Extensive vandalism damage at Camp Roger will keep the YMCA facility locked up for the second straight summer.
Last year, vandals broke windows, smashed toilets and ripped out light fixtures, causing thousands of dollars worth of damage to the summer camp.Camp Roger, located about 15 miles east of Kamas in the high Uinta Mountains, had served disabled and disadvantaged children for many years.
According to camp director Chandler St. John, money and labor are needed to get the camp open and functioning once again.
"We are struggling financially to open," St. John said. "Damage caused by the vandals, as well as the expense of general upkeep, will keep the camp closed for a second year."
St. John estimated $150,000 would be required to mend and refurbish the camp before it could be opened.
"Camp repair, at this point, will require skilled labor and building materials. We would like to begin a fund drive to campaign for necessary services and materials," he said.
Plumbers, carpenters and roofers are needed to repair the camp's water and sewer system, replace toilets, install doorways and mend the roofs and ceilings of the camp's buildings, St. John said.
St. John said he was pleased with the way Utahns have responded to the camp's request for assistance during the cleanup process. More than 1,600 hours of volunteer labor has been expended since the damage was discovered by the Forest Service last summer.
"Church and Scout groups have contributed a lot of time to the project," St. John said. "Recently, a group of young people spent three days at the camp replacing windows; and the Utah Chapter of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America have painted the whole camp facility."
St. John stressed that volunteers are still needed to assist with general cleanup, haul trash away, and weed out vegetation and brush that has grown around the camp facilities during closure.
Individuals, groups, or businesses wishing to participate in the camp's continuing renovation or make donations can contact St. John at 278-2579.