Rotary Club youth campground renovated after Ian
There is a hidden gem in Sarasota County that is shining a bit brighter this week. This gem is the Rotary Club of Englewood’s Youth Foundation Campground, on S. Moon Drive in Venice. The campground was damaged significantly by Hurricane Ian and was been unusable for nearly a year.
That changed last weekend, when 30 to 40 adults and a bunch of kids and their parents all gathered at the campground to make repairs, clean up the facilities and make the compound live again.
Rotary member Blaise Castellano, who is in charge of the campground, said a grant from a local business, which wanted to remain anonymous, provided all the materials to restore the 6-acre property that includes the camp. Rotarians, friends of the camp, Cub Scout Troop 77 – and lots of family members associated with these groups – did the dirty work of making the camp usable again.
Castellano said the grant provided two 50-gallon water heaters, 12 new toilets, 12 new faucets, shower heads and lights. It also included 20 gallons of paint, a chainsaw and lots of painting supplies, cleaning supplies and more. In total, the grant was equal to about $11,000 in retail value.
The storm flooded the bathrooms, knocked down trees, moved boulders and generally made the camp unusable. Today, it is back in operation, and Kathy Castellano – another Rotarian and the wife of the camp master – is ready to start taking reservations again. She is the one who keeps the camp’s calendar.
Any 501(c)3 organization that serves the needs of children and youth is welcome to use the camp at no charge. That is correct – there is no charge to use the campground for qualifying organizations such as youth groups, Scouts and school groups. That’s the shiny part of this gem.
It sits on a secluded spot on South Moon Drive in Venice, on the Myakka River. The idea is to help encourage environmental responsibility and valuable life skills in our youth, according to the Rotary website. It can accommodate 30 to 40 kids, Castellano said.
He hopes more and more kids will be able to use it, now that it is restored and improved. “It’s little known now,” he said, but he wants that to change. The facilities include sleeping areas, a dining hall, bathrooms and lots of outdoor learning areas.
After the storm, the camp was inundated with four to five feet of water, making access to the grounds impossible until December. Once the Rotary members could get in and see the damage in more detail, they knew it would take a significant investment to make the needed repairs. They approached a local retail establishment and were thrilled with the result.
The camp is just one facet of the work the Rotary Club of Englewood does for area youth. They also have projects that foster and improve literacy, provide educational opportunities, raise community awareness and foster valuable life skills for the youth of the community. All of this is under the umbrella of the Rotary’s Englewood Youth Foundation, founded in 1968 as the philanthropic arm of the club.
Anyone interested in scheduling a group to use the campground should contact Kathy Castellano at (941) 650-5085.
