Monday, August 22, 2011

How Can I Help?

Summer camping season may be over at Anokijig, but that doesn't mean Camp still doesn't need your help.  The question is often asked of us- "How can I help?" and there are many ways.  Donations are always accepted and can always be designated for a specific purpose, like funding camperships or helping out the ranch program.

Volunteers are always needed year-round for groups and weekends at Anokijig, as well as special events that take place outside Anokijig, like the Rotary Founders' Club Casino Nite.  Did you know Anokijig now has their own page for volunteers on Facebook?   be sure to check it out and if you can lend a hand on a weekend or during a special event, we'd appreciate the help.

Another way to help is by saying "thank you" to those who have helped us.  Thanking someone for their generosity and support of Anokijig can be as simple as stopping by their Facebook page, liking it and leaving a note on their wall that lets them know how much you appreciate what they've done for Anokijig.  The left side of Anokijig's main Facebook page features businesses and organizations that have helped Anokijig in some very significant ways.  Liking them on Facebook & thanking them on their wall let's them know that their generosity impacts real people in a positive way.

This fall, we will be starting up our "Thank you Thursday" campaign again on our Facebook page and asking our supporters to thank those who have helped Anokijig.  It may sound simple and it only costs a minute of your time, but it is meaningful and it does make a difference.  While we're at it, we want to thank you for your support of Anokijig! See, that felt good, didn't it?

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The Latest Addition to the Anokijig Fleet

Regular readers of the Anokijig Insider will remember the feature we did on Ken & Melody Cavan's donation of a Kubota UTV a few years ago.  We're happy to report these generous supporters have made another donation to the Anokijig fleet- a brand-new Honda Foreman Rubicon.  This is the fourth ATV/UTV Ken & Melody have donated to Anokijig over the years and we can't thank them enough for their generosity.

We tried to get a photo of all four vehicles in the same place, but these vehicles are in such high demand at Anokijig, that we felt fortunate to find two in the same place, at the same time.  Anyone who has ever walked up the hill behind Western Lodge has probably noticed a few of these vehicles parked next to the kitchen windows.  These aren't the most glamorous of donations and they certainly aren't kept in the most obvious of areas at Camp, but they are integral to the operations of Anokijig and we don't know what we would do without them.

Many of our donors have preferences in what they give or how they support Anokijig.  Our campership program, which provides camping opportunities for underprivileged kids is extremely popular, as is support of our program areas.  These types of gifts are often high-profile or at least easy for donors to make a connection to how they benefit kids.  An ATV is not such a donation, because our campers never use them and they aren't directly used in our program areas.  However, their uses around camp, from hauling luggage trailers on check-in days, to providing access to hard-to-reach areas of Anokijig simply make Camp function.

Anokijig wouldn't be what it is today without our donors and while we appreciate all our donors, we feel especially fortunate to have supporters like Ken & Melody Cavan, who understand the needs of Anokijig on a behind-the-scenes level and are willing to support the infrastructure that makes the Anokijig engine run so well!