Dear Camp Eagle Ridge Families and Friends –
I am writing to you today with the latest information from Camp Eagle Ridge regarding our procedures and protocol in light of recent news about the spread of Coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Foremost, if someone you know is affected, please know we send our best to you, your family, and friends. We believe in supporting one another in our camp community – even from afar – and we wish good health and continued safety for all.
Even with the increasing severity of the situation, our staff and I are taking a “business as usual” stance on the matter. We are working to keep ourselves educated – from credible sources like the local Health Department and the Center for Disease Control website – and will work together to make collective, informed decisions over the next several months (thankfully, it’s awhile yet before summer begins) regarding our summer program. These decisions will take into account the highest standards of health and safety for our campers, families, and employees.
If circumstances with COVID-19 heighten to a point where evidence proves that summer operation jeopardizes the health and safety of our campers and employees, we will carefully evaluate that decision when the time comes, and will then inform our registered families. I emphasize we are not to that point, and again are continuing with “business as usual” around camp and our offices.
Camp continues to be one of the safest places a person can be during the summer season. The town of Morse is removed from the cities of Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, and Minneapolis/St. Paul – and while that can sometimes be a hassle to be far away from “big cities,” in this case we believe it is a blessing. Camp Eagle Ridge is located away from the populous of cities, the air is clean, the water is pure, and the summer sunshine abundant. We feel, with our already high level of community health standards in place, and a few extra precautions, that Camp Eagle Ridge is a lower-risk place for your child to be this summer.
I’d like to discuss a final point here, and that is our protocol for refunds and cancellations. We are conscious of this and want to offer our families the following options, should you desire a change from your original Session selection:
PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE IS NO BENEFIT TO MAKING A DECISION PRIOR TO MAY 31, 2020.
- Adjust your child’s 2020 registration to a Session later in the summer; no charge. This option, of course, is subject to availability.
- Cancel your child’s 2020 registration at camp, and request a refund; a full refund will be given minus the $95.00 per week non-refundable deposit if you cancel by May 31, 2020. (This is an extension of our usual May 15th date)
- Cancel your child’s 2020 registration at camp, and commit to 2021; everything you paid for 2020, including the deposit, will be credited to 2021 with no service charge. You will be responsible for any difference in tuition, depending on the 2021 Session and options you select (it’s like transferring an airline ticket; think “fare difference”).
- If Camp Eagle Ridge elects to suspend summer 2020 programming, we will refund tuition minus the $95.00 per week non-refundable deposit OR give families the option to apply the amount paid for 2020 to the 2021 season without a service charge. This is the worst-case scenario, and we do not anticipate this happening at this time.
We thank you for your understanding of the non-refundable $95 per week deposit, in relation to our cancellation policies. Please know this deposit is partially what supports camp operation during the winter, and helps pay overhead costs associated with our insurance policies, the online camp registration system, and keeps the lights on and the office staffed.
I close today by reemphasizing that we are taking an educated “business as usual” approach to summer 2020. Working to make Camp Eagle Ridge a safe and healthy place, with assistance from our natural location in the North Woods, we will continue to make decisions in the best interest of our campers, families, and staff members in light of the emergence of the Coronavirus. Expect continuous communication with our camp community over the next 11 weeks; please check our website and social media for updates.
With love,
Kelly Rossebo
Camp Director