In 2018, Legionville School Safety Patrol Camp was shut down by a large, floating bog.
In 2020, the camp was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. For 2021, however, the camp is once again hosting campers.
“Everything is a green light,” said Camp Manager Adam Felten in a news release. “We are excited to host campers again. When they arrive, they will see that we made significant upgrades while they were away.”
Dorms were painted inside and out. The dining hall has a new ceiling, and it was painted inside and out. The education center was repainted on the inside. A house at the camp was donated to Habitat for Humanity. Trees were trimmed. Flowers were planted. The beach has been groomed and the water is ready for swimming.
There is a new dock for the swimming area. The dock was the result of Minnesota American Legion Commander Mark Dvorak’s fundraising project for the past year. He asked for $40,000 and got more than $65,000.
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So far, 335 campers are set to attend seven sessions that begin June 13 and end Aug. 6. Each session lasts six days. More registrations come in each day.
While it is fewer than the 565 campers who attended in 2019 or the 559 in 2017, those camps didn’t come on the heels of a pandemic, Legionville officials said. The camp has a preparedness plan in place to ensure safety and cleanliness.
“We are pleased with the figures,” said Minnesota American Legion Adjutant Mike Maxa. “Legionville is near and dear to the hearts of Legion members across Minnesota, and we care a lot about our campers having an enjoyable experience.”
Legionville’s website is legionville.weebly.com . Registration inquiries can be sent to rhill@mnlegion.org .
Legionville School Safety Patrol Camp is a program of The American Legion Department of Minnesota. The department has worked with police to teach school intersection safety and bus safety dating back to 1921. The camp has partnered with the Minnesota State Patrol for instruction since 1935. The camp was founded on more than 600 acres in 1948 with 1,000 feet of shoreline on North Long Lake near Brainerd. It serves boys and girls ages 10 to 13.
While school patrol safety continues to be part of the camp, the camp is evolving into an overall youth safety camp, not just patrol.
“We have school bus safety, street safety, internet safety, phone safety,” Maxa said. “They learn a lot.”
