Friends!
We are beyond excited to invite you to the 15th Annual Shader Kids Weekend (redux) on May 27-29th, 2022 at Camp Summit just outside Squamish, B.C., hosted by Daphne & Geoff Park (“Parky”) and the Camp Summit team.
It’s been two years since we had to cancel our original 15th annual event, so we’re going all out this year!
This weekend is all about helping keep the fires of our friendships stoked, sparking some new ones, and raising money for a cause dear to our hearts in honour of Tim ’Shader’ Ross.
Book your bunk and learn more here!
Weekend at a Glance
Friday, May 27th
– 6:30 pm: Family arrivals begin after dinnertime (note: no dinner at camp)- 7:00 pm onward: Official welcome, cocktails, games and hot snack
Saturday, May 28th
– 7:30 am: Early morning risers – coffee, cereal, muffins in the Lodge
– 8:30 am: Breakfast
– 9:45 – 12:30: Staffed camp programming including Archery, Ropes, Course, Climbing, Biking
– 1:00 pm: Lunch
– 2:00 pm: 15th Annual Tim Ross Memorial Ball Hockey Tournament
– 4:45 pm: Family campfire
– 5:30 pm: Dinner
7:00 pm onward: Silent auction, drinks, snacks and socializing
Sunday, May 29th
– 7:30 am: Early morning risers – coffee, cereal, muffins in the Lodge
– 8:30 am: Breakfast
– 10:00 am: Reflections
– 11:30 am: Departure
Email us if you have questions at shaderkids{at}gmail.com.
Looking forward to an epic weekend on the West Coast with y’all.
The Shader Kids Team
Uncategorized / Comments Off on Registration Open: 15th Annual Shader Kids Weekend (Redux!)
Uncategorized / Comments Off on Registration Open for the 14th Annual Shader Kids Weekend | June 1 & 2, 2019
Please join us at the 14th Annual Shader Kids Weekend and Tim Ross Memorial Ball Hockey Tournament at Camp Chief Hector YMCA on June 1-2, 2019.
Early bird tickets are on sale now until May 1st!
We will be back at Hector end this year so there is limited indoor accommodation available on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Get your tickets while they’re hot!
Pricing, itinerary and more event details available at: https://shaderkids2019.eventbrite.ca
News, Uncategorized / Comments Off on Happy Holidays!
Dear friends,
It is with grateful warmth that we write our annual letter of thanks to all the wonderful supporters of Shader Kids. As always, without your contributions we could not ensure our three campers have an opportunity to continue to experience growth in an outdoor environment, and that two camping leaders receive a bursary to assist them with their continued education.
Indeed, 2018 marked another year of the world-famous (perhaps only in our minds) Tim Ross Memorial Ball Hockey Tournament that threw in a surprise twist! Kilcoo Camp experienced a full blown rainstorm as we played – but despite the deluge, the game carried on! Many remarked that the soaking was very welcome and made the dip in the lake after the game more enticing. Similar to last year, we welcomed participants of all ages and after much filling the ranks on both teams, the East just managed to squeeze out a winner!
Our corporate and individual donors make our event so successful, and we truly thank them for supporting this fund that provides outdoor enrichment opportunities for its recipients.
The silent and live auctions once again raised over $10,000 to continue to build the Shader Kids endowment fund managed so well by the Taylor Statten Camping Bursary Fund.
Of course we also thank you, our participants, for your support as we could not make this happen without you! For those of you struggling to find the perfect holiday present for someone important in your life, please consider making a donation to Shader Kids in their name. Or, keep an eye on the seasonal flight sales for to Calgary next spring!
Please mark June 1st and 2nd, 2019 in your calendar for 14th Annual Shader Kids Weekend to be held at Camp Chief Hector YMCA. It will be a great chance to enjoy the facilities that CCH has to offer for those who have not yet had that opportunity. Watch for our registration that will be opening in the New Year! (Another great festive gift idea!)
Once again the board, partners of Shader Kids, and the Ross family join together to wish you all a lovely holiday season as well as a healthy and prosperous 2019!
– The Shader Kids
Happy Holidays!
Thanks to you all who joined the 12th Annual Shader Kids Weekend last June. Spectacular weather greeted the early participants in the Saturday morning activities led by the Camp Chief Hector YMCA staff. The afternoon craft activities, which preceded and continued during the ball hockey games, again led by 
Hector staff, had the perfect blend of outdoor activities and woodsy crafts.
