Camp Wawbeek Meets the Appalachian Trail

As of 7/23 at 1000 miles boots on the ground and hike is done. Final post with lots of pictures is up and can be found at www.windwarddave.blogspot.com Also fyi Camp set up an easier avenue to make a donation in recognition of this hike. Here is the   link www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/windwarddave/AppalachianTrail September 7, 2014 is the last day that donations can be made via that link. Thanks everyone for your support and encouragement along the way!


Hi all and welcome! My name is Dave Eveland (some may remember me as "Missouri" my camp nickame, thanks to chief counselor) and this site is dedicated to Camp Wawbeek.

Located near Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, Wawbeek was one of the if not the first residential camp of its kind in America. It remains to this day a trailblazer and model for camps and organizations around the world to emulate. I worked there as a counselor 43 years ago, and although may not have realized it at the time,the summers that spent there permanently changed for the better the rest of my life. Camp Wawbeek has had that same effect on thousands of campers, staff, and contributors since its founding in 1938. Simply put, a camp Wawbeek experience provides the opportunity for much joy while at the same time hope for the future.

The purpose of this blog site  www.wawbeekaloha.blogspot.com is to encourage readers to consider making donations of money and/or time directly to Wisconsin Easter Seal's Camp Wawbeek. More than likely many of you already contribute to Camp and that is great. Perhaps this blog will prove to be an incentive for those of you who do so to give a little more and for others to start.

Starting March 16, 2014, I am going to hike the Appalachian Trail beginning from Damascus, Virginia with the goal of reaching Maine's Mt. Katahdin 1700 miles later by August 8.There is a chance that after pau with Maine might go back down to Georgia to do a few hundred more but the main goal is to hike 1700 and anything else will be just be bonus miles.

What am asking of you wonderful readers is to please consider making a pledge of a certain amount for each mile walked. For example if one cent is pledged and I make it to Maine then the amount you would send to Camp would be $17. If ten cents were pledged than the amount to send in would be $170. I do not not need to know whom decides to make a donation nor how much the donation is for. If you want to inform me that is fine as doing such will am sure provide motivation to keep walking. However it is perfectly all right to just share that will contribute and leave the amount blank and is also fine not to tell me anything at all. The donations need to be sent directly to Camp Wawbbek at 131 Nob Hill Road, Madison Wisconsin 53713 or go to the on line website. www.eastersealswisconsin.com .The site has information about the hike and if so inclined how to make a donation in recognition of the Appalachian Trail fundraiser. Regardless, I recommend that if you plan to contribute to keep a record of how much you pledged so that when the tirp is finished you will know the amount to send in to Camp. All of the money you donate will go to assist Camp to continue delivering high quality programming. Please do not send any money to me in the islands as I am not a non nor for profit entity and do not want any trouble with my accountant (tax act online).There will be periodic updates posted on this blog site as to how the hike is going and the exact mileage will be posted when the walk is finished.

My brother and I started planning to this trek about a year ago. This past April we did a practice hike in Shenandoah, Virginia. Then this past summer I did some more get ready hikes with my son out west. Some say kinda funny accounts of those trips can be found by going to www.windwarddave.blogspot.com.  Look for the the heading prep for and actual hike of AT and there find some posts. They like this blog site are open to the public. There can be found some pictures and at the end of the western trip report is a one minute video with audio of a climb up Koip peak. I shared those write ups recently with some Wawbeek alum and one of them, Linda Mertes, recommended that consideration be made to making the Appalachian Trail hike attempt a fundraiser for Camp. After some careful deliberation decided that Mertie had a great point and the result is this blog site.

So, how does all this tie in what happened two generations ago up on the Hill?

Maybe if my brain was a little younger could give some solid reasoning how it does but for now just trust me it does. Wawbeek in 1970 and 1971- as am sure it still is -was a blast for all involved. Singing one's lungs out for extra mess hall food, water football fights, cookout bratwursts, campout bobcats, dell boat rides, tractor pulls, getting caught on canteen raids (mahalo boys counselor boss) camp shows, throwing the talent show mc in the pool (thats the third thanks er strike Mr.Ron ), improvised golf, bb- the list could go on and on. As staff we worked hard and played harder except for the times nurse Pat D ordered bed rest. Rest was necessary though, otherwise would have never had any energy to go back to school or graduate from the army.

Upon completion of medic assignment in Louisiana's bayous and then a degree in rehab counseling from Greeley, I landed early 1975 on the windward side of O`ahu. Met a few times with legendary former Wawbeek director Bill Hindman. Bill, was head of Hawai`i Easter Seals in those days and he told me that I would never leave the islands; being sort of stupid back then could not believe that forecast would prove accurate.

Didn't have much of a job when first arrived in paradise but seeing vacationing wawbeekers like Pat, Steve and Barb, Sally, Les was most welcome.  Here is a picture of counselor of the year Avery (he on the right) and a random bum on the Koolau summit trail.










Eventually after getting a haircut got a career going with Hawai`i Vocational Rehabilitation. The last 16 years before retirement were spent as the administrator of Ho`opono- the agency's programs and services for the Blind. While there outdoor youth programming was initiated which involved rafting the Colorado, backpacking in Haleakala, kayaking Hawaiian waters and also Alaskan, and week long residential camping on the north shore.

If not for learning what was possible while at Wawbeek it is doubtful if any of those events or trips would have taken place. So many of the youth that took part are today doing very well- just like so many of those kids and adults that go to Camp Wawbeek. It is a proven fact that camps, outdoor experiences, and time spent in natural surroundings have a profound and lasting positive impact.

Actually, if had not gone to Wawbeek those years ago my career would have never taken place. With no job would have never been able to meet let alone marry Betty and there would be no Deb, Becca or Josh -nor future grandbabies (get with it you three!).

Is also possible would not be walking around as it was Camp Director Guy Wharton Jr. whom urged that I go get in the medic corps and to stop digging latrines. So I owe big time thanks to Camp for enabling me to have a wife, a family, a home, a pension and all that! It is also thanks to camp that learned the words to meaningful songs such as the one in this video!

Now the years have gone on and am much older, not working and not doing much, so when brother Paul said he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail I said am all in. We are hoping for a grand adventure and also that our wives will still be home when the hike is pau. Am trusting that they will be and that the AT trek becomes another life milestone that can thank Wawbeek for.

Not sure when the next post will be-hopefully something interesting will happen before the hike actually starts and if so will get that on the site. Comments.questions are welcomed and can be left on the blog site and/or email windwarddave@gmail.com. Finally, here is a Wawbeek postcard from a long time ago. More up to date photos of camp can of course be found on the official Wawbeek website. Okay thats all,mahalo nui loa for reading and for helping Camp continue as one of the best places on earth! Aloha to one and all!