Honoring Mary Kate Burke: A Collection for Eagle Island Camp and Maya

We are heartbroken by the recent loss of our dear friend, colleague and dedicated elementary educator, Mary Kate Burke. To celebrate her life and enduring passion for nature and learning, we are launching a donation campaign in her memory.

Mary Kate was a woman who inspired change—in her classroom and in her community. She found her own inspiration at Eagle Island Camp (EIC), where she was a camper, a maintenance crew volunteer, and, later in life, an invaluable leader in its revival.

Mary Kate’s Legacy: Reviving EIC

As a child, EIC ignited Mary Kate’s love for outdoor activities, drama, and the arts. Her time there was so formative that, years later, she returned as a volunteer, and the experience inspired her to become the dedicated educator we all knew. After returning to New York with her young daughter, Maya, Mary Kate devoted herself to the working group focused on EIC’s progressive, three-year full reopening. She was essential to its success, using her perspective as a mother and educator to help redesign programs, develop staffing plans, and reconnect with the community. Her efforts ensured that EIC was reestablished as a place that would shape and inspire the next generation of children, just as it had inspired her.

Our Goal: Securing Her Vision for Maya

Mary Kate always dreamed of the day Maya would be old enough to attend EIC. To honor that dream and her incredible commitment, we are launching a voluntary collection with two goals:

Fund Maya's Summer Camp Tuition: Secure funding for Maya's EIC tuition, which ranges from $1,720 for one week to $3,375 for two weeks, allowing her to experience the camp her mother loved.

Establish a Permanent EIC Plaque: Collect additional donations up to $10,000 to be given directly to Eagle Island Camp for their ongoing operations, and to fund a permanent donor plaque at EIC in Mary Kate’s memory.

Your donation is a direct investment in Mary Kate’s legacy, ensuring her dedication to the camp and her hope for her daughter’s future are realized.

All donations are completely voluntary and no amount is too small. We will combine contributions toward Maya’s tuition and one of the donor recognition levels in MK’s name.

For your reference the donor levels are:

Butterfly: $10,000+

Maple Leaf: $5,000+

Birch Leaf: $1,000+

Roots: $500+