"Last year my children came home from a week at Camp Tukuskoya all excited about the fun they had. They loved it and were recommitted spiritually,” said the person on the other end of the line. “I want to have a part in making that available for another camper.” The resulting camp scholarship made it possible for Alaska Camps to invite another camper to enjoy the fun of a week of camp with friends. Alaska Camps offer the supervision of a well-trained and experienced staff who consistently point kids to Jesus as the source of life, fun and peace.
For three summers, Laurie Hosey, an Adventist teacher in Colville, Wash., has agreed to be camp director. Her team, including other school teachers, provides Alaska kids with a fun-filled Adventist summer camp experience in three locations—Camp Tukuskoya near Wasilla, Camp Polaris near Aleknagik and Camp Lorraine near Wrangell. The team provides two weeks of camp at Camp Tukuskoya, packs up quickly to fly to Camp Polaris for a week and then flies to Camp Lorraine for the final week before rushing back to Washington to hastily prepare for the start of their teaching duties.
All three camps are accessible only by boat or float plane. While Camp Tukuskoya and Camp Lorraine have some permanent buildings, Camp Polaris is rustic with very few enclosed structures. The local camp boards for Camp Lorraine and Camp Polaris are dependent on donations for improvements and maintenance of facilities.
The operational cost per camper for Alaska Camps may be staggering, but the thrill of seeing a young person accept Jesus is of inestimable value.
"I got it!" exclaimed the camper as he finally made the grass squawk between his thumbs. Under the nurturing attention of Alaska Camp staff, campers at the three locations are brought closer to God and nature. (John Kriegelstein)
Alaska Camps provides four weeks of Christian camp experience for Alaska's kids in three locations across the state. (John Kriegelstein)
