Ontonagon camp installing new accessible fishing dock, hosting open house
Learn about Camp Josh and how it serves people with disabilities on Upper Michigan Today.
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A non-profit organization in Ontonagon gives outdoor recreation opportunities to people living with disabilities.
Camp Josh is a 501c3 non-profit organization and operates on a volunteer basis with no paid staff. Its programs focus on hunting, fishing, and the camp itself.
The camp welcomes you in for an open house on Thursday, Aug. 31.
Camp Josh Board Members J.R. Richardson, Dean Juntunen, and Jim Bobula stopped by Upper Michigan Today to talk about the event and updates happening at the camp.
But first, Elizabeth Peterson and Tia Trudgeon share stories of the day.
Now, back to Camp Josh.
The camp is located on 40 acres on the Cranberry River in Ontonagon County and was named after Josh Bader, a young man with a severe mobility issue.
“Camp Josh’s mission is to provide outdoor recreational opportunities for people with disabilities of any kind, whether that be physical or cognitive,” explains Juntunen, “and in recent years we’ve also added veterans.”
Bobula chimes in, “We’ll have school districts’ special needs programs come out and they do fishing, outdoor recreation... We’re working on expanding our opportunities and continuing to work with the Copper Shores Community Health Foundation... We’re very much looking forward to the future and what we can bring, not only regionally to the western end but also the entire U.P. ”
Camp Josh continues to make improvements to its facility.
It’s installing a new dock and platform system for fishing. Half of the docking system was donated by Waters Edge Dock and Hoist Company.
Camp Josh is fundraising for the rest of the dock.
Richardson says the camp will only continue improving its accessibility and wants to be a haven for people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors.
He gives thanks to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and Watersmeet Fish Hatchery for donating fish for the fishing pond.
You can check out Camp Josh, learn more about the facility, and have fun with the crew on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. during its open house.
Expect fun and food. This event leads up to the Ontonagon Labor Day Festival, happening Sept 1-3.
You can learn more about Ontonagon’s Labor Day festivities on Facebook.
You can make a donation to Camp Josh, request an outing, or get involved at campjosh.org.
You can watch Upper Michigan Today on weekdays at 9:00 a.m. on FOX UP or stream the show on your smart device with the TV6+ app.
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