COVID-19
December 2023
While total closure and mask-wearing seem to be behind us, DCC continues to be affected by Covid-19. Several youth were unable to attend summer camp due to having the virus and often adults have needed to cancel registrations due to being ill with Covid. We have noticed that camper attendance and the number of groups wanting to gather for overnight retreats has declined significantly since the pandemic. It feels like we have entered a time of rebuilding. We are hopeful that camper numbers and rental usage will increase and return to what it once was in the years to come.
September, 2022
Lincoln County was fully open for overnight camp operations this summer. Masks and distancing were not required. However, Covid-19 did rear its ugly head and nearly all of the DCC counselors and staff ended up contracting the virus. The need to isolate staff members made for a rough start and several campers also came down with Covid, especially during High School Camp. We are hopeful that the worst of Covid is behind us. We plan to have an in-person Annual Meeting, November 4-6 at which we will celebrate Drift Creek’s 60th-ish Anniversary!
November, 2021
DCC was successfully able to conduct summer programs with limited capacity and masks. It was truly a beautiful summer! The campers and staff were thrilled to be here! Everyone demonstrated patience, grace and flexibility as, together, we rolled through changing Covid requirements. We also hosted our Fall Quilt Retreat in mid-October. The event was small with limited sewing, eating and sleeping spaces. However, with Covid cases on the rise, we decided to conduct our Annual Members’ Meeting on Zoom. This was 2 years in a row that we were unable to celebrate Drift Creek’s 60th Anniversary. We hope to plan an in-person celebration for in 2022.
As we look to the future, it continues to be difficult to plan. Most of our rental groups are reluctant to schedule gatherings as it is difficult to predict what the next Covid variant will bring. But we continue to search for solutions on how we can better serve guests. Our staff is fully vaccinated and we work to take precautions to keep our guests safe. We are happy to work with you and make modifications as needed to accommodate your group.
May, 2021
Although mask requirements are continually changing, we plan to reopen camp operations in June 2021. We will operate Drift Creek’s summer camp with programs beginning on June 18. Please visit our Summer Camp page for details.
November 1, 2020
We continue to monitor notifications from the Oregon Health Authority in regard to COVID-19. Lincoln County has transitioned to Phase 2. In this phase groups are allowed to gather at Drift Creek with social distancing and masks. Family/household groups are allowed to dine together at the same tables and share rooms for sleeping. People from differing households/quarantine bubbles are not permitted to share sleeping space.
May 8, 2020
After great thought, many discussions and prayers, the camp staff and the board of directors have made the heartbreaking decision to cancel our 2020 summer camps. It was painful to come to this decision, especially after being closed last summer. We explored many options, program tweaks and logistical shifts as we thought through how camp could be carried out, but couldn’t find a way that would ensure the health and safety of campers and staff, which is always a priority. We are feeling the disappointment right along with you, but we know that it is for the best.
It’s hard to believe that this will be two summers in a row that we miss seeing your shining faces in the registration line. We will miss hearing your sweet voices singing around the fire. We will miss the sound of your laughter and your bright smiles at mealtime. We will miss the pizza rolls. We will miss trying to catch you during 5-Puck. We will miss wondering how Carpetball can entertain so many campers at once. We will miss cook-out breakfast, s’mores and hearing the joyful sounds of dance parties in the bathhouse. We will miss exploring the great Giants as we hike the trails and identifying birds in the loop. We will miss your squeals as you jump into the cold creek. We will miss your creativity, your enthusiasm, your kindness, your love. We miss each of you, already.
While we will miss having this camp season together, we know that DCC’s roots run deep. We hope to reopen as soon as we can and we can’t wait to see you again!
No checks have been deposited or credit cards have been run for anyone who has already registered. Unless we hear otherwise from you, registrations and deposits will be destroyed. If you sent in your Zion Campership certificate, we will return those so you you can apply it towards next year’s camp. Losing all of our rental income in the spring and not having summer camps has created a significant financial challenge. If you would like your camper’s deposit to be designated as a donation, please email info@driftcreek.org or phone the office at 971-600-1244 and a tax-deductable donation receipt will be sent your way.
March 16, 2020
The safety of DCC guests and staff is our top priority. As an act of loving our neighbors, and in compliance with today’s announcement from Governor Kate Brown, we are cancelling all rental groups until April 30, recognizing that we will likely need to continue the practice of social distancing even longer.
We are hoping that the concerted efforts of our community and those around the world will be effective in flattening the curve and slowing the spread of the virus.
DCC is so deeply grateful for your support. We are all in this unprecedented event together and we all share the same concerns for health and safety. We look forward to seeing you at Drift Creek once things are more stable.
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