What happens at summer camp?  Do you remember? Times may have changed, and some of the activities may be different now from when you were a kid, but some things are always true.
Kids practice friendship skills, gain self-confidence, and learn to live in community when they spend a week together.  Families spend quality time together creating, playing, singing, and trying new things at family camps. Students who come with their classmates learn to get along better, solve problems, and appreciate the environment.
This year, more than ever before, children, families, and classes with limited resources will be able to do all these things, too, at YMCA Camp Orkila.
How? Why?  Because for the past month, volunteers in our Orcas community and beyond have been asking one another to pledge their support for the annual YMCA scholarship campaign, Partners With Youth.
Special thanks to all of you who pledged your financial support, and also to our hardworking and enthusiastic volunteer campaigners:  leaders Dean and Audrey Stupke, Denise Wilk, Rita Bailey, Bob Phalan, Kristen Dallum, and Jenny Rosen, and their team members David Johnson, Kay Miller, Phil Branch, Lynn Richards, Donna Wildman-Gossett, Tina Roye, Maggie Kaplan, Kathy Jensen, Bob Eagan, Dan Christopherson, Kristen Zbornik, Vicky Vandermay, Tony Ghazel, Lorena Stankevich, Anne Lister, Dixie Morrison, Aaimee Johnson, Sophie Lappas, Monica Erickson, Barbara Wheeler, Heather Johnson, Dave Mowrey, Linda Tretheway, Adrienne Vierthaler, Kate Grimes, Katie O’Rourke, Wally Wallrath, Kelly Vogel, and Mike Mills.
To celebrate a successful campaign, a victory party was held at Doe Bay Resort, which also supported the campaign by designating Partners With Youth as the recipient of bonus funds raised at each open mic and pizza night in February.
No victory party would be complete without the fabulous support of our local business owners and individuals who donated prizes: Darvill’s Bookstore, Orcas Outfitters, Ray’s Pharmacy, Wildlife Cycles, Deb Martyn LMP, Mr. and Mrs. Claus, Eclipse Charters, and Kenmore Air.
Thank you, Orcas Island, for being the village, the network of support needed by so many.  Thank you.

Dimitri Stankevich
Lynda Sanders
Kaitlyn Pulju
Beth Wangen
Camp Orkila