Camp Wapo participates in USDA Milk Program
Media Release May 23, 2023
Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp Inc, announces its participation in the Special Milk Program at Camp Wapo. Read full details here.
Amazon Wish List for Summer
We are just two weeks away from our summer leadership team arriving at camp to prepare for staff training! Check out our Amazon Wishlist…
It’s full of stuff we can use for staff training and summer programs and it’s an incredibly easy and fun way to support camp.
1. Pick your items.
2. Include your contact info so we can say Thank You!
3. Items are shipped directly to camp.
4. We shout “Whoop Whoop” when items arrive, and immediately put them into service!
An inheritance will become a lasting legacy
Dave Assmus has a lifelong connection to Wilderness Canoe Base (WCB). Now, thanks to some intentional and thoughtful planning, he will be turning a plot of pastureland in South Dakota into a lasting legacy for the camp that has had a significant impact on his life.
“I’m grateful to be able to have an impact on a place that’s so meaningful to me, and that will extend beyond my lifetime,” Dave says. While the gift may seem complex at first, the result will be a significant gift to create an endowment fund providing annual revenue for the ministry of Wilderness Canoe Base.
Working with an advisor from the ELCA Foundation, Dave and his spouse Ruth created a Charitable Remainder Unitrust from the proceeds of the sale of land he inherited from his parents. That trust will provide annual income to the Assmuses through their lifetimes, then will benefit their children for a set number of years, after which the trust will be transferred to Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp Inc., designated to benefit Wilderness Canoe Base.
“We truly appreciate Dave and Ruth’s vision and desire to make this amazing commitment to future Wilderness campers and staff!” says Nate Berkas, WCB Director. “This gift will impact Wilderness Canoe Base for generations to come! Even thinking about that is hard to comprehend, but so exciting!”
By sharing their story with you, Dave and Ruth hope to inspire other friends of Wilderness to consider similar legacy gifts. These can range from a simple bequest (naming the organization in your will) to a more structured gift like theirs. “This gift took some time, but it wasn’t difficult to set up,” Dave says. He emphasizes that “it’s important to start planning now for what you want your legacy to be!”
Executive Director, Heather Eggert adds, “We are deeply grateful to Dave and Ruth, not only for this legacy, but for a lifetime of friendship, philanthropy, and dedication to outdoor ministry. We also appreciate the partnership and expertise provided by the ELCA Foundation to structure this gift in a way that will benefit both the family and Wilderness Canoe Base. It’s beyond any gift we could have imagined.”
If you have questions or would like more information about ways to make a legacy gift to Camp Wapo, Ox Lake or Wilderness Canoe Base, please reach out to our director of donor engagement, Gay Gonnerman, gayg@campwapo.org or 715-883-0411.
2022 Impact Report
2022 was an incredible year for Camp Wapo, Ox Lake and Wilderness Canoe Base! We have so much to be grateful for…over 3800 summer campers at our sites and thousands more retreat guests. Click here to view the Impact Report.
Welcome to the Team, Eric!
Please help us welcome a new addition to the administrative team at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp. Starting February 1, Eric Golberg will join our staff as the Director of Administration.
Eric has served in several financial advisory roles throughout his career, leading companies and individuals through a disciplined investment process. He has a Masters of International and Public Affairs from Columbia University and a BA from Luther College. Eric also serves on the ELCA Foundation Board as well as several other advisory roles for various non-profits. Eric and his wife Mikiko live in New Richmond, WI and are members at Redeemer Lutheran in Burkhardt, WI. They very much enjoy taking trips to visit their adult daughters who reside in New York City and London.
Eric’s experience in finance, his professional network, and commitment to service, paired with his passion for non-profit management and outdoor ministry will make him a great addition to the team at Camp Wapo, Ox Lake, and Wilderness Canoe Base. We can’t wait for you to meet him!