Dear Friends of Lake Logan, Camp Henry and the Outdoor School,
We hope this finds everyone safe and warm after the storm. Our hearts are with everyone across WNC and the surrounding areas impacted by the destruction and devastation of Hurricane Helene. At Lake Logan, we are counting ourselves blessed. While there was a massive movement - acres worth to say the least - of boulders, trees, rocks, sand, mud and debris across our campus, overall we are and will be ok! Most importantly, our staff are all safe and well. No one lost their homes or loved ones. We are all indeed incredibly thankful for this blessing. We’ve had many folks reaching out for updates and asking how they can help. Please find both below:
UPDATE 10/13/24:
On campus we had a few leaks in cabins, several buildings experienced basement flooding and we subsequently lost a furnace and several hot water heaters. The West Fork of the Pigeon River carved out the entire field above the Alpine Tower and the road to our maintenance shop on the east side. The entire athletic/camping field became the river and when the waters receded about a third or more of the field was left covered in boulders, trees, rock, sand, etc. Our recreation sheds are now somewhere in the lake and the fencing around the courts and backstop are all down. The stage survived with some damage to electrical and wifi boxes. We have a new “barrier island” in front of the boat house. All of the boats and docks we saved thanks to staff and volunteers who worked rapidly to prepare for the storm. The lake is covered in trees and debris and, thank the Lord, from all reports, the dam held up well and did its job to hold back countless downed trees from the river banks below.
HOW FOLKS CAN HELP:
First, thanks so much to all the volunteers who have been working since day one of recovery efforts. We’ve had folks from across the country show up to lend a hand, including our friends from the Episcopal Camp and Conference Centers national office and a sister center in Maryland (Camp Wright). We’ve had strangers (now dear friends) from across the Carolinas to stopping by and pitching in on the clean up efforts. Most recently we have troops from Kentucky staying in Camp Henry dorms and working to restore the safety of our riverbanks. What lies ahead? We are planning a volunteer weekend and benefit concert the first weekend of November. Come volunteer for a few hours or a few days. We’ll be thankful for any service you may be able to offer. A community cookout and concert will be held Saturday, November 2 from 5pm to 9pm. All proceeds will directly benefit the restoration efforts here at Lake Logan and include a generous donation to the Lake Logan Volunteer Fire Department. These hometown heroes worked around the clock for days and days to ensure everyone in our community was safe and cared for in the aftermath of Helene. In addition to their search and rescue efforts they served as a community resource center and vital information hub. We are thankful to our sponsors Ferikes Bleynat & Cannon and Haywood Waterways for making this event possible. WNC fan favorite Americana band ‘Fancy and the Gentlemen’ will headline the concert. The event and registration page will be live by this Wednesday, October 16. Meanwhile, please consider a donation to Lake Logan’s Hurricane Helene Restoration Fund (click the donate bar below). Every dollar makes a difference as we work around the clock to restore this beautiful and inspiring retreat center, outdoor school and camp. We have an incredible amount of work to be done and know we’ll be back stronger and better than ever before!
With faith, thankfulness, and love,
Laura Elliot and the whole Lake Logan / Camp Henry crew
