In the 1980s and 1990s, I was lucky to engage as a camper and counselor at Camp Widjiwagan, based in Ely, Minnesota. From the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northeastern Minnesota, Widji is uniquely situated to provide access for kids ages 12-18 to some of the finest wilderness areas in North America. 

Four generations of young lives, spanning over eighty years, have been transformed by Widjiwagan experiences. Through wilderness travel and environmental learning experiences, they have built leadership skills, gained confidence, explored extraordinary places and made lifelong friendships. 

Kevin Burke, a dear friend from junior high onward, was a fellow camper at Widjiwagan, including a 34-day backpacking trip together to the Yukon Territory. Kevin was a generous, free spirit, who in his early 20s moved to Vail, Colorado, in particular to ski and enjoy the natural world. In 1996, after Kevin lost his life in an avalanche, many of us who knew him created a fund in his name, to support the work of Camp Widjiwagan and the experiences we were so lucky to have together through its programs. 

I am asking for your support to keep a long-standing tradition of exceptional camp experiences alive and well, including in honor of Kevin.