Twenty-five years ago Dave Mickelson set out to help the youth in his community. At the time he was a police detective and a member of the Army National Guard, so he had some resources he could rely on, which he continues to use through today to make a difference in Fort Collins, Colo.
After two years and two failed attempts at reaching children through a bowling league and family outings, Mickelson eventually organized the Laramie River Valley Rendezvous Camp to get youth away from the influence of their peers and to reach them with positive messages. Since the summer of 1984, camp staff have selected 40 middle-school aged children to "rough it" in the mountainous region of Larimer County for one week.
Now retired from the Fort Collins Police Department and the military, Mickelson still devotes his time to helping ensure the camp's success each summer. Currently headed up by local police officers and Guardsmen, Rendezvous Camp is intended for at-risk youth -- children who are at a greater risk of getting into trouble because of where they come from.
"These are not bad children, but they come from single family, low-income homes, and if you look at the statistics, those are the ones getting into the most trouble," said Mickelson.
To attend the camp, the sixth, seventh and eighth graders must submit an essay to the Fort Collins Police Department stating why they should be selected. In recent years, youth from Guard families where a parent is/has deployed are also eligible to register.
This year, the camp ran from July 9-13. The children who were selected were bused to the remote camp site and were told to leave behind all their electronics because they will be challenged to enjoy the outdoors. Over the course of the week, they get the opportunity to go hiking, biking, rafting, and horseback riding. For many of the campers, this is their first experience in the outdoors in that capacity, said camp staff. They slept in tents, bathed in the river, and used portable toilets as opposed to any of their normal daily comforts of running water and electricity.
In addition to their team building exercises, the campers are educated on the dangers of drug use by the National Guard Counterdrug members helping run the camp.
Mickelson says a goal of the camp is for the youth to see positive role models: men and women in uniform who aren't just the law or military, but a part of the community they live in.
"We want to show them we're human," he said.
After all their efforts, they have to wonder what kind of impact they have on these campers. But it's apparent in the faces of the children by Friday, according to the camp staff.
"It's amazing to see the attitude transformation over the course of the week," said Army Guard Capt. Ryan Brock, drug demand reduction administrator, Colorado National Guard Counterdrug Program. "By the end of the week, they've challenged themselves in ways they never expected to and are having a lot of fun."
Mickelson recalls months after camp one year he received a phone call from a local school. A camper from the previous summer had gotten into trouble and didn't want to talk to anyone but him. He was amazed that this girl had reached out to the police rather than just dealing directly with the school. He knew then that they were having a positive impact on the children. Today Mickelson says that student is a nurse. Mickelson hopes that the camp had a lot to do with helping her down the right path.
The camp can easily cost up to $20,000 for the week between the food and activities for the campers and staff. Some years they've hosted as many as 70 campers, but prefer to keep the number to around 40. Funding comes from a variety of sources including private donations from the local community. And the police officers that support the camp do so on their own free time. Because of funding limitations, the Guard's role is even more important.
"We couldn't run the camp without the Guard," said Officer Bob Younger, a Fort Collins police officer and camp officer-in-charge. "I've woken up many times thinking we couldn't go on if they were deployed or couldn't supply us the tents, water buffalos, vehicles, and everything else they do."
The National Guard has every intention of continuing to support the camp, as they have since the beginning. The Guardsmen get just as much out of helping as the campers get out of attending Rendezvous.
Air Guard Staff Sgt. David Fort, Buckley Air Force Base, was asked to participate this year to help enhance the hiking event. As a Guardsman and a member of the Civil Air Patrol, he was excited to work with the campers. He taught them a lot about search and rescue techniques including locating a simulated downed aircraft in the mountains.
"It's great to help out youth that need adult guidance and give them something to focus on," he said. "I'm hoping to be invited back next year."
As camp started to wind down at the end of the week, both Mickelson and Younger echoed their appreciation for the Guard and for the visit from Air Guard Maj. Gen. Mike Edwards, the Colorado adjutant general. For someone at that level to visit the campers and spend the night out there with them was like having a celebrity visitor and the campers loved it, said Younger.
"All the support from the National Guard has been overwhelming, particularly the quality of personnel they send us with their positive anti-drug messages," he said. "It's incredible to show these campers what a bigger family like the Guard can achieve when working together."
"Teamwork with law enforcement and the National Guard make Rendezvous a success and we're proud to be here," said Brock. "These are the children in our community and it's our duty to do what we can to ensure they have a bright future."