Young Life opens

$30 million Oregon

camp for middle schoolers

  
     ANTELOPE — Middle school students from the Portland area on May 14 became the first campers to launch themselves down the waterslide at Young Life’s new $30 million water park-themed camp at Washington Family Ranch near Antelope.
     Built specifically to serve Young Life’s WyldLife ministry, which reaches out to middle school students, this new premier camp features a world-class water park and accommodates more than 350 guests. This increases Washington Family Ranch’s capacity to more than 1,000 guests per week — the largest of Young Life’s 32 youth camps worldwide.
     The 64,000-acre Washington Family Ranch was donated to Young Life by the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation in 1998. Raised in Montana, Dennis Washington has had a lengthy and successful career in heavy construction and mining. His wife, Phyllis, has for years done business in interior decorating and fine antiques.
     The current high school campus on the property, with a capacity of 625, has served more than 150,000 campers, leaders and guests since 1999. In 2008, the foundation made a $30 million gift to Young Life specifically for the new facilities for middle schoolers.
     Founded in 1941, Young Life is a worldwide organization for middle school, high school and college students. Active in more than 70 nations, the ministry reaches more than one million kids annually. Young Life camps serve nearly 100,000 youth annually.
     On hand to witness the first campers experiencing the new facility were the Washingtons as well as Young Life President Denny Rydberg. For more information on the camp go to washingtonfamilyranch.younglife.org.