This past winter, Big Lake Youth Camp staff received word that a generous donor would be giving BLYC a much-needed upgrade to its backup power system in the form of a nearly new propane generator.
Somerset Lodge, the senior living facility that sits on the back side of the Oregon Conference Gladstone Park campus, was recently required by the state of Oregon to upgrade its generator despite it being nearly brand new. Instead of profiting from the sale of the generator being replaced, an offer was made to pass the system on to BLYC as a gift.
“It’s so important to have consistent power at Big Lake,” shared Les Zollbrecht, camp director. “When a line breaks in the forest or we lose power for any other reason, everything is at risk — especially food. Every couple of years we deal with an electrical short that impacts camp, and that can be a catastrophic event, so having a dependable backup system is critical.
"Big Lake is a remote camp, especially in the winter," he continued. "If power goes down you have to take a snowcat ride out to the road to get to town, and, if you have a group of people at camp, you have to get them all transported out safely, which cuts their visit short.”
In addition to the generator itself, the system also includes a high-dollar transfer switch, allowing the generator to turn on automatically in the event of a power outage. This donation will allow BLYC staff, campers and visitors additional security and peace of mind in the coming years.
“The thoughtfulness and generosity of this donation is an absolute game changer for Big Lake's functionality,” said Zollbrecht. “We’re really grateful for this.”
BLYC is already well into planning its summer events, interviewing potential staff, preparing programs and preparing the grounds. If you feel called to invest in BLYC or their campers, you can find more information by visiting biglake.org/donate today.
