SCOTT HINES REPORTING COYLE, Okla. -- There is trouble for a long-time summer camp in Oklahoma. Camp Cimarron's closing has disrupted summer plans for hundreds of Oklahoma kids. NewsChannel 4 met with some protesting parents. They arrived with homemade signs in hand. The parents showed up with one unified message scribbled in magic marker. "We have to keep Camp Cimarron open because it's the best camp ever," says Tori Noah, Camp Cimarron Camper. It's a sentiment shared by campers, old and young. "Riding the horse, climbing the walls and swimming in the pool; it's a lot of stuff they're taking away from us," says Sarah Kerr, another Camp Cimarron Camper. The camp is a summer escape hidden away along the bluffs of the Cimarron River on 200 acres. Camp Cimarron is run by the Camp Fire USA Heart of Oklahoma Council, a nonprofit United Way agency. Last month its board members sent out a letter cancelling the camp's upcoming summer session. Tuesday night a small group of concerned parents and campers staged a silent protest at the council's monthly meeting. Regina Kerr says "I would like to see this board step up and reopen the camp. Be open with these kids; with what's really going on with this camp." "Currently we are in a budget shortfall, and in addition to that, our candy sales are down 50,000 in net sales," says Phyllis Morris, Interim Executive Director of the camp. The council's interim executive director says the shortfall is due to mismanagement by prior board members and is a direct reflection of dismal fundraising numbers. She says the camp is outdated and its future is in limbo. Which means its gate could be locked forever; forcing campers to find another summer retreat. Morris says, "We'd love to have Camp Cimarron reopen, but it will be based on what's good for the council and the information we receive." Last year, as a last resort, the council got so desperate they took out a $200,000 loan to pay off mounting debt. They're asking for the public's help to their organization back on its feet. Copyright 2007 KFOR-TV-DT. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Parents fight camp closing
SCOTT HINES REPORTING COYLE, Okla. -- There is trouble for a long-time summer camp in Oklahoma. Camp Cimarron's closing has disrupted summer plans for hundreds of Oklahoma kids. NewsChannel 4 met with some protesting parents. They arrived with homemade signs in hand. The parents showed up with one unified message scribbled in magic marker. "We have to keep Camp Cimarron open because it's the best camp ever," says Tori Noah, Camp Cimarron Camper. It's a sentiment shared by campers, old and young. "Riding the horse, climbing the walls and swimming in the pool; it's a lot of stuff they're taking away from us," says Sarah Kerr, another Camp Cimarron Camper. The camp is a summer escape hidden away along the bluffs of the Cimarron River on 200 acres. Camp Cimarron is run by the Camp Fire USA Heart of Oklahoma Council, a nonprofit United Way agency. Last month its board members sent out a letter cancelling the camp's upcoming summer session. Tuesday night a small group of concerned parents and campers staged a silent protest at the council's monthly meeting. Regina Kerr says "I would like to see this board step up and reopen the camp. Be open with these kids; with what's really going on with this camp." "Currently we are in a budget shortfall, and in addition to that, our candy sales are down 50,000 in net sales," says Phyllis Morris, Interim Executive Director of the camp. The council's interim executive director says the shortfall is due to mismanagement by prior board members and is a direct reflection of dismal fundraising numbers. She says the camp is outdated and its future is in limbo. Which means its gate could be locked forever; forcing campers to find another summer retreat. Morris says, "We'd love to have Camp Cimarron reopen, but it will be based on what's good for the council and the information we receive." Last year, as a last resort, the council got so desperate they took out a $200,000 loan to pay off mounting debt. They're asking for the public's help to their organization back on its feet. Copyright 2007 KFOR-TV-DT. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
/ Source: KFOR-TV