Birchwood Camp’s Wish List
We are often in need of new and/or gently used items for the camp. We keep a “wish list” posted on our support and sustain page. Please email us or call us at 907-688-2734 if you have an item to donate or would like additional details. We will provide you with a donation in kind receipt that you can use for tax purposes.
Current Wish List:
- A new riding lawn mower
- A small tractor with front end loader and PTO drive
- A new electric range (residential) for the Caribou Cabin kitchen
- A sponsor for our new outdoor pavilion (to replace the failing picnic shelter)
- Sponsors for the furniture (tables & chairs) for Lower Fireweed Hall
- Curtains for Fireweed Hall (contact for specifics)
- Sponsors for a new septic system
- Snacks & food items for summer staff (contact for specifics)
- Assorted craft supplies (contact us for specifics)
- Air miles to help transport our interns and summer staff to Alaska
May 11: Birchwood Camp Open House
You are invited to join us for this awesome, family friendly event on Saturday, May 11, 2013! Those who would like to get some exercise & see a different view of our camp grounds can join us for our 1 mile run/walk in the morning. We’ll also have free open house & campfire lunch afterwards– we hope you’ll join us for all or part of our annual spring Open House at Birchwood Camp.
10am: 1 mile Fun Run
Attention: The 5k has been cancelled for this year due to trail conditions which have made the course inaccessible. Last fall’s windstorm resulted in numerous trees blocking the perimeter trails of camp. We had hoped to be able to clear all the trees before the 5k race, but the trails are still snow covered and have not allowed for access. Please join us for the 1 mile fun run!
Fun run/walk participants must check in at Fireweed Hall between 9:15 and 9:45am. During this time, participants will pick up their bibs, sign in for their event, and get a quick trail briefing. Race start time is 10am.
We love it when participants preregister for the fun run, and you can even save yourself a couple bucks by signing up early. See the links below to preregister online. Special rates are also available for active military. Sorry, there will be no refunds if you preregister and can’t make it — consider it a donation!
Fun run entry fees: Adults $10, Children $5, Families $20 (add $5 to these fees for registrations on the day of the race)REGISTER FOR THE 1 MILE FUN RUN/ WALK
An awards ceremony for the top finishers for the 1 mile fun run/walk will take place at 10:30am at the fire circle.
10:30am – 1pm: Open House
Join us for hot dogs, S’mores and more around the campfire. Tours of the cabins & grounds will be available for those new to Birchwood. Come see what’s new at Birchwood if you haven’t been out for a while; Enjoy a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere; Even take a walk around our lake. Lunch will start around 11am and you may come and go as you please!
The open house is a free event and a great way to introduce friends & young children to Birchwood Camp!
Pick.Click.Give… Thanks!
Thank you to Pick.Click.Give. 2013 Donors!
March 31 marked the end of the filing period for Alaska residents applying for
this year’s permanent fund divided. On April 2 the state of Alaska released preliminary totals for each organization that participated in Pick.Click.Give. as well as totals for the whole program this year.
We are pleased to announce that 48 generous donors gave $5200 to Birchwood Camp through Pick.Click.Give. in 2013!! To those who shared part of their dividend with us, thank you! In October the state of Alaska will release donor information to us for all donors who opted to share their name & contact information, and we will have the opportunity to formally thank you for your support. For now, and for all those who chose to remain anonymous, please accept our gratitude! Your gifts will support quality Christian camping opportunities for the children and youth of Alaska– providing safe spaces for character development, nature exploration, community building and spiritual growth. Thank you.
The Pick.Click.Give. program set new records in 2013 in both the total amount pledged ($2,445,450 – up 10% over last year’s $2.2 million) and in the number of Alaskans who made charitable donations through the program (26,093 – almost 3,000 more donors than last year). Overall, 4.7% of Alaskans who filed online for the PFD this year made a charitable contribution through Pick.Click.Give. We are pleased to see this program growing and the people of Alaska supporting the many worthwhile non-profit organizations & causes in our state.
Alaska residents can still add or change their Pick.Click.Give. contributions until August 1. Click here to add or change yours.
Spring Events at Birchwood Camp
Mark your calendars and plan to attend these upcoming events:
April 6: ‘Sleds & Saws’ work day
Starting at 9 A.M., bring your chainsaw and/or snow machine and sled. Help clear trees from last fall’s windstorms that are blocking Birchwood Camp’s trails. Lunch is included so please contact Stephen (manager@birchwoodcamp.org or 688-2734) if you are interested in helping and/or plan to attend.
April 20: Kid’s Day
Join us at the Dena’ina Convention Center in downtown Anchorage at Kid’s Day 2013! Birchwood Camp will have a booth at this free event which runs from 10am to 4pm. Come by and say hi and learn about our camp programs! Click here to learn more about Kid’s Day.
May 11: Spring Open House
10am: Birchwood Camp 5k Trail Race & 1 mile Fun Run
5k: Adults $20, Kids $10/ Fun Run: Adults $10, Kids $5/ $5 more on day of race (military & family discounts available). Click here to register and for more information.
