December 2025
Dear Friends of Camp Celo,
It was a joyful and restorative summer!
After a challenging year recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene’s devastation at Camp Celo and the surrounding areas in September 2024, the community came together to restore Camp to a usable state just in time to welcome Campers again last June.
Last year, Blossom, the Camp cow, found herself standing chest deep in water inside the barn as Helene’s waters covered junior camp, the road, the cow pasture, and numerous buildings and facilities. This year, while expecting a calf, she enjoyed a giant baby shower put on by Campers, who made it a sensational and memorable event!
With many mountain trails closed or impassable this summer due to hurricane damage, Camp had to be creative in finding and enjoying new routes. The abundance of national forest land, and natural areas in the community, along with some creative approaches, meant that Camp was able to find wonderful routes for hikes in beautiful places, old and new!
We are so grateful for the dedicated stewardship and nurturing leadership of Camp Celo directors Drew and Carly. After an incredibly busy and challenging year dealing with the effects of Helene at home and in the surrounding community, they managed to repair and prepare Camp’s facilities, and bring together a fabulous staff group for another wonderful summer full of amazing Camp Celo experiences.
We are also extremely grateful to all who helped donate time, effort, and funds to assist in Camp Celo’s recovery efforts, and those who contributed to our Campership funds. We are fortunate that several generous donors helped us finance critical rebuilding efforts so Camp could once again open after the hurricane.
Friends of Camp Celo also helped facilitate Camp Celo’s GoFundMe campaign during the initial stages of the hurricane recovery, and helped Celo Friends Meeting, working with retired Camp Celo director Gib Barrus, to accept a significant grant for emergency relief assistance to those in need in the surrounding valley.
We are seeing increasing need for families to be able to afford Camp Celo.
Friends of Camp Celo, Inc. provided $63,100 in Campership awards last summer, enabling all 41 children who applied for funds through Friends of Camp Celo, Inc. to attend Camp.
Our goal for 2026 is to raise $60,000 in continued support of this need. Please help new generations of children enjoy the unique experience of Camp Celo by making a contribution to our campaign.
You can donate online, or mail a contribution to:
Friends of Camp Celo
P.O. Box 2392
Asheville, NC, 28802
From the Friends of Camp Celo board of directors – Thank You!
Clark Rinard (President)
Tony Mace (Vice Pres.)
Evan Raskin (Treasurer)
Maria Ikenberry
Lizzie Ellis
Christina Hubbard
Daniel Seltz
Eliza Gordon
Adelyn Luke
