Remember your summer vacations or first trip to summer camp as a child? Remember all of the fun times you had? Many of the Bonnie Brae boys have never experienced a true summer vacation, let alone traveled beyond their home communities, so each year Bonnie Brae takes them on a signature weeklong summer trip. This trip gives them the opportunity to see and experience many new things for the first time - fishing, swimming, horseback riding and seeing stars in the night sky. A high point of the year for many of the boys, the trip is an integral part of their personal journey to becoming more confident, self-reliant individuals. The camp experience builds social skills and independence, nurtures self-respect and character building, and promotes friendship and community building.
After their 30th anniversary trip to the Canadian wilderness in 2012 – when only half of the residents could participate due to escalating costs – the decision was made to move the trip to Forest Lake Camp in upstate New York, a more affordable and practical option. The boys have visited Forest Lake Camp twice and have made dozens of memories! The ability to take this trip is dependent upon Bonnie Brae's private fundraising efforts, so each year a major campaign effort is launched. This year we are fortunate to have some local teens aiding us in this fundraising effort: Troy Powell; Lex Decker; Elizabeth McDevitt; Ryan O'Malley; and Jack Proudfoot. After meeting with some of our young people, these teens were inspired to help, hoping to fundraise to provide "camp scholarships" and allow Bonnie Brae young men to have an ideal camp experience - swimming in a lake, horseback riding, mountain climbing, barbecuing at the campfire, and more! Having great memories of their own family vacations, they identified with the summer trip and thought this was a great way for them to make a difference. You can help their efforts by making a donation on the donation page of this website.
After their 30th anniversary trip to the Canadian wilderness in 2012 – when only half of the residents could participate due to escalating costs – the decision was made to move the trip to Forest Lake Camp in upstate New York, a more affordable and practical option. The boys have visited Forest Lake Camp twice and have made dozens of memories! The ability to take this trip is dependent upon Bonnie Brae's private fundraising efforts, so each year a major campaign effort is launched. This year we are fortunate to have some local teens aiding us in this fundraising effort: Troy Powell; Lex Decker; Elizabeth McDevitt; Ryan O'Malley; and Jack Proudfoot. After meeting with some of our young people, these teens were inspired to help, hoping to fundraise to provide "camp scholarships" and allow Bonnie Brae young men to have an ideal camp experience - swimming in a lake, horseback riding, mountain climbing, barbecuing at the campfire, and more! Having great memories of their own family vacations, they identified with the summer trip and thought this was a great way for them to make a difference. You can help their efforts by making a donation on the donation page of this website.