Despite the challenge of not having our Eastern friends due to camp staff training weekend, the mighty East once more prevailed over the persistent West team. Perhaps the recruitment mandate that anyone who was born in the East, went to school in the East, had relatives in the East were considered Easterners for the afternoon tipped the scales!! In any case it was hailed by Kilcoo and Summit alumni as a solid “Maple Leaf” victory!
The kids’ ball hockey event was as much fun as the adult one with some amazing stickhandling and scoring by the younger players. Recruitment in future years may well see some drafting from this pool!
The silent and live auctions again raised over $10K for the Shader Kids Endowment Fund. This assures our continued sponsorship of staff scholarships at Camp Chief Hector YMCA and funding of deserving campers at Kilcoo Camp, and Camp Summit. These recipients will have the opportunity to continue to develop their outdoor leadership skills.
Of course we could not make this happen but for the support of the Taylor Statten Camping Bursary Fund and the generosity of the many companies and individuals who donate the items for our auctions and for the incredible enthusiasm that the participants bring to their bidding. Thank you one and all!
Please mark May 25 and 26, 2018 in your calendar for the 13th Annual Shader Kids Weekend to be held at Kilcoo Camp inMinden, Ontario. It will be a great chance to enjoy all the facilities that Kilcoo offers on Gull Lake for those who have not yet had that opportunity. Watch for our registration that will be opening in the New Year!
For those of you struggling to find the perfect holiday present for someone important in your life consider making a donation to Shader Kids in their name, or watch out for WestJet seat sales to Toronto!
Once again the board, partners of Shader Kids and the Ross family join together to wish you all a lovely holiday season as well as a healthy and prosperous 2018!
Rock on.
News, Uncategorized / Comments Off on Registration Now Open!
Registration for our 12th Annual Shader Kids Weekend is now open!
You must register and pay by June 14th.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
News / Comments Off on 12th Annual Shader Kids Weekend – Details Coming Soon!
We hope you can join us at the 12th Annual Shader Kids Weekend, June 24th & 25th at YMCA Camp Chief Hector.
Please note that this year’s event will be held at the Bowfort end of YMCA Camp Chief Hector.
Highlights of this year’s event include:
- family programming on Saturday morning!
- additional indoor sleeping accommodations (approximately 100 indoor beds)
- Tim Ross Memorial Ball Hockey tournament on Saturday afternoon
- kids’ programming (arts & crafts, nature walks etc.) during the ball hockey tournament on Saturday afternoon
- Banquet, silent auction and live music on Saturday evening
- Reflections on Sunday morning
Full details, tickets and registration information will be coming soon!
If you have questions in the meantime, please email shaderkids[at]gmail.com.
As the holiday season approaches, we look back at a successful and adventurous 2016!
Shader Kids held another fantastic ball hockey tournament and fundraiser at Kilcoo Camp in May 2016. It was a wonderful family event, thanks to Tingles’ Magic Castle and all of the pre-camp staff support. At the Shader Dome, the “Beasts from the East” fielded two teams and managed to squeak out a win despite the hard fought but always cordial battle of the summer hockey sticks!
The silent and live auction once again exceeded $10,000 to add to Shader Kids’ Endowment. This incredible generosity from you allows us to continue to assist three future leaders to develop their outdoor leadership skills as well as provide two scholarships to returning camp staff. Our sincere thanks to all who attended the event and all who donated items and supported our fundraising efforts.
We appreciate the partnership of Kilcoo Camp, Camp Summit and Camp Chief Hector YMCA in sharing the legacy of Tim “Shader” Ross and supporting our campers and scholarship recipients. We are also very thankful for the endowment management and financial support from Taylor Statten Camping Bursary Fund, allowing us to provide annual support to future outdoor leaders.
Please mark June 24th & 25th in your calendar for the 12th Annual Shader Kids Weekend at Camp Chief Hector YMCA in Kananaskis Country, Alberta.
With this later date we expect not only warmer weather, but we will be moving our event to the Bowfort Lodge end of camp. This will allow us additional indoor accommodation options, exciting family programming (ropes course! archery! etc.) and the opportunity to experience another part of the vast CCH YMCA site. We anticipate another awesome weekend, so please plan to join us in celebrating Tim and raising funds to support our camper and scholarship recipients.
This holiday season, please consider donating to Shader Kids as a gift for family and friends, or contact us if you would like to purchase any swag.
