Second Annual Alumni Day at Camp Timpoochee, Saturday, March 14, 2020
It’s the smell of burning wood and sound of laughter as sweet, sticky s’mores are being enjoyed by hundreds of campers. Singing, dancing, games, friendships and memories made – summer camp! The highlight of many youths’ summer that they do not soon forget! What many former campers would do to go back and relive some of those precious memories…
“I won’t never forget it,” Mr. Amos Morris said. “You won’t ever forget Camp Timpoochee.” Morris, who attended 4-H Camp Timpoochee as a camper in 1947, took a trip down memory lane during camp’s first Alumni Day in 2019, describing his attendance at camp as “a good education. Get away from home, get away from the parents, and meet somebody else.” When describing camps today, he shared, “It’s just good for them (campers). They ought to have more camps than what they have.” With a need to celebrate Timpoochee’s long, rich history, there is no better way to do so than by bringing together campers, new and old.
During this event, multiple opportunities are offered to explore the campgrounds, play games, fellowship with others while making a delicious s’more. A special station is set up where attendees are encouraged to fill out cards completing the statement “Because of camp…”. Some of last year’s responses include “Because of Camp I found a place where I will always belong,” “I had the confidence to grow and learn and believe in myself,” “I can be myself for a week,” and “I found a home, a family, and a future I’d never dreamed of.”
4-H Camp Timpoochee has set their Second Annual Alumni Day on Saturday, March 14, 2020 from 10 AM – 4 PM CST to celebrate 93 years of camp. This free event will be open to all who wish to come out and enjoy playing camp games and fellowship with other alumni.
4-H Camp Timpoochee is the oldest continually operating 4-H camp in Florida.
Many never dreamed that Timpoochee would be going strong as long as it has. Established in 1926, 4-H Camp Timpoochee is the oldest continually operating 4-H camp in Florida. It sits along the shore of the Choctwhatchee Bay, providing the perfect outdoor living classroom. With more than a third of a mile of shoreline, it has become the perfect escape from the hustle of the outside world offering a place to disconnect from technology and reconnect with people. Serving more than 800 campers each summer, Timpoochee provides multiple opportunities for youth to experience new adventures, step outside their box and make life-long friends and memories.
Open year round, 4-H Camp Timpoochee is more than just a summer camp. It offers opportunities for rental groups to enjoy its tranquil and multi-purpose facility through retreats, weddings, reunions and more! Offering lodging spaces, meal service, and meeting spaces, it has quickly become a unique location for various youth and adult organizations far and wide to enjoy.
A Timpoochee T-shirt Quilt Drawing to raise funds for our 4-H summer program will be held – Tickets are $5 donation and will be available soon.
Whether you attended as a camper, participated in a rental group retreat or just love summer camp, 4-H Camp Timpoochee’s Second Annual Alumni Day is open to you! We encourage you to bring any pictures you may have of Camp Timpoochee and your best memories and stories to share! We do ask all those wishing to attend to register online so we will have an accurate count of who will be celebrating with us. This year, there will even be a special drawing for a Timpoochee T-shirt quilt to raise funds for our summer program! Tickets are a $5 donation and will be available soon.
To register, please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4-h-camp-timpoochee-alumni-day-tickets-73297802701. Please do not hesitate to contact Resident Director, Ariel Blanton, at (850) 897-2224 or email at timpoochee4h@ifas.ufl.edu with any questions.
Special thanks to Ariel Blanton, Resident Director, Camp Timpoochee, for providing this article and pictures.
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