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$5 Croc Jibbitz that families paid $50 for.
Early morning polar bear swims where parents pledged donations per jump.
A vintage staff shirt auction.
Some classic donation letters.
Our 25th anniversary alumni weekend.
Add it all up? About $45,000 raised in 2024.
That’s around 100 kids attending Twin Creeks on reduced tuition this past summer.
More kids coming over rope bridge and getting two life changing weeks at camp.
Cabin friendships and fuzzies and moments at the lake that stick well after August ends.
All because THIS community showed up.
How Camp Turns Into Campers
Last year, we tried something new.
Actually, we tried several new things.
First off, jumping in freezing cold morning water = campers at camp. Polar Bear Club became a fundraiser. Parents could pledge a donation per swim or contribute a flat amount.
Each camper who participated in 8 or more swims earned a prize. We tracked everything on 99Pledges so each camper had their own fundraising page.
That alone raised somewhere between $7,000 and $8,000.
Second, little shoe trinkets = campers at camp. Croc Jibbitz turned into our most surprising success.
We designed another amazing custom Twin Creeks charms for Crocs. Asked for a $5 donation. Some families paid $50. Some paid $100. They knew where the money was going, and they wanted kids to camp. |
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We’ve done Jibbitz three years now, changing the design each time.
Last summer featured our 25th anniversary logo. They get traded, collected, worn proudly. These babies are valuable!
Other initiatives = campers at camp
The vintage staff shirt auction meant current staff bidding on old staff shirts from years past. Raised hundreds.
Sent out a classic letter campaign with donation envelopes. Old school, but effective. Lots of checks. No fancy pitch required, just asked.
And our alumni weekend doubled as a fundraiser. Tied to the 25th anniversary, it added several thousand more to the total.
None of these initiatives were complicated.
None required major planning or corporate strategies. We just asked, and Twin Creeks people responded.
The Real Numbers
Here’s what $45,000 makes happen.
Nearly 100 campers attended on camperships.
That’s 100 kids who got archery lessons and masterclass sessions and carnival games they built themselves. 100 kids who on their way to earning three-year t-shirts or their five-year long sleeves or adding to their fuzzy collections.
A $50 Jibbitz donation might not sound like much on its own. But multiply that by a community that actually cares? Suddenly you’re funding entire sessions.
The Polar Bear participation will only keep growing. We have more ideas for this summer.
Why This WorkedTwin Creeks families know the power of camp. They know weeks spent in these places are what childhood is all about.
They’ve seen their own kids come home different. More confident. More themselves. So when we asked for help getting more kids here, they didn’t need convincing about the mission.
These weren’t guilt-driven asks. They were joyful ways to participate. Buy a silly charm for your kid’s Crocs. Pledge a few dollars when your camper braves the cold water at 7 AM.
Fun connected to fundraising connected to getting more kids to camp. Our community has capacity and willingness to support what matters.
This Summer
We’re doing it again.
Polar Bear pledges will be back. Jibbitz will have a new design. We’re finding new and cool ways to make it happen.
If you’re new to Twin Creeks, this is how our community works. Small gestures that add up. Participation that matters. Knowing your contribution helps another family send their kid to camp.
If you were part of last year’s efforts, you rock. That $5 or $50 or $500 made a difference.
Those 100 kids who attended on camperships? They’re here because you showed up.
Camp matters. Getting kids here matters.
That’s the whole point. |
