Melanie Duckworth is cycling from Winnipeg to B.C. to raise funds.
Melanie Duckworth and Sachi Ihara are riding their bikes 2,400 kilometres from Winnipeg, Man. to Thetis Island, B.C., this month in a fundraising effort to keep a summer camp open.
The young women are raising financial support for Camp Columbia, a small camp owned and operated by the Anglican diocese of B.C. since 1947.
The bike trip is designed to help ensure a longer future for a beautiful community “whose main purpose is to seed and nurture relationships with Jesus Christ. “
Both of them began as campers, joining the staff as soon as they were old enough to work. Their desire to become part of the staff grew from the experiences they had with their leaders.
Ms. Duckworth recalls, “They listened to me, they understood me, and they loved me when I didn’t feel like anyone else did. They were the ones who helped shape me.
“They were some of the greatest role models I ever had,” she said. “It was due to them that I became a lifeguard. I wanted to be what they were to me, to other kids and youth.”
Ms. Duckworth is convinced that “camp is where kids and youth grow in their faith. It is the first time they hear about Jesus or that the seed of Jesus is watered….God works in their lives and it is a beautiful thing.”
Ms. Duckworth started attending camp as an 8-year-old. Today, at 23, she is giving back to Camp Columbia on Thetis Island.
The camp consists of more than programs and activities.
She says the people make it a place where children are children, fun is fun, and the world is an adventure. “The camp experience makes a lasting investment in people.”