Submitted by Mark Cheeks, Ware Malcomb
Saturday, May 30, 2009 was NAIOP’s twelfth annual Spring Work Day at the Boys and Girls Clubs Gates Camp. It was a great day, despite heavy rain showers in the mountains. The volunteers met at the Broomfield Park and Ride for a light breakfast and car pooled up to the camp. About ten of the camp counselors volunteered their time as well. Tyler Edmonson is the camp’s director and is always eager to have us come up because we are the final push needed to get the camp ready for the campers coming this summer.
We did prep work to get the camp ready for opening the following week, so the Boys and Girls Clubs really count on us to lend some elbow grease to the projects. There are always a variety of jobs to choose from, this year there were things such as, putting up the large outdoor tents, staining the barn, setting up the archery targets and area, lining trails with cut posts and constructing a stepping post course.
The camp depends on this group of volunteers each year. The one day of work that the volunteers give the camp is like having 15 people spend a 40-hour week on the multiple projects. While the work is the primary focus, other added bonuses are: networking in an unconventional setting up in the mountains, enjoying a beautiful day, the drive back and forth is a beautiful ride and the food and the drinks taste that much better after a hard day’s work.
This year we had the abbreviated version of the day again; leaving at 7:30 and returning to Denver by 2:30. It was a rewarding day, and it just makes you feel good to know you are helping to make the experience better for the 600 campers that will stay there throughout the summer. Thank you to all the volunteers this year for making it a success. As the camp cheer goes: Heepwah!
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