YMCA CAMP SLOPER CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
Providing for the Next Generation

YMCA Camp Sloper has embarked on some significant upgrades and improvements in the last year thanks to the generosity of so many supporters!

To date, we have completed the following capital projects:

• Installed over 850 feet of sewer lines throughout the property
• Constructed the Bradley & Leila Barnes Spray and Splash Park
• Built the new Calvanese Foundation Restrooms and new handicap assessable bathrooms attached to McLeod Pavilion
• Renovated the Knight Family Pavilion on the West Coast of the camp (formally the Turtle Pavilion)
• Created a new open field play area adjacent to the newly renovated Mathieu Family Pavilion (formally the Old Pavilion)
• Completed just over 50% of the Save Sloper Pond Dredging Project

All of these improvements have been extremely helpful and very well received by our camp families this past summer. We were also able to open up the Bradley & Leila Barnes Spray and Splash Park on the weekends for Y-members and Southington and Cheshire residents, averaging over 100 visitors a day on the weekends. THANK YOU so much to all of our donors who have helped make these projects a reality!

We are about to begin PHASE 2 of our YMCA Camp Sloper Capital Campaign and still need some additional support and donations to bring these projects to life!

Phase 2 of the YCS Capital Campaign includes:

• Construction of the Soccodato Family Pavilion in the lower field next to the Ninja Warrior Course
• Completion of the Save Sloper Pond Dredging Project which includes:
  • Removal of the remaining sediment on the bottom of the pond
  • Installation of a Draw Down Valve for depth and vegetation control
  • Construction of new culverts on the inlets into the pond
  • Completion of an underwater berm to help with collection and containment of silt as it comes into Sloper Pond
  • Restoration of the disturbed areas and relocation site for the fill
• Design and construction of a new Camp Office/Infirmary with some attached year-round program space 

We STILL Need Your Help!

YCS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN OVERVIEW

• We have now completed or planned $5.7 million worth of capital improvements at YCS with the Phase 2 projects!  Here is an update of how the funding is currently looking:
  • $3.5 million is coming from the State of CT for the Save Sloper Pond Dredging Project and preventative maintenance improvements
  • $1,041,000 has been raised to complete the projects above and continue to fundraise
  • $750,000 has been committed from our YMCA reserves to put into the projects
  • $103,000 has been raised from the YMCAs specials events and camp improvement fees
  • Roughly $320,000 is left to raise to complete the Save Sloper Pond Project and Phase 2 Improvements at YMCA Camp Sloper!

Our YCS Capital Campaign is now in the public phase, so we are asking any and all supporters to help out if they can! How can I help you ask?

1. Consider making a donation from your family or business to the YMCA Camp Sloper Capital Campaign by clicking the "Donate" button at the top of this page.
   • Click here for more info on the YCS Capital Campaign - Case Statement.
   • Additional information on Save Sloper Pond can by clicking here .
   • Donations of $1000 or more can be spread out between 2 to 5 years. For more info, contact Mark Pooler at [email protected].
   • Naming opportunities and matching gift options are available too!
2. Attend or put a table together for our Forever in Blue Jeans Fundraising Gala
   • Portions of the proceeds are going towards the YCS Capital Campaign.
   • For more event information or to get tickets, click here! 
3. Help connect us to other individuals or businesses that might be interested in supporting our efforts!
   • Contact Mark Pooler for information at [email protected].

YCS CAPITAL CAMPAIGN - PHASE 2 PROJECT OBJECTIVES

CHALLENGE #1 - Save Sloper Pond: Like all living things, ponds have a lifecycle, and over the next 50+ years, Sloper Pond will slowly go from pond to swamp to meadow if proper preventative measures are not taken. The pond is the property's centerpiece, and we cannot let this happen.
YMCA RESPONSE: Through a well-engineered plan, the YMCA will remove 125k cubic yards of silt and sediment from the bottom of the pond and install preventative measures for future maintenance.
COMMUNITY IMPACT: With these improvements to Sloper Pond, we can be assured this body of water will be here for generations to come to enjoy day camp, swimming, boating, fishing, environmental programs, and so much more.
PROJECT COST: $3,520,000; our YMCA has received $3.5 million in funds from the State of Connecticut, leaving $20k in additional funds needed for this project.

CHALLENGE #2 - New Camp Office/Infirmary & Year Round Program Space: Simply put, with over 1,000 kids a day attending camp we have outgrown our current camp office and nurse’s area. We are currently researching, planning and designing a new space that would accommodate our needs and the continued growth. In addition, we hope to attached a year-round all-purpose space that will give us additional protection from inclement weather days and help us expand our year-round programming in the colder months.
YMCA RESPONSE: We have plans to build a larger bathroom and changing room facility in the center of the camp and two additional bathrooms off the Camp Office.  
COMMUNITY IMPACT: These new improvements will be able to accommodate our current and future day camp growth and eliminate increase our safe and sheltered space on inclement weather days. This will allow us to expand the outdoor center programming on a year-round basis and better serve the communities.
PROJECT COST: $1,000,000 is the estimated cost of the new Camp Office/Infirmary and attached year-round program space.

CHALLENGE #3 - New Pavilion: Our dramatic increase in day camp enrollment has led us to need more rainy day space to run the quality programs our families have become accustomed to at YMCA Camp Sloper.
YMCA RESPONSE: We plan to construct a 2,100 square-foot pavilion for rainy day space. This pavilion is being funded primarily by the Soccodato family; additional donations are welcome to help defray the costs of the building.
COMMUNITY IMPACT: Building a new pavilion would add another safe space for kids during inclement weather days and give us additional program space for weekend rentals and spring/fall programming.
PROJECT COST: $55,000 is the estimated cost of the new pavilion at YMCA Camp Sloper.

EXCITING STUFF IS HAPPENING, AND WE HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER BEING A PART OF MAKING HISTORY AT YMCA CAMP SLOPER.

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND SUPPORT!

ABOUT THE YMCA CAMP SLOPER OUTDOOR CENTER

The YMCA Camp Sloper Outdoor Center is a program center of the Southington-Cheshire Community YMCAs utilized by members, guests, families, companies, churches, civic organizations, schools, and of course, campers. Our Day Camp stands proud as our flagship program. It serves approximately 4,600 plus campers each summer, allowing them to build self-confidence, develop leadership skills, learn values, be active, make new friends, and appreciate nature and the great outdoors.  

In addition, YMCA Camp Sloper reaches over 10,000 youth, teens, and adults through environmental education, team building, facility rentals, and special events each year. This beautiful facility consists of forests, fields, and streams and the centerpiece of the property is the 19-acre Sloper Pond, used for swimming, boating, fishing, and more. Surrounding the pond are miles of marked trails, carefully placed buildings & pavilions, program areas, and other structures that help us fulfill our mission.