TDT 2025 - Erik Scharrer

Flaming Pine Youth Camp is one of the main pillars behind my faith. Of course, family and my home church growing up were major factors, but I was so blessed by the people at FPYC who supported me as I was building my relationship with God while building life-long friendships at the same time. I was a counselor many years ago and it was one of my favorite jobs and one of the best summers I can remember! I can't think of a more idyllic setting to disconnect from the modern distractions and truly embrace nature. Hearing the loon calls before morning devotional on the beach or seeing bald eagles flying over Mirror Lake gives FPYC its charm. I find so much joy watching the smiles on campers' faces as they play capture the flag or at Dudes Weekend when kids are throwing tomahawks for the first time. The extra weekends throughout the year keep us connected and allow for respite from the daily hustle and grind. Snowdays winter weekend, Memorial Day and Labor Day, Dudes Weekend, Ladies Retreat, the cooks get together, and everything in between allow for continued spiritual growth. As you can see, I love camp and my kids are now campers and able to see why I love it so much! The fees are minimal and only cover about 30% of the operating cost. Obviously, the remaining funds have to come from somewhere (do you know how much kids eat?!?), so the Tour de Togo is a fundraiser that helps cover that difference. I am hoping to raise at least $3,000 to help toward a big project of renovating the Dutch Barn (one of the cabins that needs some TLC to make it more family-friendly) and we would love to raise as much as possible!