Campers Looking for Missing Gold

The Fort Ritchie Community Center has been robbed! Gold recovered from a sunken Pirate ship on loan to the Community Center’s summer program has gone missing. Luckily, participants in the summer camp program are on the case collecting and deciphering clues as part of the Crime Scene Investigators theme week.

“We know one of the staff took the gold,” said a seven year old male camper, adding the gold would be too heavy for his bookbag. Participants will get some professional guidance to help break the case from the Washington County Special Response Team comprised of local law enforcement officers this week. A field trip is planned to see a local courtroom. Video surveillance of the room where the gold was on display will also help the campers identify the culprit.

“The CSI week was the first week to sell out in terms of registration this year,” said Buck Browning, director of the Community Center. “Our staff does a great job planning the activities for each theme week and then the involvement from agencies and other groups really help make the experiences memorable and exciting for the campers,” he added.

Browning credits the summer camp staff with designing the activities so campers use a broad range of critical thinking skills to collect clues and work together to identify suspects and then ultimately decide who they think took the gold.

The Community Center located in Cascade provides nine weeks of summer camp activities for local children between the ages of 6 and 13. Each week features a theme, such as Crime Scene Investigators, Sports, Outdoor Adventure, Robotics, and the Arts. Guest presenters, specialized activities, and field trips are incorporated into the traditional summer camp schedule.

The Fort Ritchie Community Center is located on the former Fort Ritchie property. In addition to summer camp activities, the Community Center features a fitness center, exercise classes, two gymnasiums, and a museum highlighting the history of the property. Programs offered through the Center include job skills for youth, senior citizen activities, and various community events such as craft shows and holiday celebrations. For more information regarding the Community Center, visit its website at www.thefrcc.org.

Emma Ginn, Finley Brodsky, BreElla Guildoo, Isabel Brodsky, Mitchell Hundley, Jaylyn Etter (staff), Sarah Henry, Hunter Stockslager, Casey Lowe, and Gabe Riling look over the crime scene as part of the CSI Week at the Fort Ritchie Community Center summer camp.