Renovations rejuvenate Camp SonRise in Ozark

Owned by Springfield’s Central Assembly of God, Camp SonRise, 3575 N. Smallin Road, Ozark, is undergoing a three-year renovation project, which was launched the first week of May. The camp, which is run on an annual budget of $20,000, remains open for day camp activities throughout the renovations.

The 35 acres were given to the church in the late 1970s.

“It was donated to the church with the stipulation the church wouldn’t sell it,” said Erik Alfsen, associate young adult pastor, who also serves as project coordinator for the renovations.

The camp, with its cave, streams and walking trails, is used for church groups and charitable organizations across the Ozarks, regardless of whether they are affiliated with the Assemblies of God. The renovations, Alfsen said, will allow more groups to participate.

“We want to start organizing some groups that would take kids from the community that are from underprivileged homes or from abused backgrounds and take them to this camp and give them a great camp experience where they treat them like royalty,” Alfsen said.

With the capacity to hold 100 campers, Camp SonRise comprises three cabins with bunk beds, a recreation hall, an amphitheatre, a tennis court, a basketball court, a softball field, a swimming pool, a building to house pumps and filters for the swimming pool, a dining hall and restrooms.

Repairing damage

Buildings had suffered water damage over the years, become homes for squirrels and were “very rustic,” Alfsen said.

About one-eighth of a mile of trails have been underutilized and are now overgrown, and Alfsen said he hopes to work with Boy Scouts to renovate the trails and extend them to about two miles.

After years of neglect, the church board made the decision to spruce up the camp, starting with gutting the three cabins and renovating them at a cost of about $5,000 each. A fourth cabin will be built this summer, with a price tag of about $5,000.

Donations

Alfsen estimates the renovations, once completed, will cost $700,000 to $800,000. Donations of cash, building materials and time have been funneling in, not only from Central Assembly’s members, but also from individuals and businesses in the area.

“We’ve got thousands of dollars of materials donated that we would’ve had to

have bought otherwise, such as windows,

insulation and drywall,” Alfsen said.

Arthur Crawford, manager of Surplus Warehouse in Springfield, said the company has donated about $1,000 worth of building materials, including windows for the cabins.

“We do a little when we can, here and there,” Crawford said of the donation. Being a part of a project that would allow needy children to go to camp motivated Crawford to give. “Also to help restore an old area like this that needed to be fixed up and redone to keep it from falling back into nature’s hands,” said Crawford, who is not a member of Central Assembly.

Making a difference

“One of the ways we’ve been presenting this to community business members is letting them know they’re not just contributing to some church’s camp but actually making a difference in the lives of children in Springfield,” Alfsen said.

The American Diabetes Association has made a difference for the last five years with a four-day-long day camp at Camp SonRise the last week of July.

“We really try to cater to the younger camper, the newly diagnosed child, that this is perhaps their first chance to be in a camp-like setting,” said Renee Paulsell, executive director for ADA.

Norman Kirsch, an engineer with ESC Inc. Engineers and Architects, plans to donate his time and his professional skills for the next phase of the renovations, to design a replacement for the auxiliary building that houses the pool’s pump, filter, equipment and restrooms.

Kirsch also camps at Camp SonRise.

“I go out there and use the facility for Royal Rangers,” said Kirsch, a member of Central Assembly, referring to an Assemblies of God scouting group.

Future plans

Alfsen said the first phase of renovations will be finished this summer, in time for a large picnic that will serve as a grand reopening. He expects about 800 people to attend, and he sees the event as a way to thank the community for helping with the project.