Kids Impacted by the Colorado Marshall Fires Enjoy a Week of Free Avid4 Adventure Summer Camp Supported by Parallel Path
On December 30, 2021, shortly after 10:30am the unimaginable happened as a wildfire swept through the Boulder County communities of Louisville, Superior, and Marshall. Two lives were lost and over 1000 buildings were destroyed and thousands in our community were displaced from their homes.
The people of Boulder County and Colorado immediately started leaning in to support the communities directly affected by the Marshall Fire with essentials such as shelter, food, and clothing. As business leaders started asking what more can they could do to help, Paul Dreyer, CEO of Avid4 Adventure connected with John Kadlic, CEO of Parallel Path to collaborate on an effort to “give the gift of camp” to families who lost their home in the Marshall Fire.
“Supporting the longer-term recovery phase is much harder (and incredibly needed). Giving the gift of summer camp to families leans into that longer-term support. It also provides kids (and parents) a sense of hope and normalcy. And, in the summer, it provides them with a healthy, connecting, and super fun outdoor experience,” said Dreyer.
Avid4 Adventure created a Marshall Fire Camp Assistance Fund supported in part by Corporate sponsorship from aligned companies like Parallel Path for families who lost their homes.
“Everyone at Parallel Path knows someone who lived in the communities impacted by the Marshall Fire including some of our own associates. After talking with Paul, we knew we wanted to support individual families and their children in a way that would bring them some joy in the most Colorado way we know. And that’s supporting kids getting outside enjoying and playing the activities that make Colorado such a wonderful place to grow up,” said Kadlic.
July 5-8, 2022 was a terrific success as kids whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the fire enjoyed a free week of Avid4 Adventure camp. Not only did the kids have a positive and fun time climbing, biking, hiking, and paddling, but they (and their parents) also felt a special type of connection and empathy with other kids and families in a similar situation to them.
What They Said About Camp:
(Parent) “Sky and Mel were both amazing, friendly, professional, and fun! I knew she was in great hands. Our daughter enjoyed her time at camp with them so much that she drew pictures of her favorite activities to give to them! Thank you Avid4 Adventure team Sky and Mel! Our daughter had an awesome week of camp! She loved the variety of the daily activities and at the end of each day looked forward to the adventures the next day would bring. She made new friends and felt comfortable just being a kid and having fun exploring and adventuring. Thank you for bringing our children and our community together in a way that reminds us that even when life feels hard, there’s so much fun and happiness to be found when we go outside and play. Thank you!”
Ashley Grant (Staff) – “This was the best group I’ve ever had because they were so grateful. I don’t think they would have had this opportunity without Avid, so for a lot of them, this was their first experience kayaking or mountain biking.”
Kendrick Austin (Staff) – “Something I noticed was just how understanding they were of each other, because of their shared experience. There was a time when one of my campers didn’t want to come to camp that morning because they were feeling really emotional, and another camper was overheard and was not only really understanding, but also spoke to them the next day about how they missed them, but understood why it was hard for them to come to camp.”
Ari Angerthal (Staff) – “This group was just so grateful and so understanding. Going to Harper Lake (a lake near the fire area) a few of the campers were like “That’s my old neighborhood, I remember when we did this here” and it wasn’t in a bad way, but more of just a shared experience that they all had and that many of them could relate to. I wish I could have this group again for another week, they were just so stoked for camp and for everything.”