Camp ASCCA Blog

The annual St. James Science Camp was held last week as fifth grade students from St. James School visited Camp ASCCA for a three-day science camp. Outdoor Education Specialist Cody Graham designed the schedule for the session, and the students were divided into groups of at least ten to rotate from program to program. The goal of the week is for students to gain knowledge about the science in Alabama and enjoy every second of it. The programs offered were Living Streams, Step Out & Fish, Ziptower, Canoeing, Group Elements, Nature Jeopardy, and Forestry.

Last weekend, the Alabama District Pilot International hosted the sixth annual Pilot TBI Camp right here at Camp ASCCA. This weekend camp is held every year in hopes of offering an unforgettable getaway and new opportunities for individuals who are living with a traumatic brain injury. According to the Alabama District website, “PILOT International is a community based volunteer service organization, founded in 1921 in Macon, GA, on the guiding principles of “Friendship and Service” through charitable projects, community service, education and research.”

After a couple months of summer registration, we are very excited about what will be one of the biggest ASCCA summers yet! Almost all sessions are completely full, and we are taking applications for the 2019 Summer Staff. However, before we can get to the summer, we have to enjoy the exciting events that have happened so far this spring and the many more to come. In this season’s edition of the ASCCA Good Times newsletter, you will find an update on our annual Fun Fish Weekend, learn more about a few new additions to Camp and much more.

Campers, staff and volunteers came together on March 22 to enjoy another annual Fun Fish Weekend at Camp ASCCA, but this one had a few exciting surprises that came along with it. Check-in began Friday afternoon at 4 p.m., and campers arrived with suitcases and fishing poles in tow. The campers were greeted by a big group of volunteers made up of past summer staff, local volunteers and members of Auburn’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.

Earlier this month, we held a special event at the LPR Zipline for the contributors who made the program possible in 2018 and beyond. Peter Levy, Donald Perkins and Glenn Roswal brought their families to Camp on Saturday, Feb. 16, and some of them even traveled from New Jersey. A few close friends of the families also made the trip including Greg Frith and former ASCCA staff member Jeanette Griffey.

Earlier this month, the newest addition to the full-time staff, Adventure Program Specialist Jacob Boyer, paid a visit to his alma mater, Mississippi State University to speak with a few groups about Camp ASCCA. As many of you may know, the fraternity Pi Kappa Phi and its members from across the country are often heavily involved with the many projects we have going on here at Camp. As Camp Director Matt Rickman once said, “You can spin in a circle with your eyes closed, point in any direction, and odds are you’re pointing at something the Pi Kapps had their hands on.”

Over the weekend, Administrator John Stephenson and Director of Marketing Dana Rickman visited the Rotary District 6880 mid-year conference and had the opportunity to provide an update about Camp for the many Rotary clubs that support our campers each year.

Join us as we welcome back Jacob Boyer to the Camp ASCCA Staff! He worked here for several summers in college on the program staff and is now coming onto the team as our full-time Adventure Program Specialist. In this position, Boyer will be responsible for the many adventure activities across the campus including the main zipline, Ziptower, the LPR Zipline, and much more. Keep reading, and you will learn more about Boyer and the path that brought him back here to the greatest place on earth.

Happy Holidays, everyone! We just finished up the biggest fundraiser since the inception of the Jingle Jump a few years ago and experienced the most memorable Christmas Weekend ever. We couldn’t let you miss a moment, so we released the recent winter edition of the ASCCA Good Times newsletter that includes information and photos from all of our recent events. So grab your favorite hot drink and warm blanket for an afternoon of cozy reading.

This season’s newsletter is full of holiday updates, camper news, and much more! Feel free to view some of our older editions as well on our Newsletters page!

Click here to download this year’s winter newsletter.

‘Twas a weekend to remember at this year’s ASCCA Christmas Weekend. Campers, staff and volunteers arrived Friday afternoon, and everyone was ready for the fun to begin. Once all the campers had arrived, everyone headed to the cabins to unpack and prepare for the holiday festivities. Friday night’s dinner was followed by Christmas crafts and holiday cookie decorating, and we even had a special visit from Santa Claus himself. As always, he was a big hit, and everyone had the chance to get a picture with him.

For the first time ever, Camp ASCCA is hosting a weekend camp for FIRST-TIME families called Rookie Camp on April 26-28. This weekend in April

Every year, #GivingTuesday falls on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and it is designed to be an international day of giving to charities around the world.