YMCA Celebrates 125 Years of Camping!

Did you know the YMCA had a huge role in the 'invention' of camping? Camping officially began at the YMCA in 1885 when a volunteer named Sumner Dudley lined up a few tents at Orange Lake in New York. With the tents, flag pole, and camp fired Dudley hoped to teach seven teenagers character and values. That was the first continuously used camp.

Today, YMCA camps all over the nation serve 800,000(!) campers each summer, which includes the Skagit Valley Family YMCA's Camp Anderson and Y's Kids Day Camp. In fact, this year is the 50th Anniversary of YMCA Camp Anderson!

"Camp Anderson is proud to be a part of the long-standing tradition of camping at the YMCA," said Marty Reese, Camp Anderson Director. "The YMCA has shaped camping into what it is today, a place where youth can grow close with nature, develop outstanding character values, learn life skills, and create lasting friendships."

Did you or your children ever go to Camp Anderson or any YMCA camp? If so, tell us your stories and memories by posting a comment or email them to Marketing Director Vanessa Harrington at v.harrington@skagitymca.org.