Reserve spots now for Camp Kiwanis
The beloved summer sleepover camp for ages 7 to 13 is a time-honored tradition.
Ryan Boyles does a penguin slide over an overturned canoe with other campers at Camp Kiwanis on June 14, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette file photo]
If you have ever traveled State Road 40 between Silver Springs and Ormond Beach, you have passed by the brown signs for the Mill Dam area of the Ocala National Forest.
The US Forest Service website notes that it was in 1908 that President Theodore Roosevelt signed the Ocala National Forest into existence as the third national forest east of the Mississippi.
Camp Kiwanis is located on Mill Dam Lake in the Ocala National Forest and the annual summer residential camp remains a treasured and time-honored rite of passage for many locals.
This year’s camps will take place from June 8 through July 2, with three five-day camps and one four-day camp.
The traditional sleepover camp for children ages 7-13 is a program of Marion County Public Schools in cooperation with the Kiwanis Club of Ocala. Activities focus on fun and the outdoors and include swimming, canoeing, archery, arts and crafts, sports, games and more. Evening activities include skit night, relay races, battle ball and a dance.
Camp Kiwanis accommodates 104 campers per session and has a staff of 34. Counselors are high-school students or college students who have worked as camp counselors. All staff members hold CPR and first aid certification and have passed background checks and drug screening, and all are employees of the Marion County School Board.
One of those longtime staffers is Scott Mitchell, coordinator of the Silver River Museum & Environmental Education Center, which is a program of Marion County Public Schools.
“Over several decades of working at Camp Kiwanis, I’ve seen some change and a lot of consistency. New playground equipment, a basketball court and courtyard lighting were installed years ago. However, camper activities like archery, canoeing, swimming, arts and crafts, and games have remained the same. The campers still arrive on Monday mornings with a mix of excitement and nervousness. Legends are still born on battle ball night, and hearts still flutter on dance night. The Kiwanis Club of Ocala still works hard to raise funds to provide scholarships for needy kids,” Mitchell offered.
“Summer camp is a phone free zone for campers and counselors, and it is encouraging how quickly kids adapt to being offline. Summer camp is a big deal for kids — they are away from home and have some independence, yet it is a safe environment with a lot of fun activities to stay busy. It is a chance to just be a kid, which can be rare these days,” Mitchell said.
“The program has changed little, largely because it is so successful. The camp remains a rite of passage and tradition for many Marion County families. Former campers and staff, both young and old, routinely stop me to talk when I wear a Camp Kiwanis tee shirt in town,” he added.
Camp Kiwanis spots fill up quickly each year so organizers encourage early registration, which can be accessed at marionschools.net/campkiwanis
To learn more, including information about possible scholarships, call the camp clerk at (352) 236-5401.
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