UNFORGETTABLE MEMORIES. LASTING IMPACT.

For more than a century, YMCA Hayo-Went-Ha Camps have given young people something increasingly rare: the opportunity to unplug, belong, challenge themselves, build lifelong friendships, and discover what they are capable of.

For generations of alumni, the memories are unforgettable. The first night away from home. A cabin full of new friends. A wilderness trip that seemed impossible at the start. Songs around the campfire. A counselor who believed in you. The pride of accomplishing something you never thought you could do.

Those experiences still happen every summer. As we look toward 2027, we invite our alumni, families, and friends to help ensure Camp remains that place for the next generation. Your gift helps preserve what has always made Hayo-Went-Ha Camps extraordinary while giving today's campers something they need perhaps more than ever: real connection, meaningful challenge, time outdoors, and a place to belong.

KIDS NEED CAMP NOW MORE THAN EVER

Today's young people are growing up in a world that rarely turns off.

Screens, social media, constant connectivity, and increasing pressures compete for their attention every day. Opportunities to simply be outside, build relationships face to face, take healthy risks, solve problems together, and experience independence are becoming harder to find.

Camp offers something different. At Hayo-Went-Ha Camps, conversations replace phones. Followers become friends. Challenges become opportunities for growth. A lake, trail, paddle, campfire, and cabin community become the backdrop for discovering confidence and independence. Campers learn that they can do hard things. They learn to trust others and themselves. They experience the joy of belonging to something bigger than themselves.

Supporting Camp is an investment in the kind of childhood experiences that help young people become confident, resilient, caring adults.

KEEPING A 100-YEAR LEGACY STRONG

Keepers of the Flame honors a tradition Pat Rode first ignited in the early 1990s. But keeping the flame burning is about much more than remembering our past.

It is about taking responsibility for Camp's future. Every generation has inherited Hayo-Went-Ha Camps because the generation before it chose to care for it. Today, that responsibility belongs to us.

Your gift to Keepers of the Flame provides resources where they are needed most, helping us invest in outstanding staff, wilderness equipment, exceptional programming, and the facilities that make these experiences possible.

This year, we are placing special emphasis on two important projects.

BUILDING COMMUNITY AT THE ARBUTUS LAKE SITE

At YMCA Camp Arbutus Hayo-Went-Ha, the Nejee Division is home to our oldest campers, young women who are beginning to take on greater independence, responsibility, and leadership.

Every division's heart is its community. Adding two new cabins to Nejee will allow more campers in this important age group to live together, build friendships, and fully experience the sense of belonging that defines Camp. A gift toward these cabins is more than an investment in buildings. It creates a home for friendships, laughter, late-night conversations, mentorship, and memories young women will carry long after they leave Camp.

PRESERVING A PIECE OF TORCH LAKE HISTORY

Built in 1936 overlooking Torch Lake, the Old Dining Hall at YMCA Camp Torch Hayo-Went-Ha has been part of Camp life for generations.

Today, this historic building continues to bring campers together as a gathering and program space and as the home of Arts and Crafts, where creativity and imagination come alive every summer. After nearly 90 years of service, this beloved building needs continued investment to stay safe, functional, and ready to serve future generations.

For alumni who remember this building, this is an opportunity to preserve a piece of their own Camp story. For today's campers, it ensures that new memories continue to be created within its walls.

INVESTING IN THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE CAMP POSSIBLE

Buildings and equipment matter, but the heart of Hayo-Went-Ha Camps has always been its people.

Great counselors become mentors. Trip leaders encourage campers when the next mile feels impossible. Staff members notice the child who needs a little extra encouragement and help them discover where they belong. Your support helps us recruit, develop, and retain the exceptional people who bring the Hayo-Went-Ha Camps experience to life. For many alumni, it was a counselor or leader they still remember decades later.

Your gift helps ensure today's campers have someone like that too.

ADVENTURE STARTS WITH THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT

For generations, wilderness trips have challenged Hayo-Went-Ha Camps campers to step beyond what is comfortable and discover what they are capable of. A well-fitted backpack. A dependable tent. A safe canoe. A warm sleeping bag. The right equipment can be the difference between simply going on a trip and having an experience that changes a young person's self-perception.

Your support helps keep our wilderness equipment safe, reliable, and accessible so every camper can step onto the trail, into a canoe, or into the wilderness prepared for the adventure ahead.

KEEPING CAMP PROGRAMS EXTRAORDINARY

Camp should always have something new to discover.

Your generosity helps us strengthen the programs campers already love while creating new opportunities that spark curiosity, creativity, adventure, and growth. Whether a camper is sailing across the lake, creating something in Arts and Crafts, climbing higher than they thought possible, learning a new wilderness skill, or trying an activity for the very first time, your gift helps make those moments possible.

Because sometimes one new experience is all it takes for a child to discover a lifelong passion.

NEW THIS YEAR: BID, WIN AND SUPPORT CAMP!

This year's Keepers of the Flame campaign will also include an online auction, giving our Camp community another fun way to support Hayo-Went-Ha Camps.

The auction will feature original artwork created by alumni, staff, and campers, along with unique experiences throughout the beautiful Traverse City area. Bid on a round of golf, enjoy a getaway at the CEO's cabin on Torch Lake, discover local experiences, take home a special piece of Camp artwork, and much more. Every winning bid supports the experiences, people, programs, and places that make Hayo-Went-Ha Camps so special.

Bid on something memorable. Give back to a place you love. Help keep the flame burning.

KEEP THE FLAME BURNING BRIGHT

Keepers of the Flame has become more than an annual campaign. It is a commitment shared by our Board, staff, alumni, families, and friends to protect the Camp experience we love and pass it forward.

Every gift matters. Every donor becomes part of the story. And every dollar helps ensure another camper can sit around a Hayo-Went-Ha Camps campfire, discover something new about themselves, and someday look back on Camp as one of the places that helped shape who they became.

For more than 100 years, others have kept the flame burning for us. Now it is our turn. Please make your 2027 Keepers of the Flame gift and help ensure Hayo-Went-Ha Camps remains strong, healthy, and extraordinary for generations to come.

Keep the flame burning. Keep the memories alive. Keep Camp strong.

Keepers of the Flame 2026

a heartfelt annual end of year appeal rooted in a cherished Hayo-Went-Ha Camps tradition

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