or has led to the building of healthy and vibrant communities across the province,” said Amy Sloan, a member of the OTF grant review team for the Thames Valley region. “Within an initial budget of $15 million, OTF has grown significantly and now invests over $100 million annually into communities and organizations like Pearce Williams.”
Last year, OTF invested nearly $112 million into 1,384 community projects and partnerships “to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector.”
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Rob Flack attended Friday’s celebrational event at the campgrounds, recognizing the positive work summer camps can have on growing youth.
“Places like Pearce William Summer Camp and Retreat facility provide an invaluable opportunity for people in this community and beyond,” he said. “Summer camps are a tremendous asset in this province … and it’s great to have one like this right here in our backyard.”
Having opened their registration for camp in 2023 at the beginning of November, Richards said that they are already receiving a lot of positive feedback and excitement for the upcoming year.
He added that they “look for future campers who will come to camp and who will be able to because of the resiliency built into us through these donations.”