Outdoor adventure camp begins Friday
Maine’s Kicking Bear organization is gearing up to hold its fourth annual camp July 13 and 14 for kids to experience an overnight outdoor adventure as well as a chance to experience archery first hand. This camp is designed for children ages 5 to 15 who wouldn’t normally get a chance to attend such activities. It is a 24-hour camp that not only gives kids a chance to try archery, but includes an evening of fun and games from tug-of-wars to waterslides, campfire marshmallow fights to outdoor movies, as well as a few surprise events.
Kicking Bear was started by world-renowned bow hunter Ray Howell and his wife Karen to help mentor children who normally wouldn’t have a chance to experience summer camps. There is no charge to attend one of the Kicking Bear camps located worldwide, just a chance for kids to have fun and know that there are folks who care about the youth living in an uncertain world like we live in today.
Ray Howell, who will attend this year’s local camp, shares his life story and how Kicking Bear came to be.
He and Karen have a family of nine children, 25 grandchildren, and one great grandson and live in southeastern Minnesota near the borders of Wisconsin and Iowa. He is currently on the Pro Staff of several organizations involved with archery.
Maine’s Kicking Bear camp is located at Smoldering Lake Outfitters in Bridgewater. The owners of Smoldering Lake, Dave and Keri Hentosh, have graciously opened up their home for kids to have an experience of a lifetime.
Registration begins at 3 p.m. July 13 for campers and their guardians. All those who will be camping overnight will need to have a guardian present with them. Camp usually wraps up the following day around 3:30 p.m. with many door prizes given out, including a lifetime hunting license for one fortunate child.
For more information about the Kicking Bear organization, visit their website at kickingbear.org . Anyone interested in attending Kicking Bear can email Dave Hentosh at dave@smoldering-lake-outfitters.com or call 429-0910 for more information or to pre-register.
