By Katie Scrivano | Photo courtesy of Lutherdale
Originally founded on Lauderdale Lakes near Elkhorn in 1944 as a Lutheran faith-based summer camp for kids, Lutherdale marks its 80th anniversary in 2024 with a year-long celebration, inviting camp alumni and residents to share memories and experience the many new offerings that go beyond youth services.
With a campus spanning 52 acres along the shores of Lauderdale Lakes, Lutherdale is well-known for its youth camps, welcoming more than 400 kids each summer, with even more attending specialty partner programs, such as “Camp Hero” — a grant-funded experience to benefit kids who have a loved one incarcerated. Lutherdale’s camp property features both land- and water-based adventure activities that range from archery to a three-sided climbing tower to a high-challenge course and zipline — all designed to boost kids’ confidence in trying new things.
Tracy Polzin, who was named the camp’s first female executive director two years ago, says that while the camp has made ongoing renovations throughout the years, one of the more recent and major additions to the camp’s footprint is the HOPE conference center, an ADA-accessible space which sleeps up to 100 people. This new, hotel-style conference center space for large group gatherings opened in late 2021. “It’s a space geared for adults and families that’s on one level and very accessible to all,” Polzin says. “Now that we have this space, it expands the amount of people and type of events we can host.”
Polzin says that looking back on the camp’s 80-year history, today’s staff are grateful for the original vision of the founders, as well as those who continue to make camp a reality for so many kids. “While the facility and activities have changed over the years, much of the same is true — kids need a place to connect with nature, God and one another and to experience life-changing adventure and opportunities to learn and grow together,” Polzin says. “We hear those same things from many — that their faith was built here. They could try new things and gain confidence, learning that they were able to do more than they thought they could.”
The camp’s year-long anniversary celebration kicked off in April with a worship service with people coming together to share memory boards, photos and special quilt squares to commemorate the milestone. In June, more than 23 different summer ministries joined a special staff alumni reunion, and a quilt auction took place in early August.
Anniversary celebrations will culminate this October with a daylong “Fall Fest” on Saturday, Oct. 26, that will include a fun run, pancake breakfast, food trucks and a special collaboration with nearby Duesterbeck’s Brewing Company to offer commemorative cans. For more information, visit lutherdale.org.
