Drivers needed: Camp Nejedly

Hello everyone,

I’d like to let you all know about a very special event that happens almost every year. Last year it got cancelled due to the excess amount of snow in the Sierras.

Camp Nejedly is a camping experience for physically challenged kids. It takes these special kids out of the cities and in to the forest, miles from civilization.

The one challenge the organizers need help with is getting the kids, counselors and equipment 11 miles in to the forest and then back out again. There are two camping weeks, so twice in and twice out.

Several different 4wd clubs regularly step up to help out. The Hills Angels and the Tahoe Donner 4wd clubs are two of the local clubs that have helped out in the past.

The Tahoe Donner 4wd Club is reaching out to local 4wd owners to help bolster their number on the day they are scheduled to transport the kids and equipment, August 11^th. I don’t know if the other groups need more vehicles.

If you think this is something you’d like to participate in, please contact Jay below. I have helped out on this and it was a blast. It’s not a difficult trail but it gets you in to territory you wouldn’t normally drive.

Jay’s full email is below.

Thanks for your support!

Doug

Dear group leaders and 4×4 drivers,

It’s time to plan for rounding up the rigs and hauling some kids to and from camp.

This is an opportunity to offer your time, talent, and rigs to help put smiles on the faces of those less fortunate than us – some physically challenged kids.

Camp Nejedly is looking for a bunch of 4x4ers that would be willing to transport kids and their wheelchairs and gear plus counselors and their gear on a two hour trek to and/or from camp in the High Sierras. The campsite is a bit remote so you need a capable 4×4 with a little clearance and 4low, a KIA Sportage made it several years ago.  Most of the trail is easy with just two really challenging spots.  The trail is only 11 miles but we take it really slow to keep them safe, so if you are looking for a thrill, please not with these kids.

The dates for the treks are as follows:

July 28, Saturday at 11:45 am Graeagle Community Church – inbound.

August 4, Saturday at 10 am at Hawley Lake – outbound.

August 5, Sunday at 11:45 am Graeagle Community Church – inbound.

August 11, Saturday at 10 am at Hawley Lake – outbound.

If you would like to participate, please have space available in your rig for at least 1 camper and 1 counselor and maybe some gear. We would like to make sure that everyone that participates has a great time, so we are asking for a little cooperation and a little information beforehand so we can plan. If you really want a camper in your rig, just say so and we will try our hardest to make it happen, especially for the first-timers. If you have been one of the very valued transporters in the past, maybe you can reach back in your memory banks to remember the special feeling from those huge smiles to make sure a newbie has the same experience.

Now for the tough part, group leaders you are an awesome part of this program. We need space for 47 campers and counselors and their stuff on the opening inbound trip, July 28 and the closing outbound trip, August 11. All of the people and gear go in or come out on those days. The middle weekend, August 4 and 5 are a little lighter since some of the counselors will stay in camp over the weekend.

I know it seems like a lot to ask for a commitment for a volunteer outing, but these kids need us and our rigs to get them to and from camp. The payoff is huge. These kids get such a big kick out of being like regular kids on an off-road adventure. The smiles you put on their faces will stay with you forever.

So, leaders and any 4×4 enthusiasts out there, please circulate this information to get the word out to come and help some kids that really need our help.

The first inbound trip is pretty full with Diablo 4 Wheelers and Hills Angels groups. And the middle weekend is covered by Grass Valley 4×4 club and some folks from RV West.  The last day of camp has been the FJ Norcal and Tahoe-Donner groups plus some locals.  For individuals that email me to sign-up, please be flexible and patient as I need to fill- in large groups first then add you where needed.  I am hoping that several locals will participate helping take the kids out of camp. But we still need some folks from down in the valley or beyond just in case the bus is overloaded with gear.

To recap our needs:

July 28 – 30 vehicles

August 4 & 5 – 25 vehicles each day

August 11 – 30 vehicles

We will need a list of the vehicles, color, opened or closed, number of extra passengers, and if there is room for gear.

And a little suggestion/hint – get a cb radio and preferably a ham radio to communicate in the wilderness.  Cell phones don’t work and cb’s are spotty.

We also want to make sure we alternate experienced drivers with rookies and keep the driver behind you in your rear-view mirror to make sure nobody gets lost.

See you on the trail,

Jay Fukushima

Transportation Coordinator

Camp Nejedly

831-758-8077

P.S. It really won’t hurt my feelings if you don’t respond until after April 17th.

Please!!  I am a CPA.

If you don’t want to receive this notice each year, please let me know.  Thanks.