BJ Christensen Memorial Golf Benefit for Big Lake Youth Camp

In 1962, Big Lake Youth Camp held its first summer of junior camps. For more than 30 years, an estimated 3,000 staff and volunteers have made summer camp an awesome experience for over 70,000 youth and children. All of this effort for the simple reason that kids matter! Our future is bleak without the hope of healthy, happy and responsible young people. They matter to us, and they matter to God.

In 1998 the first Big Lake Golf Benefit was held at Black Butte Ranch in Central Oregon with the hope that we could begin raising money for much-needed upgrades of camp facilities and have a great time golfing too! Our first two years were a humble but encouraging beginning as supporters of Big Lake and avid golfers came to participate in this fun and worthy cause.

In 1999, we moved the event to the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club, a beautiful championship course in the western suburbs of Portland, which is a more convenient location for many of the interested supporters of Big Lake. Our numbers grew immediately.

In the year 2000 the death of BJ Christensen, director of the camp from 1975-81 and avid golfer, saddened all those associated with Big Lake. His long battle with cancer proved to be a time of reflection for staff and campers of the past and present concerning the value and importance of places like Big Lake. It is places like Big Lake and events like summer camp where lives change and the future remains bright.

It is now an honor for Big Lake to carry on Christensen's memory through the BJ Christensen Memorial Golf Benefit. Not only does this event remind us of the wonderful life of service he lived, but it also allows us to support the cause for which he gave so much. Youth.

This year’s sponsorships totaled just over $30,000. These funds will help purchase materials for two new docks for our waterfront area. We had 120 golfers come out and play. Your continued support of Big Lake Youth Camp is greatly appreciated.