To our Friends and Benefactors
Craftsmen Recreational Club appreciates the generosity you have shown through your donation that supports our facility and its charitable use in the community.
We are seeking assistance with projects to both preserve and improve our facility and would like to tell you about some of the many nonprofit organizations we assist through the use of our park.
We are proud to be the home of Camp Quality Ohio, a Camp that is strictly for children with cancer and allows each one of them to participate in the unique camp experience at no charge to their families. This past summer we housed over 200 people including 94 children with cancer, one on one companions with each child and additional support staff for one full week of camping. These ninety-four children are in age ranges from very small to age eighteen years. They use our entire facility with over 60 acres for them to enjoy. Each day our large kitchen and dining facility allows them to provide dining for all persons for three full meals. The children are provided with crafts, recreational endeavors including baseball, boating, swimming, a prom type experience, and movies. The children are also provided with medical and skilled nursing during the week who also maintain medications for each child if needed. Previous donations have allowed us to provide facilities to Camp Quality that would otherwise be unattainable for them. They leverage their donations into a superb experience with no cost to the participating children and families. (www.campqualityohio.org)
We are also pleased to tell you that we are the home for the Dragon Dream Team, a nonprofit organization whose members are all breast cancer survivors. We serve as the home of the only Dragon Boat in the State of Ohio. In the past year membership of this organization has grown to the point that they now have four teams, two of which are racing teams. They have been written about several times in the Akron Beacon Journal, most recently on Saturday edition on August 30, 2008 and other periodicals. All of us in Summit County can be proud that we are the home of the first organization of this kind in Ohio. We provide The Dragon Dream Team with the use of our park twice each week and on occasion our Dining and Dance Hall, and dock space at no charge. (www.dragondreamteam.org)
Craftsmen Park also acts as host to another nonprofit organization, the Portage Lakes Rowing Association. They offer adults an opportunity to learn to row and to get physically fit at the same time. This group consists of many individuals from Summit County and Northeast Ohio. (www.portagelakesrowing.com)
In addition to the groups previously mentioned, we still provide the grounds on which the Portage Lakes Girls Fast Pitch Softball Association both practice and play. (www.portagelakesfastpitch.com)
We are the current home of the TRI-CITY CRUSHERS. They provide fast pitch softball to girls of many ages. They practice, play games and have fund raising at our ball fields. We provide this to them at no cost and they assist in the maintenance of the fields.
The Portage Lakes P.L.A.Y Little League Baseball Association, and various religious, community and public schools organizations also use our facilities at no charge.
Our facilities include a 160 seat dining hall with fully equipped kitchen and a beautiful old-style wooden dance hall (circa 1909) which can be rented by the public for parties and wedding receptions. We have 3 dormitory cabins that have bathroom/shower facilities and can house 24 children/adults each, 4 cabins with separate bathroom/shower facilities that can also house 24 children/adults each, and 4 small cabins complete with living facilities, kitchen and bathroom/shower facilities available for use.
Our Articles of Incorporation direct Craftsmen Park's charitable endeavors of providing camping and other outdoor activities for children and numerous charitable and school organizations. Our mission is consistent with those of the Masonic Lodges of Summit County whose generosity resulted in our creation as a separate organization in 1933. We are a 501-C3 charitable non-profit organization and all donations are tax deductible; our Tax ID is 34-0649132.
We operate on an annual budget of only $100,000.00. Today the Masonic Lodges of Summit County continue to provide monetary support but account for less than 10% of our operational needs. Donations from civic minded organizations like yours together with proceeds from public use of the camp ground, marina, dining hall, dance hall and cabins provide most of the funding for our annual operating budget.
We leverage our assets and donations to the best advantage possible. The park is managed by one full time (seasonal) employee and enjoys the assistance of a dedicated group of volunteers. Most of the volunteers are campers from a very small 52 site campground we operate. Our campers are Masonic and non-Masonic alike and many are “snowbirds” and retirees who volunteer their time and provide volunteers to assist in the operation of the park during the summer months. These campers pay appropriate set donations for the use of those sites. The park also operates a 100 slip marina that is rented by both Masonic and non-Masonic Boat Club members. These folks also provide many volunteer hours to maintain the marina and others areas of the park.
In addition to operations, we have continuing needs for capital improvements. The generosity of First Energy/Ohio Edison resulted in having adequate power supply available to the dormitory cabins to allow them to be air conditioned for Camp Quality campers. Now we are in serious need of monitory and in-kind donations to secure our continued existence in serving the community.
To show appreciation to our donors, Craftsmen Park has put together Donation Plaques. Once a donation amount of $100 is reached we will put the name of you or your organization on our Donation Plaques. Plaque amounts are as follows:
Bronze Silver Gold
$100 - $249 $250 - $499 $500 & up
Your donation will also be acknowledged in the Craftsmen Park newsletter. Craftsmen Park will keep track of the donations received and as you or your organization reach new levels of donation you will be added to the appropriate plaque. You will also receive a letter of appreciation for your contributions as they are tax deductible (our Tax ID is 34-0649132).
Please know that all contributions you make will positively impact Craftsmen’s Park.
In these difficult times your generosity has never been more appreciated, needed or carefully leveraged to provide the most benefit for those we assist in serving. Though the needs have not diminished, every dollar or in-kind donation has a most significant effect. If you think you might have goods or services that we could utilize, please contact us at 330-644-5517.