Camp Opportunity Open House

Sunday, August 25, 1 – 4 p.m. Happy Valley Conference Center in Santa Cruz

It’s been an amazing 25 years at Camp Opportunity. We are Celebrating with an Open House on Sunday, August 25 from 1pm to 4pm at the Happy Valley Conference Center in Santa Cruz. We are inviting all former campers and counselors to come and enjoy reconnecting with old friends and sharing memories. Over the past 25 years hundreds of campers and counselors have been through our program, many of them returning year after year. Some like Executive Director/Camp Director John Skinner who started as a camper in 1989, he’s never missed a summer of camp and works together with about 50 volunteers to make sure that our campers get the kind of attention and support that they so richly deserve.

Camp Opportunity, established in 1989 by Bob Slassor, as a privately run summer camp for at-risk youth in Santa Cruz County. Our campers from families facing serious issues such as substance abuse and family violence all are at risk of abuse or neglect. Nestled among eucalyptus and coastal redwood trees in a quiet valley in the foothills, the objective is to offer children in the county’s foster care system a safe, fun environment where they can just be kids and have the full attention of an adult for a whole week. The camp runs on a 1-to-1 counselor-to-camper ratio, each camper is matched with a counselor who stays with them 24 hours a day for the entire week, and many of them returning year after year.

The camp is your traditional summer camp and more, with morning flag-raising ceremonies, cabin inspections, arts and crafts, photography, dance, swimming, hiking, archery, and campfires. An important part of camp are the Discovery classes, these are self-esteem classes and workshops that campers and counselors attend together each day.

The camp is run in two sessions. The first, in June, is for campers from 8 to 10 years of age. The second, in July, is for campers 11 to 13. There are about 35 campers in each session. Campers are referred to the camp through Santa Cruz County Human Services. All funding for the camp comes from private donations and fund-raising events throughout the year. The amount raised each year is $40,000 to $50,000. Only 1 percent of the money raised goes toward administrative use. The campers receive a T-shirt, stuffed animal and a memory box created to give them tangible memories of their camping experience.

•••

If you are a former camper or counselor and would like to learn more about our open house, please call Bernice Robertson at 831-427-2737 or Victoria Nelson at 831-251-2665.

Open House Sunday, August 25, 1 – 4 p.m. Happy Valley Conference Center 2159 Branciforte Dr, Santa Cruz. For more information, please visit www.campopp.org. Making a difference in the lives of at-risk children since 1989