Throughout this summer, we are excited to be celebrating 60 years of Camp Deer Run. All year, we will be celebrating God’s faithfulness and provision in allowing this mission to continue year after year for six decades. Over the years, Camp has changed quite a bit, from new groups to new cabins to a new mess hall. Despite these things, the heart of Camp Deer Run has never changed. Every summer, you can still hear kids singing “Hail to Deer Old Deer Run” under the thousands of names emblazoned in the rafters of the Rec Hall. You can still hear Hoches singing “Savior Breathe” under the same stars that lit the sky in 1958. You can still feel the presence of God in the refuge of these piney woods. So, in some ways, Deer Run has changed, but our God is the same today as he was 60 years ago, and so is our mission to serve Him.
Our 60th Anniversary Celebration was an amazing day filled with fellowship, fun, and thanksgiving to our God for all he has done for and through Camp Deer Run. The day started off with a friendly staff vs. alumni softball game, which the alumni narrowly won. Afterward, everyone gathered in the Rec Hall for hymn time. It was a beautiful time of devotion to God through song. For the rest of the evening, everyone enjoyed the other fun events and stations that were set up for the day including CDR Caricatures, a Photo Booth, a Deer Run History station, snow cones, a dunk tank, and more! We ended the evening by hearing from a few guests, including Steve Meeks, former Camp Director, who told his amazing story of God’s faithfulness in saving Camp Deer Run in its most difficult times.
Finally, we announced some exciting news! This year, we will be producing a Camp Deer Run documentary. That’s right, a real CDR Movie, complete with a red carpet premiere later this fall! Now we need your help. If you have any video footage of Camp Deer Run from 1958 to the 1980s, we would love to feature it in our documentary! Please contact us for more information.
Overall, the event was a huge success and we are thankful for everyone who joined us to celebrate. We are blessed to have so much love and support from all generations of Deer Runners. We hope that you’ll continue to celebrate with us this summer and throughout the rest of the year!
For pictures of the 60th Anniversary Event, click here.