Our Buildings Make Overnight Camp Experiences Possible

Camp Magruder has hosted hundreds of thousands of campers for overnight retreats, outdoor school, and summer camp since 1945. Our sleeping lodges hold over 270 beds total, but sleeping is not the only thing going on there. Friendships are built and strengthened, meaningful conversations take place, and memories are forged that rush back anytime a former guest steps foot in that building again. 

Smith & Herron Are Two of Our Oldest Lodges, and It's Showing. 

The Smith and Herron Lodges have been with Camp Magruder since 1947--just two years after the camp began. Many wonderful experiences have been had over the years there, but they are showing great wear from those years. Walls, floors, and bathrooms are deteriorating, creating serious concern for their sustainability. The 30-year-old furnace in Herron Lodge has gone out and cannot be replaced until these major renovations occur leaving it without heat.  The buildings need attention soon before irreversible deterioration takes place. It is a large undertaking that will require professional contractors and significant funding.

We Have Exciting Plans to Renovate These Buildings 

We have ambitious plans for Smith and Herron. While we remove walls and floors for repair, we plan to completely reshape the floor plan of the building, creating 9 rooms, each with sleeping for 1-4 people, each with its own bathroom, similar to rooming at Edwards Lodge. The breezeway between the two buildings will be enclosed and become a central meeting space but will have large windows to retain the breezeway feel so many love. We are partnering with a local construction company to make the renovations and plan to begin work a year from now when our 2025 Fall retreat season ends. The crew feels confident they can complete the work before our Spring groups arrive in 2026.

Your Giving Tuesday Participation Kicks Off a Year-Long Campaign

We anticipate this project to cost $400,000, and we are beginning to go public with our fundraising campaign. So far, we have raised nearly $125,000 with donations, grants, and pledges. On Giving Tuesday, we hope to spread the word about these efforts by raising $2,000 by the end of the day December 3.

We imagine this exciting project beginning a year from now, and we know it will be because of many people sharing funds and resources to care for this pair of structures that have been with Camp Magruder nearly from the beginning. 

Your gifts will repair an aging structure and will also help the building better serve modern guest groups, leadership members, and people with additional needs. The $2,000 we raise on Giving Tuesday will be a small part of the total, but the word that spreads through social media accounts and conversation will get the word out to many more who may support the campaign in the year to come. 

What is Giving Tuesday?

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that harnesses generosity around the world during gift giving seasons. The mission is to strive to build a world in which generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking opportunity, and equity around the globe. Camp Magruder has had Giving Tuesday campaigns for nearly 10 years now, helping to fund incredible projects and program elements that have improved our ability to complete our mission while spreading good cheer about our work. 

Contact

If you have any questions about giving or sharing this campaign on social media, contact Troy Taylor at 503-355-2310 or troy@campmagruder.org