Photo By John Hughel | Camp Rosenbaum campers enjoy horseback riding as part of their camping experience on...... read more read more
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WARRENTON, Ore. – Every summer, Camp Rosenbaum becomes a haven for children, providing a much-needed break from everyday challenges and an opportunity to simply be kids. Now celebrating its 55th year, the camp is serving 146 children, aged 9 to 11, from underprivileged families, helping them develop valuable citizenship skills. Campers participate in exciting activities such as horseback riding, fishing, recreational games, and arts and crafts, while building friendships and confidence that will last for years to come.
“Camp Rosenbaum has spent more than five decades giving underserved youth a life-changing summer experience,” said Oregon Air National Guard Col. Brian (Camp name, ‘Rouge’) Kroeller, who has served as the Camp Director, an unpaid position, for the past three years. “The theme for camp this year is ‘Building Positive Life Skills for Future Success,’ as our entire staff strived to create a week filled with learning, adventure, and connection.”
The camp was founded by former Brigadier General (ret.) Fred M. Rosenbaum during his military career with the Oregon National Guard. As a survivor of the Holocaust, Fred was forced to flee Austria as a child during the Kindertransport to Great Britain in 1938-1940. He was eventually reunited with his parents, and in 1941, they moved to the United States.
The idea for the camp was first conceived by Fred in 1969, with the inaugural camp held in the summer of 1970. His vision was to provide children with the opportunity to benefit from a citizenship camp. Today, the camp's staff includes members of the Oregon National Guard, Portland police officers, firefighters, first responders, volunteers from the Portland, Salem, and Southwest Washington Housing Authorities, and other dedicated community members. Their goal is to teach children valuable life skills.
Although Fred Rosenbaum passed away in early 2010, his legacy lives on through family members and a dedicated cadre who continue to volunteer at the camp and help raise funds each year to ensure its operation. Thanks to generous donations, the camp is 100% free to families, offering three nutritious meals a day to the campers and a lifetime of memories.
“This year’s highlight included horseback riding, an epic sandcastle building contest with 16 creative entries, the ‘Fire Dawg Challenge’ – modeled after a world-class firefighter obstacle course,” Kroeller said. “We even had a CH-47 Chinook helicopter visit that introduced campers to aerodynamics and the Oregon National Guard’s lifesaving missions such as search and rescue and wildland fire suppression.”
At camp, kids attending have the opportunity to understand the importance of teamwork, cooperation, and respect through a variety of engaging activities. Even building a sandcastle together can demonstrate how collaboration and support can foster a sense of belonging and shared success, serving as a reminder that teamwork and collaboration are essential building blocks for achieving mutual accomplishments.
The camp went through a challenging period during the outbreak of the Coronavirus and could not host an in-person camp in 2020 and 2021. To fill in the gap, Operation Lemonade was launched in 2020, where backpacks for the campers were put together and delivered to over 1,000 kids in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
“Post-COVID, I think we're getting our legs back,” said Lori Rosenbaum (Camp name, ‘Tadpole’) Krasnowsky, Fred’s daughter, who has helped ‘carry his torch,’ supporting the administrative staff at camp and helping teach campers how to catch a fish. “The weather was perfect, and around 40 fish were caught and released at Slusher Lake [at Camp Rilea].
“I keep in mind and reiterate Dad’s oath to the kids: 'Stay away from drugs, stay away from gangs, get a good education, make good decisions for yourself, and you can achieve anything,'" she said.
With the camp back to full strength over the past few years, Kroeller noted that this year, a staff of 208 dedicated volunteers was part of Camp Rosenbaum 2025. “They represented a combined 1,535 years of Camp Rosenbaum experience,” he said. “Every one of them came together for one reason: to help kids succeed.”
This Adjutant General-approved event would not be possible without the leadership of the Oregon National Guard, Home Forward, and the Portland Police Bureau. Camp Rosenbaum 2026 will return next summer in late July. For information, please contact Executive Director Crystal Kroeller at crystal@camprosenbaum.org
| Date Taken: | 08.01.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.01.2025 22:19 |
| Story ID: | 544588 |
| Location: | WARRENTON, OREGON, US |
| Web Views: | 133 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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