The Rotary Club of Peterborough has reached 75 per cent of its fundraising goal of $100,000 to support a new health centre at Camp Kawartha just north of Peterborough.
On Monday, the club presented Camp Kawartha with a $25,000 donation, bringing the contribution up to $75,000 to support the new Rotary Health Centre which will help staff look after the needs of campers and other guests.
The centre is a carbon-neutral straw bale building that replaced a smaller, poorly insulated and energy-efficient cabin that had been in use since 1955.
“Our Rotary Club, has and always will, support Camp Kawartha and its Outdoor Education Centre,” said Rotarian Jim Coyle, past president.
“Rotary has always been involved with programming to develop the youth of today to be the leaders of tomorrow and that is what Camp Kawartha programming is all about. This new Rotary Health Centre is not only a necessary component of the Camp infrastructure, but it is also a shining example of construction methodology that is mindful of the environment that it is situated on.”
At 186 acres, Camp Kawartha is located 30 kilometres north of Peterborough along 800 feet of waterfront on Clear Lake. The camp was originally started by the Rotary Club of Peterborough during the club’s inaugural year in 1921 to serve as a camp for “underprivileged boys.” The club purchased the land for $250.
Today, the camp welcomes over 16,000 children and youth annually. Rotary members volunteer as board members and assist with some activities and provide funding for projects and programs.
Camp Kawartha executive director Jacob Rodenburg says the Rotary Health Centre is an “inspiring example: of sustainable design in action. Camp Kawartha provides leadership in environmental stewardship and sustainability.
“It shows campers, students and even health professionals, what a healthy Health Centre can look like,” he said. “We are enormously grateful to the Rotary Club of Peterborough for making this project possible.”
Club president Betty Halman-Plumley added: “I am pleased to be presenting this cheque in the amount of $25,000 as another step towards meeting our multi-year pledge of $100,000 to Camp Kawartha for the creation of a unique environmentally. sustainable health centre.”