YMCA Camp Orkila: The Blog

A few weeks ago, we were excited to hold the first African American Males Weekend at Camp Orkila in partnership with the organization 100 Black Parents. We had about 160 males come to camp for a weekend of bonding, fun, and learning. 

Saturday was filled with Ziplining, the Giant Swing, archery, riflery, rowboats, pottery wheels, and more. Some police officers from the Seattle Police Department visited for a workshop with the kids in our Marine Salmon Center. Kids and parents ate together in the dining hall, slept in our cabins (some open-air!), and ended each night with a campfire full of skits and songs.

              

“Through our efforts to create sustainable, thriving communities we have to first look at the structure of the family and create a sense of community amongst them,” says Bookie Gates, African American Father and one of the main coordinators of the event. “We put nearly 200 African American men and boys in the same place where the expectation was nothing but family, fun, and empowerment and that’s amazing!”

It was the first of what is now an annual event, and we look forward to May 2018 for next year's African American Males Weekend!