Dear Camp Partner,
2020 Summer Camp Families please click here to watch our online response and read the decisions and timelines we have created for each specific camp session.
Below are upcoming dates for your reference:
May 12th: Parent Online Form Published. All 2020 Summer Camper Parents are asked to respond no later than May 20th. Click here for details.
May 22nd: Refunds issued for Power Kids Day Camp Sessions #1 & #2.
May 22nd: Decision announced on whether or not to host Power Kids Day Camp Session #3 as scheduled.
May 26th: Refunds for Tribal Sessions #1 & #2 AND NATIVE issued.
May 28th: Refunds for Power Kids Day Camp Session #3 Issued (IF SESSION IS CANCELLED)
May 29th: Remaining Balance for Power Kids Day Camp Session #3 charged in unlikely event camp proceeds as scheduled
June 3rd: Decision announced on whether or not to host ALL 7/11 Camps
June 8th & 9th: 7/11 Refunds issued (IF SESSIONS ARE CANCELLED)
June 10th: Remaining Balance for ALL 7/11 Camps charged if camp proceeds as scheduled
June 15 - 19: POTENTIAL Small Group Middle School Visits
June 22 - 26: POTENTIAL Small Group Power Kids Day Camp Visits
June 29 - July 3: POTENTIAL Small Group Power Kids Day Camp OR Middle School Visits
Thank you for your partnership and patience during this time!
Michael Fann; May 12, 2020
michael@bluegrasschristiancamp.org
FROM MAY 5TH
Dear Camp Partner
As summer moves closer we want to provide you with more detailed information of Blue Grass Christian Camp’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This third update will answer some specific questions, as well as, provide specific dates when additional information will become available. I also encourage you to read our previous updates listed below if you are not already familiar with the progression of our response.
- Our first meeting with an outside health specialist was March 13th. Since that time we have been taking numerous steps to create a safe environment when we are able to reopen. More details of our cleaning, check-in, and programming procedural changes will be available when we begin to reopen our facility.
- For nearly 2 months our leadership team has been meeting regularly to create alternatives to our standard full capacity overnight on-site camps. I think these out-of-the-box ideas are creative solutions that many camper families will embrace to provide active and fun opportunities for their children.
- We will post details on Tuesday, May 12th of our modified camping opportunities that include small group visits to our facility when approved by local officials, home driveway visits from camp staff, and creative self-directed activities that campers can participate in at home.
- Originally all remaining balances for summer campers were set to be withdrawn from banking accounts and credit cards on May 15th. Since many, if not all, of our summer camps will not be operating overnight or at capacity the additional registration withdrawal set for May 15th has been cancelled.
- We will begin issuing refunds on May 20th for all campers who choose not to participate in any of the scheduled or alternate camp programs.
The American Camping Association, in collaboration with the Association of Camp Nurses and the Center for Disease Control, have outlined a Field Guide for a response to COVID-19. This field guide is designed to provide camp directors and staff with a practical guide and tool kit to implement specific recommendations provided by the CDC in relation to risk reduction at camps. The details of the Field Guide are due to be released in mid-May and we expect to hear more guidance from local and state officials about Kentucky’s timeline for a transition to Phase 2 in late May. These directives will impact our ability to implement different phases of the alternative plans outlined on May 12th. We will continue to monitor all guidance and make decisions that are in the best interests of campers and their families as we provide camping opportunities on-site and at home. We hope and pray that each of you have remained safe during this crisis and we look forward to the time when we can host your children on our property again in the future.
Thank you for your partnership and patience during this time!
Michael Fann; May 5, 2020
From April 16th
Dear Camp Partner,
We hope and pray that each of you are doing well during this time. We are incredibly grateful and pray for all those on the front lines who are providing care and services for our community. We stated in our original response that we would provide an update in mid-April and, although little has changed, we wanted to remain in contact with our partners concerning future events at Blue Grass Christian Camp.
We are evaluating ways we can be an asset to our families and the community as a whole during this season. We have an opportunity that we hope can be helpful to those who are on the front lines everyday on behalf of our community. Our Retreat Center rooms are available at no charge for any health worker that is in need of a safe place to quarantine away from their families. Health care workers interested in details please click here.
We want to restate that our number one goal is to serve children and families in a safe environment. We are also committed to being good citizens who take cues from our government officials, the Center for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and health specialists concerning group gatherings, cleaning/sanitizing protocol, and social distancing measures. At this point, we still plan to host our June and July summer camps on the property but will continue to evaluate that decision as more guidance and details become available. Below are details of our on-going response to the current crisis. You can expect an additional update from us in early May.
- In addition to postponing Camp Access to September 4-7, we have also postponed our Frankfort Day Camp until August 3-7. Please click here to register for either of these camps.
- We are continually working on creative ways to interact with our camp partners in a safe environment. These activities are designed to reduce the stress of being isolated and not to diminish the seriousness of the situation. We have enjoyed our weekly Zoom get-togethers with our summer staff, are excited about watching the winner of our “Disney/PIXAR Animated Film Showdown” at a Swim Party with all our friends, and look forward to finding new ways to surprise our summer campers as we were able to do with Easter Eggs for some of our Day Campers. If you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them.
- We are continuing our work regarding protocols and projects that will help us address the unique challenges in this new environment when we are able to reopen. These include cleaning and sanitizing procedures, additional space for our first aid staff that allows us a containment room, monitoring and check-in procedures, and more.
- We are taking advantage of the very unusual opportunity to accomplish projects at our facility that would be very difficult, if not impossible, during a typical busy season with many visitors on our property.
