On Tuesday evening, August 6, the CAM-PLEX Facilities in Gillette, Wyoming — site of the 2024 “Believe the Promise” International Pathfinder Camporee (IPC) — were hit by thunderstorms that brought strong, gusty winds; heavy rains; and lightning. Several campsites sustained significant damage, including flooding in low-lying areas. The “International Village” was among the hardest hit, with roughly 40 percent of the campsites experiencing flooding. 

The following morning, after a camporee leadership meeting that included discussion on overflowing trash receptacles and limited bathroom facilities post storm, the North American Division’s Adventist Community Services (NAD ACS) and Youth and Young Adult Ministries leaders met to discuss how to best assist young campers. They had learned that many tents were no longer usable and sleeping bags had been exposed to water, mud, and other contaminants. Thus, with the support of NAD leadership, including treasurer Judy Glass and vice presidents Wendy Eberhardt and Calvin Watkins, they set up two donation drop-offs for tents, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, and other items.

Community members were invited to drop their donations off on Wednesday, August 7, at the fire station storage building at 200 Rohan Avenue in Gillette. Another donation space was opened at the CAM-PLEX’s East Pavilion on Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday. 

Per W. Derrick Lea, NAD ACS director, they aimed to “ensure that those in attendance were provided a safe, accessible, relatively comfortable place to sleep through the night.” 

He noted that the Gillette community had already generously supplied camping supplies and food at the CAM-PLEX gates and behind the camporee main stage. Local churches had also offered to house hundreds of Pathfinders and supporters. 

“The team did whatever was necessary to ensure word got out to the public, and they responded in kind through local citizens donating items, fire, and police working with us, and even government officials helping us publicize the challenge that lay before us,” said Lea. 

By end of day Wednesday, they were able to ensure that more than 200 tents and 200 blankets were delivered to Pathfinders both within the division and in the international church family. Furthermore, more than 500 sleeping bags were purchased and given to NAD conference directors from the on-site distribution site. 

Notably, most donated items came from the Gillette community. Pathfinder clubs that had not been as severely affected also donated. 

One of the conferences could not rebuild their campsite quickly so the NAD partnered with a local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints near Gillette to house 300 individuals. Said Lea, “These types of partnerships were vital to our successful resolution.”

Bo Gendke, Texas Conference director of Adventist Community Services and Disaster Response, who helped coordinate this effort, stated, “We have to make sure the Pathfinders are taken care of. And as the division, they decided, 'we’re already here, so we can take care of this aspect.'”

Lea reflected, "Overall, I believe we were able to meet our goal of connecting and engaging with our young people here at the Camporee.  We were able to show them that service is something they can do in their daily lives.  The importance of this will truly be felt when they return home and ask their local Pathfinder leadership how they can become involved in their community."

Individuals are encouraged to continue to donate on the ACS website. Click here, select disaster response, and note “Gillette camporee relief” in the comments/notes.