10:30am – 1pm: Birchwood Camp Open House
Hot dogs, S’mores & fun around the camp fire! Tours of the cabins & grounds. The open house is a free event! This is a great opportunity to visit camp and introduce friends & young children to Birchwood Camp! Please join us at camp for all or part of this family-friendly event. Click here for directions.
May 18: Spring Volunteer Day
Lots of helpers are needed to get the camp ready for summer. A variety of projects are available for all skill levels. We’ll be working from 10am to 4pm; join us for all or part of the day! Lunch is provided so please RSVP to let us know you are coming.
Contact Marie or Stephen if you are interested in helping with and/or attending any of these events. We’ll be adding more details soon.
Windstorm Update
Birchwood Camp suffered heavy tree loss from the windstorm that came through our area on September 4. Wind gust were reported at 80-100 mph and the storm lasted through the night. The camp was out of power for three days following the storm.
We estimate that we lost about 50 trees just in the heart of camp– so anywhere there are buildings. We also had 14 trees down across the driveway into camp. The are 21 trees down on the trail around the lake and trees were blocking every path out to our challenge course. There is simply no way for use to tell the actual number of trees down on all of our 160 acres; there are too many to count.
We were incredibly fortunate as far as damages to buildings- almost all the trees missed buildings, often just barely. There were a couple trees leaning on the lodge but they were held up by the root ball and were removed without damage. A tree landed on the corner of Trapper cabin, damaging one of the logs. And a tree clipped the porch overhang on cabin 3, so some repair on the edge of the roof will be needed. Another tree took out part of the back stop on the ball field, so that will need to be rebuilt; however, that is a simple, non essential structure. We feel very blessed that there was not more damage and that all the onsite staff were unharmed.
We anticipate that full clean up from this windstorm will take several months. We have made great progress already with the help of numerous volunteers, but we hope to get the heart of camp clear before the snow falls. Over 300 volunteer hours have been given towards the clean up effort so far, but there is still much work to be done. We need volunteers to fall trees, cut up down trees, and move wood and brush. If you want to help, please call or email the camp office- volunteer days and times are flexible. Office: 907-688-2734 or director@birchwoodcamp.org.
If you are on of our guest groups, please know that camp is fully accessible and large efforts towards clean up have been made. We ask you to pardon our “mess” while we continue this clean up effort. There is still some tree debris around and piles of wood in odd places. But we are working to make things as normal as possible for our guests and campers.
Family Volunteer Weekend
Birchwood Camp Volunteer Weekend: May 18-20, 2012
This all‐ages camp will give you the opportunity to play around the grounds and on the lake, enjoy the outdoors with your family & friends, and even introduce young children to the camping experience. On Saturday we will ask everyone to volunteer several hours around the camp—helping to “de‐winterize” the camp grounds and get the camp ready for the busy summer season. We’ll have a variety of jobs that are suitable for every age and skill level. Because you are helping us by volunteering around camp, the fee for the event just helps us cover the cost of providing you with delicious home cooked meals! When you are done volunteering your time with us, you are free to “play” and relax around camp with family and friends. This will be a very relaxed retreat, with very little planned programming and plenty of time to volunteer or relax as you see fit!
Details & Schedule
Check‐in begins at the Main Lodge on Friday, May 18 at 7:00 PM. Departure time on Sunday, May 20 is 9:00 AM. Muscular Dystrophy Association is beginning their week‐long camp later on Sunday, so it is very important that everyone is ready to go and cleaned up on Sunday morning.
Please eat before you arrive Friday night ; we’ll provide snacks on Friday night thru breakfast on Sunday. Our cook, Berneita, is great at working with a variety of food allergies and dietary needs if she know about them in advance.
What to Bring
The heated facilities include log cabins, a centralized bathroom & shower house, and the Main Lodge for eating & meeting. We provide mattresses on all the beds, you’ll need to bring the bedding (see below).
Please leave pets, alcohol, and weapons at home.
Please bring the following: Sleeping Bag • Pillow • Flashlight • Toiletries • Towels/Washcloths •Work Clothes and Sturdy Shoes for Saturday Volunteer Time• Warm Clothes for Outside • Puzzles and Board Games • Outdoor Recreation Equipment • Water bottle •Cameras • Musical Instruments • Comfy cotton clothing for use in our Sweat Lodge (this option will be available to adults & older teens if there is any interest).
Click here to register for this event (A $20 late fee per family applies after May 14). Please note: you need to fill out a registration form for each member of your family that is attending. Parents should select “I am legal guardian” when registering themselves for this event.
Only free on Saturday? We welcome your help during our volunteer time Saturday morning (approximately 9am-1pm). Email our camp manager if you can help on Saturday.
May 12: Birchwood Camp 5k & Open House
YOU ARE INVITED…
Join us for this great event on May 12! We had so much fun at our first 5k last year that we decided to do it again in 2012. We’ve added a 1 mile run/walk for those who want to have a more leisurely experience. We’ll also have an open house & campfire lunch afterwards– we hope you’ll join us for all or part of this Birchwood Camp event.
9am: Registration & bib pick up in Fireweed Hall
Add $5 to the prices below for day of race registrations. You can preregister below and save yourself a few bucks.