- We are committed to staying in contact with our 2020 camper families. If you are registered for a summer camp program, we want to remind you of our cancellation policy. Any camper is still able to cancel up until May 15th so there is no need to make a decision at this point. There are over 200 campers on our waiting lists and any cancellations will be filled with the next camper in line. Although we hope and plan to host every summer program, we will inform you of any summer program cancellation prior to our cancellation deadline and before any balances are due for any camps. It is possible that we will not have a firm decision on some of our late summer camps on May 15th. If that is the case, we will postpone both the cancellation deadline and the withdrawal of any balances due.
- Although we plan to host in-person June/July camps at this point, we are exploring ways to assist families by creating fun in-home environments if we are unable to host specific camps.
We hope and pray each of you are staying safe and healthy during this crisis. We ask for prayers as this ministry navigates this difficult season. As is the case with many businesses and families, this has been a very difficult financial season for BGCC. Our annual revenue is already down 10% due to the cancellations we have already had to make and we expect to sustain considerably more financial damage. We realize this is a difficult financial time for many in our society, but if you are able, additional donations are especially needed and appreciated now at BGCC for us to maintain the positive trajectory we have been on the last few years. Donations can be mailed to camp or be made online.
One of my favorite passages from the Bible is from Isaiah 43. In verse 19, God says to his people, “ For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” I am comforted in this time when there seem to be far more questions than answers that God is always with us and helping us move forward. We may not have any idea what the future will look like, but it is such a comfort to know that God will be there waiting for us, and He will allow us to join Him as He meets the needs of His creation in possibly new and exciting ways. We are praying for you, and please let us know if you have any questions or if you know of a way we might be uniquely gifted to serve in our new environment. Thank you so much for your partnership!
In HIM,
Michael Fann; April 16, 2020
From March 26th
Dear Camp Partner,
I know you’ve likely received numerous letters and emails from many organizations by now, each one updating you on what they are doing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of us have kids at home for the next few weeks, and that it can feel unsettling not knowing what might happen next during this unprecedented time. You might be working remotely today or you might not be able to work. I’m sure you are still grappling with your own policies around the Coronavirus, or just trying to figure out groceries. Others may be health care workers, food service, and other vital workers who are working everyday serving so many needs. Whatever your situation may be, please know that we are praying for you and your family and will continue to pray God’s peace and protection for the season ahead of us.
We know many of you may have questions concerning future events at Blue Grass Christian Camp and we wanted to share with you our strategy moving forward. Our number one goal is to serve children and families in a safe environment. We are also committed to being good citizens who take cues from our government officials, the CDC, WHO, and health specialists concerning group gatherings, cleaning/sanitizing protocol, and social distancing measures. For this reason we have taken the following steps in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Based on the CDC’s recommendation of the size of group gatherings during this time we have cancelled all events at Blue Grass Christian Camp until May 15th. We understand that this is an ever-evolving situation and that the May 15th date may change due to updated recommendations.
- We have met with health specialists to review our cleaning products and sanitizing/cleaning protocols. We believe that when we reopen we will be as prepared as possible for this or any other threat. We believe the products we will be using are the best available. We are still finalizing changes to our protocol and will make more details available on our procedures and products used prior to reopening the facility.
- We have chosen to postpone Camp Access that was scheduled for May 22-25. Many of our participants in this event are considered high risk and we want all of our campers to be able to attend. The new date for Camp Access is Labor Day Weekend (September 4-7, 2020). All campers registered for the May weekend will be automatically enrolled in the September weekend. Anyone who cannot attend the September date will receive a full refund. Volunteers at our new date are very important. If you would like to volunteer for Camp Access by clicking here.
We are currently planning normal camp activities as planned starting May 31st with Tribal Camp #1. As we are still 9 weeks away from this date, we know that much can change and we will continue to assess and prayerfully make decisions as events unfold in the coming weeks. We will update our response on our at this location and Facebook as things change. All partners on our email list can expect a follow up email from us in mid-April with any updates. In the meantime you can always ask questions by emailing Michael Fann or calling our office at 859-263-5239.
We want to assure you that whatever date we resume camp activities there will be additional precautions in place. As mentioned earlier we will publish any updated procedures and products prior to reopening. However, you can expect changes in our arrival screening and health response procedures, as well as, cleaning and disinfecting measures recommended by health specialists.
If you are registered for a summer camp program we want to remind you of our cancellation policy. Any camper is still able to cancel up until May 15th so there is no need to make a decision at this point. There are over 200 campers on our waiting lists and any cancellations will be filled with the next camper in line. Although we hope and plan to host every summer program, we will inform you of any summer program cancellation prior to our cancellation deadline and before any balances are due for any camps. It is possible that we will not have a firm decision on some of our late summer camps on May 15th. If that is the case we will postpone both the cancellation deadline and the withdrawal of any balances due.
Our mission at Blue Grass Christian Camp is to Disciple Youth, Empower Families, Encourage Churches, and Engage the Community in the Name of Jesus Christ. We are not accustomed to our facilities being vacant, but are using the time to aggressively prepare the facility and our programming for reopening when the time comes. We are also considering ways to connect with our camp family in a time of social distancing. We believe that it is our relational connections at camp that help create the many life changing moments that happen. With that in mind we will be introducing a few fun activities that we hope will reconnect you with your camp friends. These activities are designed to reduce the stress of being isolated and not to diminish the seriousness of the situation. Click here to join our first activity: “The Disney/PIXAR Animated Film Showdown.” It’s a March Madness type bracket with 64 Disney animated films. Vote to advance your favorites and join our online watch parties. We will host a swim party and show the winning movie on our outdoor screen when it is appropriate for us to see each other again in person!
Thank you so much for your partnership. We are praying for you and ask for you to pray for this ministry during this difficult season. Remember we will update our response here and on Facebook. Those on our email list will receive an update in mid-April and questions can be asked anytime by emailing michael@bluegrasschristiancamp.org.
Thank you,
Michael Fann
Executive Director
