New Health and Administration Lodge

IN 1925, Mr. and Mrs. Gees put 40 acres in Lee’s Summit, MO into a Trust and granted the Downtown Rotary Club (Club 13) the use of the land in perpetuity to operate as a camp to serve youth of the Kansas City area.  Rotary Club 13 has supported and operated the camp since that time.  As we approach our 100 year anniversary in 2025 and continue to serve special needs children of the Kansas City metro area, we are focusing on what makes the Rotary Youth Camp a truly exceptional place.  We are the only camp in the metro Kansas City area that serves children with a broad range of special needs.  Organizations that use our camp include the Boy Scouts, Campfire USA, ARC of Clay and Platte Counties, Midwest Brachial Plexus Network, Joshua Center and others.  We provide children an outdoor camping experience at no charge whom may otherwise not have that opportunity.  These children are able to participate in a variety of activities including swimming, campfires, basketball, archery, crafts and other outdoor pursuits. 

Enriching Lives, Changing the World

 This year, we are embarking on a capital campaign to improve the camp and the experiences that these children have while attending the Rotary Youth Camp.  We are excited to announce plans to rebuild the health and administration buildings. 

 We would be honored to have any individuals, grants, foundations, or corporations participate in this opportunity to invest in this Kansas City treasure.    Thank you for your consideration.

The current services for each children's camps and staff housing are spread among multiple buildings to meet ACA accreditation requirements.  The existing health lodge and separate administration building are approaching 50 years old and are exhibiting deterioration and require significant repairs and modification.  Both buildings currently do not meet the needs of today's campers and do not have accessible bathroom facilities requiring sick children needing accessible shower or bathroom facilities to cross camp to the bathroom building.  These buildings currently do not meet the needs for any administrators or health professionals that may require accessible facilities.  Having services in different buildings stretches the staffing across the camp and does not allow the camp to meet the needs of the children attending the Rotary Youth Camp in the best or most efficient manner.  It is desired by the camp to replace the existing Health Lodge and Administration Buildings with a single building meeting the current accessible guidelines and meeting the ACA accreditation requirements in a single location.  A single building will allow each camp using the Rotary Youth Camp to appropriately provide staffing without stretching resources.  It will also provide room for growth of existing camps and attract other groups that currently may not be able to use the camp due to current deficiencies of these facilities.  The building is planned to have a safe refuge for storms underneath that is quickly accessible by campers in this area of the camp.  The building also is designed to be environmentally friendly, energy efficient, and with materials that require minimal maintenance and long term life expectancy.  It is our goal to include solar panels, LED lighting, and efficient mechanical systems to reduce energy costs if fundraising can support the added up front costs.   Although, the anticipated construction budget is more than the $750,000 of this campaign, we have already begun fundraising through other opportunities that are helping us reach our total goal.  Rotary Youth Camp Facebook This building is available for naming opportunities and funding by single or multiple donors; it is possible to name each side as the building is designed with adjoining wings for the Health Lodge and Administration functions.