SOLE and CORE give back
With Thanksgiving this week and #GivingTuesday coming up next Tuesday (November 28th), we wanted to recognize the amazing campers who participated in SOLE and CORE this summer.
SOLE and CORE is a leadership development program that provides campers with an opportunity to learn and practice community and personal growth skills in an outdoor environment that challenges them physically and mentally. The campers complete a 5-day trip including a service component in which they work with one of our partnered service organizations or in the immediate Sanborn community.
SOLE (Sanborn Outdoor Leadership Experience) is offered to boys and girls who have completed 8th grade and CORE (Community OutReach Experience) is offered to boys and girls who have completed 9th grade. Campers have the opportunity to complete horse, mountain, tech rock, or mountain bike trips that focus on leadership and stewardship.
One of our partnering service organizations, CUSP (The Coalition of the Upper South Platte), came to our land and led campers in performing trail work on some of the most used trails on the ranch. In just 2 weeks, 164 volunteers completed 828 hours of work. This included decommissioning trails, installing drainage structures and check dams, and removing invasive weeds along over 6 acres of land.
Another organization we work with, CFI (Colorado Fourteeners Initiative), worked with our campers completing a mountain trip. The campers did trail work on Elbert, Massive, and Oxford/Belford, some of the most popular mountains to climb in Colorado. In two weeks, 71 volunteers completed 854 hours of work. They replotted grass on social trails, closed off unnecessary trails, and moved many rocks to build a wall.
SOLE and CORE are such powerful programs here at camp. There is no better way to learn the importance of giving back than to do just that all while surrounded by amazing friends doing fun and important work. We are inspired by these campers and cannot thank them enough for all they have given back to Colorado, and more specifically, Sanborn.
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please consider us next Tuesday, November 28th on #GivingTuesday. There is no better gift to give than the gift of camp!
