As we celebrate the YMCA’s 140th year in the Inland Northwest, we thought it would be a fun opportunity to look back on some of the highlights of our first 14 decades.
With a 140 year history in our region, it’s only to be expected that much about the YMCA has changed from our early years. You’ll no longer find a reading parlor, bowling alley or dormitory like in our original facilities. But one facet of the Y that has endured since our earliest days is the role Camp Reed has played in the development of children in our community. In 1915, Deer Park residents Emma and Frank Reed donated 15 acres of land along the shores of Fan Lake to the Y to establish a permanent summer camp. Prior to that, campers would hike from Spokane to Loon Lake to partake in a more rugged approach to camp. With the Reeds’ donation of property and lumber to build construct cabins, 32 boys embarked on a summer of fishing, swimming, boating, and hiking in that first year.
From the very beginning, the emphasis at Camp Reed was to develop leadership abilities in young people; a goal that remains to this day. But Camp has grown significantly from those early years. Now encompassing 555 acres and hosting xxx campers each summer, Camp remains a place where children step out of the comfort zone in a safe and fun environment. For many kids its their first real time away from home and their first step toward learning who they are without their parents or guardians around. In order to ensure this important experience is available to all of our local children, the Y provides over xxx scholarships each summer to campers whose parents couldn’t otherwise afford to send them. Camp Reed is just one of the many programs that will be supported by the Y’s 140 Anniversary Campaign. If you were ever fortunate enough to attend Camp, we hope you’ll make a gift to ensure every kid will continue to have the life-changing opportunities you enjoyed as a youth.
