Friends
Tuesday, December 4th, is Colorado Gives Day . . . . a time designed to encourage philanthropy in Colorado. While Highlands is not a formal participant in this program (we are working on this for next year!) we want you to know that you can donate directly to Highlands by visiting our website at www.highlandscamp.org . You’ll find our Donate button on the home page. We are grateful for the generosity many donors at Highlands.
This has been a busy time for us! We had over 130 people at our Annual Christmas Party and Auction on Saturday, December 1st. We honored five Distinguished Volunteers and celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Retreat Center. We also offered over 175 items in our Auction and raised nearly $10,000 for the ministry of Highlands.
At the same time, on Saturday morning, we discovered that our friends at the YMCA of the Rockies were being evacuated because of the Fern Lake Fire. We are currently housing 40 YMCA Staff members who live on site, and they will stay with us for the duration of the evacuation. Please pray for the safety of fire fighters and a little precipitation to help control the fire.
On Friday, just before our weekend guests arrived, we were able to restore water to the Chapel. Our water line repair project was unbudgeted, but also unavoidable when we discovered a major water leak.
This new 870 feet of insulated water line, buried 6 feet deep will provide winterized water to the Chapel, Nurse’s Cabin, Bobcat and Coyote. With our growing year-round use of the Chapel, the winterization of this line makes year-round use of the Chapel much easier. This project will cost nearly $25,000. If we had contracted it out, we could have expected it to cost up to $75,000.
We appreciate the generosity of many individuals and congregations who have made gifts to help us meet this unexpected expense. We are also grateful for the knowledge and expertise of Michael Hanratty, our new Facilities Director as he led . . . and dug . . . and moved earth . . . and set man-ways and lines for this project!
This Advent season my heart overflows with gratitude for those who support Highlands. Volunteers and donors make all the difference! This ministry would not be possible without you! Thank you for being a part of the Highlands family!
Advents blessings!
Maria Shupe
Executive Director
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