RYLA, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, is a leadership camp for incoming high school seniors in Rotary District 5810. Through Camp RYLA, the “Leaders of Tomorrow” have a forum for teamwork, communication, and consensus building in an environment that challenges personal and team responsibilities. This week long leadership skills summer camp annually provides over 180 outstanding high school student leaders, opportunities to expand and hone their leadership skills through cabin activities, athletic events, educational workshops, and team building exercises. Over the past 25 years, the RYLA Alumni group (past RYLArians) has been vital to the success of the RYLA program.

We are looking for your help to fund three of our alumni awards this year.

For the past several years the Alumni group has awarded two scholarships, the Mark Healy Leadership Award and the Dana Mackison Service Award, to deserving alumni on the last day of camp. This year at the 25th anniversary reunion, the Alumni group announced a third scholarship (which has been long overdue), the Jim Duffy Dedication Award. These scholarships are awarded to alumni that embody the spirit of RYLA, strive to put the campers first in all of their actions surrounding camp, and have shown continued dedication to the program over the years. The process for selecting the scholarship winners has traditionally been an open nomination period throughout the first several days of camp, with all alumni eligible to nominate a fellow alumnus, and then a selection committee of about 5 past scholarship winners go through the nominations on the last night of camp to select the winners.

We need to raise $3,500 in tax-deductible donations by August 6th, the last night of Camp RYLA 2015.  These awards recognize the dedication and effort of RYLA Alumni as they continue the standard of leadership, service, and dedication to Camp RYLA. Your donation is appreciated!