Fund-raising begins for Northwest camp

By Paul Haist

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The fund-raising campaign for the Reform movement's new youth camp and retreat center near Arlington, Wash., has moved into its public phase after about four years of private fund-raising, and, in the process, received a $1 million boost in the form of a matching grant from the project's original benefactors.
"We've raised about $15.3 million," said Miriam Bensky, the Seattle-based director of development for the Union of Reform Judaism' Campaign for Camp Kalsman.
That leaves about $5.5 million that still needed to reach the project's $20.8 million price tag, according to Bensky.
The public phase of the campaign was launched at the ceremonial July 23 groundbreaking at the site of the camp. Work has been under way on the 299-acre site for several months. It was at the groundbreaking that the matching grant was announced.
"We'll be putting a lot more emphasis on communities in the Northwest to create a feeling of ownership of the camp," said Bensky about the campaign's new phase. "We've sent out direct-mail pieces to most of the congregants in the URJ region."
The URJ Northwest Region comprises 35 congregations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, including three in Oregon.
Bensky said a camp director will be hired in September, well ahead of the planned opening next summer.
"That person will help to give a face to the campaign. As he or she works toward recruitment of campers it will help us to spread word about our campaign," said Bensky.
The new camp, the Reform movement's first permanent residential camp in the U.S. Northwest, was initially made possible by a $5 million gift pledged by Peachy and Mark Levy. The Los Angeles couple asked that the camp be named for Peachy's parents, Red and Lee Kalsman.
The Kalsmans had stipulated in their estate instructions that they wanted to support the URJ camping system because, said Bensky, "Mark and Peachy's grandchildren have had such positive experience at our camps."
The Kalsmans gave $1 million for the renovation of Camp Swig in Saratoga, Calif., another $1 million for Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, Calif., and $5 million to create the new camp.
Of that $5 million, $4.2 million was spent for acquisition of the Arlington, Wash., property, with the balance covering permitting and other legal costs associated with the land purchase.
The Levy's matching grant, which is not counted in the $15.3 million total raised so far, will match on a one-to-one ratio all gifts to a total of $1 million. That means that the $5.5 million balance yet to be raised is really only $4.5 million.
Interested persons may learn more about Camp Kalsman and the fund-raising effort by visiting the camp's Web site: www.kalsman.urjcamps.org.
For more information, Bensky can be reached by phone at 206-624-6500, ext. 104, or by e-mail at mbensky@urj.org.
Individuals wanting to make a gift now may send checks to The Campaign for Camp Kalsman, 600 Stewart St., Suite 838, Seattle, WA 98101.