a ground breaking good time

By Marji Wisniewski, Marketing Specialist, North Star Reach

On July 30, campers, their families, donors, volunteers, board members, camp staff and SeriousFun support center staff gathered to celebrate the groundbreaking of North Star Reach, the SeriousFun Camp being built near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Instead of the usual "shovel in the ground" ceremony, the nearly 250 guests were asked to decorate a small piece of wood with a wish for the campers and toss it in a campfire that was ignited by our founders and other donors.

This unique celebration marked a seven-year effort to bring the camp to life. Having raised more than $21 million towards a $26 million goal, enough funding had been secured to begin construction on the new facility. Previously, North Star Reach has been serving children with serious illnesses through its Camp on the Move program, which helps children in Michigan attend other SeriousFun camps in the United States.

Construction of the universally accessible, year-round facility is expected to be completed in fall 2015. Upon completion, North Star Reach plans to host family camp sessions in the fall and spring. The first summer week-long sessions will take place in summer 2016.

To watch the groundbreaking celebration for North Star Reach or to see photos from the event, please visit, www.northstarreach.org/groundbreaking.