Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce members enjoy lunch (top) in the dining room, and look up at the rock climbing wall (above) at Camp Kelly during a tour of the facilities on May 10. The new managers of the campgrounds are hoping to attract support from Wyoming County for family and seasonal programs, in additional to traditional summer camping.
Photos and Story by Rick Hiduk
United Neighborhood Centers (UNC) of Northeast PA, the new owners and managers of Camp Kelly, formerly Camp St. Andrew, are striving for a more inclusive business model that will provide more community access to its facilities and, in turn, provide long-term sustainability. Formerly owned by the Catholic Diocese of Scranton, the camp was donated to UNC, and a major restorative effort is underway.
Situated near Lake Carey in Lemon Township, Wyoming County, Camp Kelly was the site of the May 10 lunch meeting of the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce, numerous members of which have either attended Camp St. Andrew, worked there, or both. After enjoying a box lunch in the camp’s dining hall, guests were treated to a walking tour of the camp (above) to gauge for themselves the potential for investment for their families and Wyoming County.
Camp Kelly director Kelly Langan (above) told the crowd of about 40 Chamber members that excitement among former supporters of the camp is evident in the selling out of the first week of girls’ camp in two hours and the need to add a third week. Boys camping weeks are also selling well. UNC’s Day Camp program, which brings disadvantaged kids from Scranton out to the country, will also resume this summer.
A significant amount of time and money is being invested into total overhauls of the latrines and shower cabins. The foundation of the iconic office building was crumbling and has been replaced. But more funds are needed to upgrade all of the residential structures and classroom buildings.
“No more band aids,” tour guide Mary Carroll Donahoe (below, right) told her group.
Part of the reason for the more proactive approach to maintenance of the grounds and structures is the shared sentiment of UNC board members that Camp Kelly has potential well beyond its traditional uses.
A women’s retreat and father & son weekend are already in the works. Fall foliage tours and the possibility of opening the trails around Lake Oxbow for snowshoeing in the winter months are other ideas floating around to make year-round use of the camp.
Amenities include cabins, conference space, gymnasiums, a waterfront area for swimming and boating (above), recreation rooms, and miles of hiking trails that traverse a climbing wall (below), zip-line tower, and an outdoor team-building area.
For more information about enrolling in camp programs and supporting UNC’s mission, log onto www.uncnepa.org/campkelly/.
Tunkhannock Area High School FBLA members (from left) Tony Mastroianni, Ethan Hoefert, Andrew Macko, Nick Reposa, and Catherine Trexler enjoy lunch at Camp Kelly with the Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce.