Camp Ahwaga is facing challenges

Dear Editor,

The Camp Ahwaga Association, Inc. would like to thank The Laughing Place for raising awareness and funding for our summer program throughout the month of November. Customers were greeted by Camp Ahwaga t-shirts in the display and then given an opportunity to “round up” their purchase as a donation to the six-week summer camp for children with disabilities in Tioga County. The program is free for children to attend and the organization relies on donations and grants to continue its operation.

Camp Ahwaga would also like to take the time to thank several of our other large donors. Without the help of the Floyd Hooker Foundation, the Cooper Family Foundation, Tioga United Way, the Community Foundation for South Central NY, Waverly Community Chest, Fannie Hyde Foundation, Kathy Hansen, Steve and Cheryl May, Bud’s Pizza, and many other businesses and individual donors, Camp Ahwaga would not be possible.  

Camp Ahwaga was projecting a $30,000 deficit entering 2016 due to an unexpected loss of funding. The program made efforts to overcome the hardship, but was still forced to make cuts to the camp. While Camp Ahwaga was able to recover approximately half of those funds, the summer of 2016 had five less children than in 2015. The program also cut out several field trips and was forced to place 29 children on a waiting list. Some staff positions were consolidated and physical therapy sessions were limited.

Unfortunately, our funding challenges are continuing into 2017 and Camp Ahwaga faces even more cuts. Camp Ahwaga is a non-profit organization and you can help by making a tax-deductible donation. You can find out more about the program on our website (campahwaga.org), by liking us on Facebook, or by following us on Twitter. Donation checks can be made out to Camp Ahwaga and sent to P.O. Box 3, Owego, N.Y. 13827.  

Sincerely,

Camp Ahwaga Association, Inc.