Day-old Chinese food? No problem. Leftovers from the Eisenhower era? Not so good.
As Camp Tawonga celebrates its 85th birthday, one gift it hopes to unwrap is a brand new kitchen. In 1961 Tawonga moved to its current location in the Stanislaus National Forest, just outside Yosemite National Park. The current kitchen, from which 400 campers and staff are served three meals a day, was built in the 1950s — an era when even the parents of most of today’s campers hadn’t been born.
Steve Gershik, board of directors president of Camp Tawonga, said, “The time is right to develop plans and engage the community in a campaign to replace the camp’s well-worn kitchen with a newly remodeled, state-of-the-art, industrial facility.” Despite the challenging economic climate, Tawonga’s leadership has already raised $475,000 for the project, just over half the projected cost.
Plans include new energy-efficient construction and equipment, upgraded facilities that allow more meals to be cooked from scratch — eliminating high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and other processed food additives — and greater separation between food preparation and dishwashing facilities.
Board and staff leadership at the Jewish summer camp took all the steps needed to bring the project to completion, from planning to fundraising. They expect the new kitchen to be an 85th birthday present that has kids and staff smiling for years to come.