Fun Facts
The llamas, Nadora and Bernice, were both born at Camp Deerpark. A few hours after her birth in June 2007 Nadora fell into the old pool. Sean McConaghay observed her mother Ono looking highly upset and ran down to help. Upon arrival he climbed into the water saving Nadora’s short life. In Spanish the word for swim is nadar. The name Nadora is derived from the female version of swimmer. Bernice was born July 2008. A few weeks after her birth the right to name her was sold at our Home-coming Auction. In a tightly contested bidding war the five Smith brothers outbid the Freedom Farmers with a price of $280. Bernice is named after the Smith’s grandmother who had passed away earlier in the year.
Since the wood boiler was installed in 1981 Camp Deerpark has burned approximately 1225 cords of firewood. If the wood were stacked on the Camp Deerpark basketball court, the wood pile would be almost 50 feet high. It would have required 165,375 gallons of fuel oil to provide the same amount of heat.
The white ash tree near the gazebo, standing 85 feet tall and 42½ inches in diameter, is the largest tree at Camp Deerpark.
On June 30 to July 2, 2017 Camp Deerpark hosted Evangelical Garifuna Church Manhattan who brought 178 guests, setting the record for the most guests on a weekend at Camp Deerpark. With 117 beds, at least 61 people slept on the floor.
The maple syrup operation has produced 674 gallons of syrup from1997 to 2018 with the 62 gallons in 2008 being the highest yield.
The steel pipe handrail on the steps leading to the motels was constructed using the black pipe golf course flag sticks left in the rafters of the lawn and garden shed.
The first resident staff living at Camp Deerpark were Newton and Elsie Beiler. Their bedroom was what is now the office.
Between 40 and 45 white pine trees are required to build one Promise Woods cabin. If the cut wood were laid end to end it would stretch 2 miles.
The concrete floor in Hemlock Pavilion was poured by 8th graders from the Bruderhof Community under the generous supervision of Al Schock, owner of Peenpack Sand and Gravel.
50 species of birds were identified by Scott Reichert at camp during one week in May, 2018.
The rock walls at camp were built as the first farmers cleared rocks from the fields. The walls may have been built over a 20 year time span.
The desks in Promise Woods cabin #5, Blessing, were hand crafted by Lowell Jantzi from American Chestnut that had been the Locust Haven attic floor.
Camp Deerpark is sustained by your generous gifts.
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