Foundation Supports Site Preservation at Camp Hayo-Went-Ha

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Bonbright Lodge – note lack of vegetation around building

The Cook Family Foundation has provided a $50,000 grant to the State Y of Michigan to help control erosion and preserve a historic building at Camp Hayo-Went-Ha. Built in 1930, Bonbright Lodge has welcomed thousands of campers, hosted many a campfire and other gatherings, and served as an iconic symbol for the nation’s oldest Y camp still in operation at its original site.  Unfortunately, the many feet of campers over the decades have worn down the soil around the structure and have fostered erosion which could harm the very clear waters of Torch Lake, which the building overlooks.  The grant will be matched by other donations and lots of volunteer labor to plant new vegetation, safely redirect water flows, and build wooden steps and decking.  You are invited to join in and help on May 11 for a work weekend. To learn more about the Camp, including how to register for sessions this summer, go to www.hayowentha.org

Cook Scholar Joins Peace Corps

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Dan Frechtling, the 2007 recipient of the Bruce and Jacqueline Cook Scholarship, has recently been accepted into the Peace Corps.  He heads to Liberia in June of 2012 for several years of volunteer service, with plans to seek a Masters Degree in Public Health upon his return.  Dan is a graduate of Perry High School and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Michigan in 2011.  He currently serves as an intern with the Michigan Department of Community Health, working with the Bureau of Laboratories’ Science Outreach Program. While at UM he worked as a student researcher in the Radiology Department at the University of Michigan Health System, assisting in studies into brain tumors, radiation necrosis, and lupus.  While at Perry High School, Dan was president of the student council, served on the Youth Advisory Committee of the Shiawassee Community Foundation, and mentored students at Shaftsburg Elementary School.  His commitment to service has now reached one of the highest levels as he will represent the United States in Africa.