Sioux Falls community rallies around Leif Ericson camp after flooding
The storms a week ago in Sioux Falls submerged YMCA Camp Leif Ericson in 3-12 feet of water, depending on the area, said Mike Murphy, CEO of Sioux Falls Family YMCA.
The camp has experienced flooding before, the last notable flood being in 2019, so staff was able to prepare ahead of time June 20 by tying down picnic tables and bringing horses and vehicles to higher ground. But the water washed away many of the camp’s supplies, including fishing poles, archery arrows, BB guns, gaga ball pits and art supplies, said camp administrator Megan Thompson.
Because parts of Leif Ericson Camp are in a flood plain, it's difficult to get insurance to cover the flood damages, according to Kadyn Wittman, Development Director at the YMCA. The camp has started an online fundraiser with the goal of raising $100,000 for repairs. So far, the campaign has raised $61,278.
“We've received donations from as far away as Seattle and Washington, DC, and Texas, and I think that's just really a good indicator of how far reaching the impact of camp is,” Wittman said.
Wittman said the money will go toward replacing equipment they couldn’t get to higher ground in time and possibly replanting trees around the camp.
After flooding in the spring of 2019, Leif Ericson had two months to rebuild its camp and prepare for summer sessions. This time, the camp had one week. The staff is getting ready for its third summer session, which was expected to begin Monday.
“Our counselors have been pretty much scrubbing and spraying down and bleaching every single possible thing that would have gotten touched by the flood,” said Carter Friske, Director of the 8 and 9-year-old age group at Leif Ericson.
Leif Ericson also re-launched it volunteer army corps, the Gnome Corps, to help repair damages. The camp posted a signup link for the Gnome Corps on Facebook at 10 a.m. Wednesday. By 3:30 p.m. that day, more than 40 people had signed up, according to Wittman. The Gnome Corps will begin repairs once the camp staff has completed the initial cleanup.
“The support we've received from our community has absolutely blown me away,” Wittman said. “It's just been amazing, a really tough last few days, but it's easier when you have support from your community like we do.”
The YMCA offered modified camp at Central Church the past week for families who relied on Leif Ericson for childcare, and various Sioux Falls businesses have helped in the cleanup effort.
Nyberg’s ACE Hardware posted on Facebook that its shoppers will have the option to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar to contribute to Leif Ericson’s flood relief. Mueller Pallets donated wood chips to replace the ones that washed off the paths during the flood, and Spoke-N-Sport bike and ski shop cleaned and repaired the camp’s mountain bikes, Murphy said.
Peter Oien, owner of Spoke-N-Sport, grew up going to camp at Leif Ericson as a child.
"I love what they do as a program. I love the fact that they're getting kids outside and doing, you know, active things," he said. "So we wanted to make sure that that that could continue throughout the summer."
Kathryn Kovalenko is an intern for the Argus Leader, paid for by a grant program through Bethel University this summer.
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls community rallies around Leif Ericson camp after flood
