Camp Fire expansion project now underway
Union County’s Camp Fire club members have another reason to be excited for the summer thanks to a construction project at the camp owned and operated by the organization.
On Monday, Camp Fire El Dorado administrators and a number of campers met at Camp Wotapi in Parkers Chapel to break ground on a long-planned expansion project for the campground cabin.
The extension to the building will take around two months to complete, retain the cabin-style look of the building and will, according to Camp Fire of El Dorado Executive Director Leanne Harrell, help the organization accommodate more campers and continue expanding.
“As we continue to grow, the facility needs to grow,” Harrell said, adding that it will be the “first major construction project in years” at the campground.
There are nearly 700 Camp Fire club members in Union County, according to a press release from the organization.
Harrell has worked at Camp Fire for 21 years and was a member, as well.
“When I was a little girl, this (building) was just a pavilion,” Harrell said. The pavilion was built in 1978 and enclosed and turned into a cabin some time in the ensuing years.
The club holds a day camp during the summer and outdoor workshops throughout the year at Camp Wotapi.
“We’ll be able to use it more with the new addition,” Harrell said.
Harrell said that the organization’s fundraising efforts, including their annual Halloween El Dorado Haunt event, helped pave the way for the new construction.
“We’ve been good with our money and had a very successful Haunt last year, so now we can put the money to good use,” she said.
The organization contracted with Diversified Construction and Design for the project.
Camp Fire El Dorado was founded in 1961 and is a service organization that helps young people “learn leadership skills, life skills and develop a heart for giving back to the community.”
For more information about Camp Fire, call 870-862-3463.