Camp Prime Time

This weekend's session with the Clackamas Autism Group is cancelled due to the ongoing challenges with no power and no road access to Camp. 😢 We are very sad about this situation and we appreciate the families understanding.

UPDATE on the Retreat/Rimrock Fire: As of this morning, Monday 8/5, the fire is approximately 41,300 acres and 49% contained.
The fire is still not a threat to Camp Prime Time however, Camp remains closed because there is no power and US Hwy 12 is still closed. We have no answers on when power will be restored. We will keep you updated as we continue to monitor the situation.

It's National Friendship Day!
Every weekend at Camp there are friendships made between different families and their children! Our volunteers also have the pleasure of making new friends when they are there helping out. Recently our Board President, Michael, was at Camp making new friends too! ❤❤

THANKFUL THURSDAY! We are so thankful for our wonderful volunteers and know we would not exist without them!

Our campers also express how thankful they are:

"The volunteers were amazing. So helpful, always had the information we needed. It is hard for our younger child to be away from home but I know he felt safe and welcome here. Being here was very moving. I hope Camp Prime Time is around forever."

"We had a wonderful time. The best part of Camp was the volunteers. They were so kind, understanding and engaged so well with children who experience different disabilities. Mary is one of a kind. It is rare to find someone that can engage so naturally with my son. She is amazing! Everyone that helped in the kitchen rocked it! The food was great and they were so flexible and understanding!"

Unfortunately, we have had to make the decision again this week to cancel the session for this weekend. The Retreat/Rimrock Fire is currently at 29,502 acres and 18% contained. Even though the fire is still not threatening Camp, we remain without power and road access continues to be a challenge.
We appreciate all your support.

Recently we were saddened to hear that a long-time board member and volunteer, Ed "Skip" Dirkes, passed away on June 4th.
Skip started going to camp in the early years with his family; his wife Thelma, son Kenny, and his daughter Andrea. He loved what Camp Prime Time was doing and soon after he joined the board. He helped recruit both resources and new board members. Skip was a marvelous musician and played music up at Camp regularly for many years and was always recruiting more musicians to Camp! He was the spark that ignited the Federal Way Rotary and its heavy involvement as a supporter and source for volunteers. Skip has touched the lives of so many campers and volunteers and he will be missed by many.

As many of you know, Yakima County is in a State of Emergency because of the Rimrock Retreat Fire. The fire is approximately 29,500 acres and 11% contained. The fire is NOT NEAR Camp Prime Time, but Camp is closed because of the impact on the entire area. US Hwy 12 remains closed between the "Y" junction of Hwy 410 and Oak Creek to the summit of White Pass, and there is also no power at Camp. We are monitoring the fire progress through the US Forest Service and the power outage through the Benton REA website, and we will keep you updated.
Please keep the Fire Crews and all emergency responders in your thoughts at this time.

Due to the circumstances surrounding the Rimrock Retreat fire, we have reluctantly made the decision to cancel the session for this weekend. Even though the fire is not threatening Camp, we currently do not have power and road access is a challenge.
We appreciate your support in this difficult decision, and we are truly heartbroken for the families that were looking forward to making memories this weekend.

** UPDATE: Due to the safety of our staff, volunteers and campers, and out of respect for the Emergency Personnel, and the fact that currently there is no power, we have reluctantly made the decision to cancel the session for this weekend.
We appreciate your support in this difficult decision. **

We have been monitoring the Rimrock Retreat fire frequently. Below is an excerpt from a recent U.S. Forest Service email.

"At this time there is still no threat to the resorts, cabins, camps, and other uses around Rimrock Lake, Clear Lake and farther up the 12 are not at risk. Should that change or should any additional information become available, we will let you know."

At this point, we have not made a final decision on the status of the session for this weekend. It is our hope to be able to provide a wonderful weekend for the group we have scheduled. We are doing everything in our power to make sure Camp Prime Time will be available and welcoming.

We will post updates as decisions are made.

❤ Comments from Camp! ❤

Happy National Ice Cream Day! We love to have s'mores around the fire pit at Camp! What about s'mores ice cream?! Yum! 😋

There is a day for EVERYTHING! 🤣
What are your favorite emojis? 😎 Let us see them! 👀

Scenes from Saturday night at Camp! ❤️

It's THANKFUL THURSDAY!

Thanks to Rodney Lewis for donating a brand-new backpack leaf blower for Camp! This was a needed item that we are very thankful for... especially Andrew, our Camp Caretaker!
Another thank you goes out to Volunteer Group Leader, Mary Turcotte, for donating 3 wonderful communication boards for our campers! They are getting some use and are very appreciated!

️

COMMENTS FROM CAMP!

"Absolutely amazing first experience. Everything offered was just right, not too much. Lots of opportunity for independence. The staff was amazing and friendly. Thank you for ALL you do, we truly appreciate Camp Prime Time."

"As a busy family of four, we appreciated the moments to be together as a whole family. We also gained value and friendships talking with other families who are also raising kids and young adults with a similar disability."

"The food was delicious and oh-so-convenient. The volunteers provided an opportunity for us to relax, not worry about food, and enjoy each other. Thank you for your dedication."

We received this beautiful note from Lori S. and the Down Syndrome Association of Snohomish County, and we just had to share it!

"On behalf of all the DSASC families who came to camp, a huge thank you! We had a wonderful time as usual! Special thank you to the wonderful volunteers: John, Claire, Cheryl, Thomas, Laurie, Bruce, and of course, Patti! We were made to feel so welcomed and cared for!"

Thank you, Lori and the DSASC! We enjoyed having you at Camp!

THOUGHTFUL TUESDAY!
Take a look at the beautiful chalkboard drawing from a 12-year-old camper who attended this past weekend! Nice work! Special thanks to Mary Turcotte, the Volunteer Group Leader, for sharing this photo with us!

It's International Joke Day, and we have a few for you:

Q: What did the pine trees wear to the Lake?
A: Swimming trunks!

Q: What did the camping stove say to the campfire?
A: "You're fired!"

Q: What is the best way to talk with a fish?
A: Drop it a line!

Q: What's a campfire's favorite type of comedy?
A: "Crackling" jokes!

😆😂🤣😄

NOTICE: We are aware of the South Fork and Soup Creek fires in Yakima County. Camp Prime Time is located North-West of them and we are safe. The air quality at Camp is clear and we don't expect that to change. However, we are keeping a close watch on these fires and will provide updates if that does change.

Thank you to the team at Leadership Yakima that raised enough money to provide two (2!) new refrigerator/freezer units for Camp Prime Time! They exceeded their fundraising goal, so they also provided the funding to cover the installation costs of two new washers and dryers! WOW! It was an honor for our Executive Director, Margaret Filkins, to attend the Leadership Yakima Graduation this evening AND to accept the check!!! Many thanks to the team and the community support (especially the American Legion Auxiliary) that made this possible!

Special thanks to Eagle Lanes for their Car Show on June 16th! We appreciate the promotion and the proceeds benefitting Camp Prime Time! This type of love and support makes us, and all those we serve, HAPPY CAMPERS! 😄

For those of you planning to visit Camp Prime Time as a camping family or volunteer group. 😉

Monday Motivation: Getting Camp all ready for the next awesome weekend group!