Camp Update – April 25
Greetings in Christ! It has been almost two whole weeks since we last updated you on our response to the on-going pandemic. This communication was delayed from Friday, April 24 to accommodate the Camp Board meeting that took place earlier today (4/25).
In Governor Reynold’s press conference yesterday (4/24/2020) it was highlighted that our projected peak in COVID-19 cases is still a few weeks away at minimum. At this point, our services for retreats, outdoor education, and campground camping remain suspended indefinitely, and it is difficult to see a scenario where we resume regular operations and services before June 1. So all events until June 1 are hereby cancelled.
Today, I’d like to announce our contingencies for summer camp. To lead off, we have still not cancelled any summer camp sessions. Though we have taken no direction on any specific contingency, I hope we can shed some light on what could happen in the event we are not able to do some or all of summer camp.
First, for a bit of context, Camp Io–Dis–E–Ca sits on the northern edge of Johnson County, is surrounded by more than 20% of the cases in the state, with Linn County and Cedar Rapids immediately to the north, and Iowa City and the remainder of Johnson County to the south. Local health restrictions may play a big role in what kind of a program we’ll be able to have.
Between May 8 and May 22, we will begin making our first decisions about either continuing or cancelling summer camp sessions. First, we’ll be doing rolling cancellations. Due to potential restrictions on mass-gatherings and social distancing, our rolling cancellations will be done in the following order…
1) Resident Camp sessions of June 17-19, June 21-26, and June 28-July 3 would be the first sessions cancelled. (Decision by May 22, hopefully sooner)
2) Day Camp sessions of June 22-26 and June 29-July 3 would be the second sessions cancelled. (Decision by May 22, hopefully sooner)
3) All remaining Resident Camp sessions (July 5-7, July 12-17, July 19-24, July 26-31, August 2-4, and August 4-7) are cancelled. (Decision by June 14, hopefully sooner)
4) All remaining Day Camp sessions are cancelled (Decision by June 14, hopefully sooner)
The final scenario is a Day Camp only program, or a Day Camp and Horse Camp program, should we see our numbers limited due to mass-gathering restrictions.
Estimates show that we have nearly $200,000 of at-risk budgeted revenue through the early fall. Though expenses can be minimized to soften the blow of financial loss, losses will still be significant. Thankfully, we appear stable for now. Camp Io–Dis–E–Ca qualified for and has received the PPP loan offered through the SBA and provided for by our bank. This will provide financial relief for paying full-time and seasonal staff for the remainder of the second quarter, through June.
But here’s what we need. In the event summer camp cancellations take place, we’ll have a form available on our camp’s website for you to complete to either donate your existing deposit or request your refund. This form will go live on May 1. In the event of cancellation, we’re asking you to please support Camp Io–Dis–E–Ca by donating your existing deposit and summer camp fees. Full refunds are also available, and will be mailed via check upon request. Refunds can only go to who paid them, so if your church or mission group paid the deposit or fee, they’ll need to complete their portion of the refund.
I can’t express it enough, but donating your camp deposits keeps Camp Io–Dis–E–Ca alive. It ensures we have financial resources to see this pandemic through so we can return another day to serve our campers and guests with our wonderful mission of Christ-centered education, recreation, and inspiration.
May God bless you with health and safety as we approach the summer. We’ll continue to update you each Friday going forward.