Camp Barnabas called off over coronavirus

John Tillack: Officials did not make the decision to cancel summer camps lightly.

Barnabas Foundation Inc. announced the cancellation of its flagship program this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

All sessions of Camp Barnabas, which hosts campers with special needs and chronic illnesses, will not be held this summer, officials said in a Facebook post.

"We've watched our world and prayed for a swift and quick solution to this rapidly changing COVID-19 situation, and there's just not an easy answer," Barnabas CEO John Tillack said in a video post. "Please know that we did not make this decision lightly."

Reached this morning, Barnabas Marketing Director Andrea Harp said Camp Barnabas serves roughly 2,000 youth each year at its camp in Purdy. In the past 25 years, the Christian-based nonprofit has served 90,000 campers and youth, she said.

Adjusted for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Harp said this year's operating budget is projected at $2.2 million. In 2018, when Tillack took over as CEO, the nonprofit's budget was more than $4 million, according to past reporting.