The board and partners of Shader Kids and the Ross family join together to wish you Season’s Greetings as well a healthy and happy 2017!
Seasons Greetings!
We offer a heartfelt thank you to each of the record-setting 167 participants who supported the 10th Annual Shader Kids Weekend at Camp Chief Hector YMCA in May, as well as the generous donors of auction items. Everyone enjoyed the scheduled events, not to mention the children’s events that allowed a 3rd generation of Shader Kids supporters to understand and participate in the celebration of Tim’s contribution to future outdoor leadership. At the Tim Ross Memorial Ball Hockey tourney, The West (a 5 line bench!) smoked the East (barely 2 lines despite continuous drafting!) before the awesome campfire and fundraising auction!
It has been another great year for all of us, with many living in the west feeling the very real economic consequences of needed governmental and environmental changes. With that in mind, we encourage you to consider staying in Canada for your family vacation this year and venturing to the shores of Gull Lake, ON to attend our 11th Annual Shader Kids Weekend at Kilcoo Camp – May 14th and 15th, 2016.
Dave Latimer (LUB!), Director of Kilcoo Camp had this to say about the event:
“What a weekend! My boys and I had such a special 3 days capped by a very special Reflections on the Sunday morning. We love that spot, the stories, the music, all so very special….good for the soul! Beth and Brooke really missed being there and were missed. Speaking of next year I want you to know that you are all welcome at Kilcoo. This weekend seems to be taking more of a family weekend (which is AWESOME…..Tim would love this!) and I urge you to make a weekend or longer of it. Let’s keep the momentum going and for those from the East who were not there…please mark it on your calendar now……more info to follow:
11th Annual Shader Kids Weekend at Kilcoo Camp – May 14 and 15th, 2016
For now, thanks to everyone who came and whenever you are at Hector, Kilcoo or Summit in the future., you will realize….there is nothing more important than sharing these moments with family and friends. We have Tim to thank for this! We miss him but as Mike put it so eloquently, “our terrible loss has also been our gain, because of all the people that have come into our lives”.
P.S. If it is nice in the Rockies….rent a Mustang convertible!!”
Geoff Park, Director at Camp Summit has also extended an invitation for all Shader Kids supporters to drop in to Summit to experience the dream he and Tim shared in Camp Summit’s developmental. The Parks would also love to host a future Shader Kids event at Camp Summit in Squamish, BC.
As a community we continue to make a difference for those recipients of the Shader Kids Foundation distributions. Scholarship recipients at Camp Chief Hector YMCA, campers at Kilcoo Camp in Ontario and Camp Summit in British Columbia are so appreciative of the opportunity to develop their outdoor leadership skills.
One of our most recent recipients of the Tim Ross Memorial Award for Leadership in an Outdoor Environment had this to say:
“I’m really thankful to have been chosen to receive The Shader Kids Scholarship. This will help me in my studies. I study far away from my home and being in an outdoor program is a little bit more expensive that some other programs. This could help me in my future project, because on the last semester in our program we need to do a PDP (personal development project) and to receive the Shader Kids scholarship will allow me to have better opportunities for my PDP. It will also help me focusing on my passion, the outdoors.”
As we suggest each year, if you are struggling with a Christmas or special occasion gift (birthday, anniversary, memorial or just “I love you”), please consider making a donation to Shader Kids in that person’s honour. http://www.shaderkids.com/donations/
May 2016 deliver your dreams for those less fortunate than ourselves,
The Shader Kids Team and Ross Family
News / Comments Off on Registration Now Open – 10th Anniversary Weekend!
We are looking forward to another wonderful weekend at Camp Chief Hector YMCA with all of our Shader Kids friends and sure hope you will join us for this very special 10th anniversary weekend! This is a family friendly event with lots of fun for kids of all ages; we look forward to seeing the whole family there!
The weekend itinerary, registration and details are available at: http://bit.ly/1atuBim
Registration ends May 1st and you must register & pay in advance!
Uncategorized / Comments Off on 10th Anniversary Weekend – May 23 & 24, 2015
Mark your calendars for what promises to be an epic weekend of ball hockey, storytelling, family fun and great live music – all in support of Shader Kids. More details and registration information coming soon!
Shader Kids is a charitable foundation that was established in the memory of Tim “Shader” Ross. The mission of the foundation is to develop youth leadership through outdoor experiences.