Woodside Benefits Support Campership Program

‘90s camper Arjuna Greist performing at Benefit event

The first Woodside Benefit in the Boston area was held on Saturday, November 11, at the First Parish UU Church, Harvard Square, Cambridge. Organizers Andrew Plummer and Sarah Hougen are to be applauded for the wonderful event that raised $4,200 for Woodside camperships. Modeled after the NYC benefit, the evening featured live entertainment, a raffle, and auction. Both benefits have become celebrations of the larger Rowe community with people coming from youth camps, adult camps, conferences, and staff -- every sector of Rowe.

Our heartfelt thanks go to Sarah and Andrew, who orchestrated the event, to performers Eddy and Rachael Hougen, Gonzalo Silva, Mike Moran, Jonathan “Chuck” Plummer, Arjuna Greist, and Mike Cohen, who wowed us with their talent, to Jen Deaderick, who skillfully emceed the event, and to Karin Broadhurst, Stephen Laliberte, Derek Yesman, Jason Van de Ven, Zack Leven, and Tiffany Sweetster Anderson, who all worked very hard to make the evening a success. We also want to acknowledge the generous donation of space, which was provided by the First Parish UU Church Cambridge. Thank you. Thanks to all the donors who contributed artwork for the auction and gift baskets for the raffle and all the supporters who came out that evening to make the event a lovely social gathering.

It is always fun to gather with other members of the larger Rowe Community and particularly interesting to take the Rowe Spirit to a city event. When doing so also raises money to send campers to Rowe, it is a win/win event for everyone. The NYC event began in 2003 and has raised $23,000 for camperships in that time.

Proceeds from both benefits go directly to provide camperships for the Margaret Woodside Diversity Fund. The Woodside Diversity Program began in 1999 with eleven children, and last summer provided full scholarships to twenty-five young people, with a commitment to provide them camperships from third grade right through high school. Each year we add four campers, with a goal of forty campers. In addition, the Woodside Fund provided partial scholarships for forty-eight campers last year.

Through the Woodside Fund, we hope to create an atmosphere at camp that more closely reflects the world community. We hope you will support that vision.

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