{"id":19522,"date":"2014-12-15T04:18:37","date_gmt":"2014-12-15T12:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=19522"},"modified":"2014-12-15T04:18:37","modified_gmt":"2014-12-15T12:18:37","slug":"letter-to-the-editor-re-help-save-sturtevant-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=19522","title":{"rendered":"Letter to the Editor re: Help Save Sturtevant Camp"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted 12\/15\/14 –<\/em> Hello fellow hikers and canyon-lovers!<\/p>\n

The Friends of the San Gabriels is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with the United Methodist Church to purchase Sturtevant Camp. We are now starting a fundraiser and hope that you will participate.<\/p>\n

Many of you are familiar with Sturtevant Camp and some of you are not.\u00a0 For those\u00a0 of you who have not had a chance to visit this great treasure, let me give you some background. Sturtevant Camp was established in 1893 and was one of five resort camps in the Big Santa Anita Canyon (Chantry Flat area) during the great hiking era of the early 1900s.\u00a0 Now, a century later, it is the last remaining camp and the only place that you can rent cabins for you and a couple of friends or a really big group of 40+.\u00a0 It has been under the ownership of the United Methodist Church (UMC) since 1945. It has never been successfully self-supporting since that time and has relied upon UMC funds to keep it alive.\u00a0 From 2010 on, all camps have had to be self-supporting. \u00a0Our favorite camp manager of 20 years (Chris Kasten and his wife Joan) was laid off and a dedicated group of individuals known as the \u201cboot squad\u201d has tirelessly tried to maintain the camp.\u00a0 But, alas, without marketing and lately a lack of water, business has been dismal.<\/p>\n

So, you ask, what will be different this time? First, we will have a team of enthusiastic, experienced, canyonites dedicated to this project: Sue Burgess, Deb Burgess, and Brad Bryce. In addition, we have planned a three-pronged approach: 1) Brad Bryce, cabin owner and long-time canyon volunteer, will live at the camp and manage it for the first 1-2 years in a non-paid capacity.\u00a0 This will provide for stability in operations and open the camp to weekday guests. 2) Heavy marketing including email and phone call campaigns to potential groups such as Scouts, So Cal hiking groups, environmental groups, equestrian groups. 3) Schedule event-type weekends for a flat fee that includes all expenses.\u00a0 So far, we have come up with a hand-quilt making weekend, Scout merit badge weekends, board game (and\/or chess) weekend, live music weekend, Thanksgiving at Camp, art camp weekend, etc. We would love to hear more ideas.<\/p>\n

This is where you come in.\u00a0 We could really use your help through donations, suggestions, and volunteering. We have some incentives for donations.\u00a0 First, remember that your donations are tax-deductible.\u00a0 Next, check out what we will give back:<\/p>\n