Jordan Beck | Daily Press Camp Harstad Director Kim Pepin, back row, center-left — along with the camp’s counselors and campers — welcomes members of the Escanaba Rotary Club to Camp Harstad by singing camp songs Tuesday.

FORD RIVER — Members of the Escanaba Rotary Club visited Camp Harstad, a day camp for children with disabilities, to have lunch and see the camp in action Tuesday. The camp is owned and funded by the Escanaba Rotary Trust Fund for Children with Special Needs, and it is co-managed by the trust fund and the Northern Lights YMCA.

“(It’s) just to expose the … Rotarians to life at Camp Harstad with the kids,” Roger Charbonneau — the camp’s manager and the vice president of the trust fund’s board of directors — said regarding the goal of Tuesday’s event.

Camp Harstad, which has been in operation for decades, was originally established to help children with polio. After a vaccine for polio was developed, the camp’s focus shifted to helping children with disabilities.

Camp Director Kim Pepin said Tuesday’s event also gave local Rotarians a chance to see updates that have been made at Camp Harstad, which the club helps support through its contributions to the trust fund.

“It’s a chance for us to say ‘thank you’ to the Rotary, too,” he said.

Recent improvements to the camp have included a new sidewalk, new safety equipment, cosmetic improvements — namely, a wishing well installed to cover a sewer vent — and a new “buddy swing” and sandbox.

“The camp looks beautiful — the Rotary keeps putting in money to beautify the camp, and I am so thankful,” Pepin said.

The latter project cost about $9,000 and was supported by the Hannahville Indian Community, the Sackerson Foundation, the Bark River Lions Club and the Escanaba Key Club.

In addition to this work, a new ceiling will be installed in the camp’s main building after camp ends for the year in August.

Tuesday’s event marked one of the two times members of the Escanaba Rotary Club will visit Camp Harstad in 2019. The club will be visiting the camp again in July.

“I think it’s a nice event for our club to come out and meet with the campers and have lunch with them,” Escanaba Rotary Club President-Elect Jenine Maloney said.

Maloney’s term as president will begin July 1.

Rena Richtig, the club’s current president, agreed with Maloney.

“This is an annual event I wouldn’t want to miss,” she said.

Things have been going well for Camp Harstad in 2019, Charbonneau said. The camp is now in its second week of operation for the summer.

Currently, 15 campers are at Camp Harstad, and there is a waiting list for each week of camp during the current season.

“It’s been a long time since we had a waiting list,” Charbonneau said.

Lilly Sawyer, a camper going into ninth grade this fall, said she has been enjoying her time at camp.

“It’s fun — I get to see more friends that I haven’t seen in a long time,” she said, noting she has also enjoyed meeting new campers this summer.

Camp Counselor Alyssa Polley — who is working in the role for her first time this summer — has been glad to be at Camp Harstad, as well.

“You get to help kids who maybe don’t always feel like they have someone there for them, and you get to make them feel welcome,” she said.

Camper Eric Guenette, who will go into fifth grade this fall, said he enjoys Camp Harstad’s water-related activities.

“I like going swimming and hanging out on the beach,” he said.

Campers go swimming at the YMCA each afternoon. However, there are currently some issues related to Camp Harstad’s beach — the camp is unable to reinstall its boardwalk due to high water levels on Lake Michigan.

The Young family, which lives next to Camp Harstad, has allowed campers to go on their property to access the camp’s beach.

Escanaba City Manager Patrick Jordan, who is a member of the Escanaba Rotary Club, said he has been pleased with the club’s support of Camp Harstad.

“Camp Harstad is an amazing place … I’m glad they do what they do for the kids out here,” he said.