An annual barbecue dinner is being held at Hervida 4-H Camp Saturday in an effort to raise money for the facility and showcase its resources to the community.
The event isn't the nonprofit camp's largest fundraiser of the year, said Teresa Stone, extension educator, 4-H Youth Development, with the county's Ohio State University Extension office, but it's still important.
"We like to still do this one because it gets people out to the facility and they can see it and might decide to have a group they're involved in rent it," she said.
The camp is used by a host of groups from May to September, including schools, churches, 4-H, adult camping programs and family reunions. Easter Seals holds a camp there for children with disabilities, and a cross country track camp is planned for this year.
Jerry Barnett, a Waterford Elementary sixth-grade science and math teacher, coordinates the school's outdoor education program and takes the sixth-grade class there each year for an overnight event that includes classes in canoing, archery, leaf identification, orienteering, stream life and more.
"They love it," said of the students. "I don't have any trouble out there because they enjoy it so much."
has been taking students to the camp for about 30 years, dating back to his time in the Fort Frye district. He said Hervida is a valuable resource for area students, who don't have to travel outside of the county for the programs offered there.
Owned by the nonprofit Hervida 4-H Camp Inc., the camp was established in 1922 and has continued thanks to the support and contributions of the community, Stone said.
The barbecue dinner usually raises about $2,000, which goes toward general maintenance and capital improvements, Stone said. The current capital project is paying off the debt on the swimming pool, built in 2004 with the help of a 12-year loan. There is only $16,000 left to be paid on the more-than $220,000 project, Stone said.
Those attending the barbecue, scheduled for 4:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday, can see some of the more recent work done at the camp, including metal roofs replaced after hale damage in June, some repainted facilities and newly marked and measured trails. Waterford resident Daniel Bloxham put up trail head signs and self-guided tour markers, and measured the trails as his Eagle Scout project, Stone said.
The menu consists of barbecued chicken, a vegetable, cole slaw, baked potato, roll, dessert and drink. Tickets are $8 for half a chicken and $5 for a quarter of a chicken dinner.
Other activities during the dinner include a country store and sales of raffle tickets for a camp memories quilt. Organized by camp board member Rick Myers, the quilt is made up of T-shirts from past camps held at Hervida and was designed and put together by volunteers at the O'Neill Center. It will be raffled off at the camp's Building Fund Drawing and Silent Auction in November.
Smith Concrete will also have a truck painted with the 4-H logo at the camp Saturday.
Hervida 4-H Camp includes 200 acres of woods and open fields, 21 sleeping cabins, hiking trails, a pool, volleyball court and other buildings.
The camp can be rented for school field trips, church gatherings, family reunions, club outings and band and sports camps.
