For the first time in more than 50 years, the Alexandria Police Youth Camp is not hosting the city's children — another victim of Hurricane Isabel.
Each summer for the past two years, 12-year-old Amber has looked forward to attending Police Camp. She was disappointed when she did not receive an application this year and learned that the camp would not open.
"We always had lots of fun and spent all day outside," she said. "We played lots of sports, went swimming in the pool, took the paddle boats out and even fished from the dock. The counselors were all really nice, too. I'm really sad that the camp isn't going to be open."
Camp Grimm was established through a bequest from an Alexandria police officer. He left 100 acres of land between the Chesapeake Bay and the Rappahanock River in Kilmarnock, Va. The terms of the bequest are that the property would be used for a camp, which would be operated by volunteers from the Alexandria Police Department. All of the structures on the property were built and are maintained by those volunteers. Current police officers serve on the camp's board of directors.
"We do as much of the work ourselves as we possibly can," said Investigator Dan Morris, the chair of the camp's board. "There are some pretty skilled craftsmen in the department and we all enjoy working at the camp. "But there are some things that we just can't do and digging a new well is one of those."
The camp lost its well during Isabel. "We think that lightning must have struck the pump housing because it is fused to the pump and the well digger can't remove it from our current well," Morris said.
Other damage from Isabel was repaired. There was damage to the mess hall and to the barn and many roofs sustained the loss of shingles. Volunteers made those repairs during the winter and spring and Morris had hoped that the camp would open this summer.
"After we discovered that we had to dig a new well, we had to deal with state inspectors and well diggers," Morris said. "Between vacations and people just not showing up when they were supposed to, we just weren't able to open the camp. You can't have a camp without water."
A WELL DIGGER is scheduled to dig a new well this week and Morris is scheduling a general clean-up and repair day for later this month. "Our dock still needs to be fixed but I think there are some officers who can do that," he said.
The dock was removed from its pilings during Isabel and deposited about six feet from where it is supposed to be. "The pilings are still there so all we have to do is pull the pieces of the dock out of the water and build a new platform," Morris said.
Also, before Isabel, the board had poured a slab for a new cabin. "We hope to build that cabin before the camp opens if we have the money," Morris said. That will cost about $10,000.
The camp serves Alexandria children between the ages of eight and eleven. A bus collects campers on Monday morning and transports them to the camp, returning them to Alexandria the following Saturday. Camp counselors are usually college students who enjoy being outdoors and working with children.
DURING THE 1960S, the camp served nearly 800 children each summer. In recent years, that number has dwindled to around 300. "We want to get the word out and encourage more kids to come," Morris said.
The cost of the camp is $50 per week but no child is ever turned away because of money. The Alexandria Police Youth Camp is a 501C3 organization, making all contributions tax deductible. And those contributions are needed.
"We pay for a grounds keeper and for an executive director," Morris said. "Most of the work that is done aside from that is by volunteers. The money we raise goes to fund campers."