10am: 5k Trail Race & 1 mile Fun Run/ Walk
5k entry fees: Adults $20, Children $10, Families $40
Register for the Birchwood 5k Race
Fun run entry fees: Adults $10, Children $5, Families $20
Register for the 1 mile Fun Run/ Walk
Military discounts available. Sorry, there will be no refunds if you preregister and can’t make it — consider it a donation!
TRAIL REPORT (5/5/12): Spring conditions exist on the trails, with slush, snow, mud and some standing water. We recommend wearing wool socks and bringing a change of shoes/socks for post race. We’re hoping for sunshine all week to help dry things up, but we’ll have fun either way!
11am: Race Award Ceremony
11am – 1pm: Open House
Join us for Hot dogs and S’mores around the campfire and tours of the cabins & grounds for those new to Birchwood.
12:15pm: “Floating on Faith” Duct Tape Boat Race!!
That’s right– boats made only of card board and duct tape, floating on Psalm Lake.
The Rules: Materials are limited to cardboard and duct tape only; you must provide the cardboard and duct tape for your team’s boat. You can use a real paddle and can have an unlimited number of paddlers. PFDs are required (Birchwood Camp has PFDs and paddles you can use). The course will be a short loop– 50-100 yards total. All the boat will start together from the shore by the fire circle. A lifeguard will be present.
The winning team will get a free night in Caribou Cabin and Cabin 6 for up to 20 guests. No food service is included, and of course it will be subject to availability.
The open house is a free event and a great way to introduce friends & young children to Birchwood Camp!
Pick. Click. Give. a success!
Check out the following news release about the 2012 Pick Click Give program. The original release can be found on the Pick Click Give website.
We are extremely grateful for all those who made a gift Birchwood Camp through this great program during our first year. The unofficial figures show that Alaskans donated $3550 to Birchwood Camp through Pick Click Give… WOW!!! The State of Alaska will release the official information to us in October, and we’ll have the opportunity to recognize all of you who gave so generously! Thank you in advance for supporting Birchwood Camp’s mission of building community through summer camps, retreat space, nature exposure and experiential learning.
April 3, 2012
Contact: Cassandra Stalzer, Rasmuson Foundation, 907-334-0520 or 907-223-9908 cell
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Alaskans Pledge $2.2 Million through Pick Click Give in 2012
Campaign Raises 110 percent of goal
ANCHORAGE – Alaskans gave charitable gifts to their favorite nonprofit causes through Pick Click Give in record numbers this year, according to data provided by the Permanent Fund Dividend Division of the Alaska State Department of Revenue. As of April 1, 2012, the close of the regular three-month filing period for the annual Permanent Fund Dividend, over 23,000 individuals had pledge over 37,000 gifts to over 400 nonprofit organizations totaling $2,200,800.
These figures represent 110 percent of this year’s campaign goal of $2 million, and an increase of nearly 50 percent over last year’s total.
“These cash donations represent true acts of kindness,” said Cassandra Stalzer, communications manager at Rasmuson Foundation. “Alaskans’ unique quality of life is directly linked to the health of our nonprofit sector, and Pick. Click. Give. provides a safe and easy way to support the causes we care about.”
“Our participation rate of 4.2 percent makes Pick Click Give one of the most successful fundraising campaigns in the United States of America,” added Stalzer.
Last year, 19,000 Alaskans raised $1.5 million for nonprofits, community foundations and the University of Alaska campuses through Pick. Click. Give. In 2010, 9,500 Alaskans donated a total of $927,000 and in 2009, the program’s first year, 5,500 people gave $545,000.
More information on Pick. Click. Give. can be found at www.PickClickGive.org.
The Pick. Click. Give. statewide outreach campaign is made possible through financial support from the Alaska Children’s Trust, Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority, Atwood Foundation, BP Alaska, ConocoPhillips Alaska, ExxonMobil, Mat-Su Health Foundation, Northrim Bank, Providence Health + Services Alaska and Rasmuson Foundation. Also providing generous amounts of in-kind support are the Alaska Public Radio Network, Regal Entertainment Group/CIRI, The Alaska Club, Alaska Aces, Nerland Agency and Wells Fargo Bank Alaska. Pick. Click. Give. is coordinated through a partnership including the Permanent Fund Dividend Division of the Alaska Department of Revenue, Rasmuson Foundation, The Foraker Group, United Way of Anchorage and Alaska Community Foundation.
Pick. Click. Give. to Birchwood Camp – deadline to file for your PFD approaching!
March 31 marks the deadline to file for your PFD for all you procrastinators that also happen to be Alaska residents. Please remember to Pick Click and Give to Birchwood Camp when you file for your PFD — it’s very easy — just search “Birchwood Camp” when you get to that part of the application.
If you’ve already made a contribution or didn’t make a gift when you originally applied, you can add or change your gifts through August. Simply go to the state PFD division website and select “Add or Change Charitable pledges.”
A big thank you to all the people who have given to Birchwood Camp during our first year as part of the program! Our goal was to have contributions of at least $1000 this year and we are already have gifts totaling $1350! Lets make it to $1500!!