mchen@heraldsun.com; 419-6636
BAHAMA -- Inside a large tent on the grounds of Camp Riverlea on Monday, 140 children chatted excitedly on the first day of summer camp.
There was lunch, followed by a cake, then swimming and archery. The picture was in stark contrast to nearly a month ago to the day, when a fire destroyed the camp's main building and much of its equipment.
The building, called "The Shire" in keeping with the camp's "Lord of the Rings" theme, was constructed when Riverlea was founded 40 years ago. It housed the canoes, the archery sets, the pingpong tables, appliances such as a refrigerator, tables and chairs, and various odds and ends for summer camp.
Looking out over the kids gathered in a tent -- a temporary replacement for the Shire -- Program Director Al Whitted said Monday that he was just glad they could pull everything together for the first day.
"We can take a deep breath now," he said.
After the fire, camp counselors immediately went to work rebuilding the site, including building and painting the 27 picnic tables and benches where the kids were seated on Monday, building all the cubbies for their personal belongings, as well as running new plumbing and electricity, getting the tent for the summer and restocking supplies.
Camp staffers worked every day to get it ready for the first summer session, right down to the last minute. Whitted said he was hunting for bus keys in the debris Sunday, and replaced the cowbell he typically uses with a whistle.
Fans and supporters of the camp also set up a group online to help with the rebuilding, and donations for canoes and drama costumes came in, as well as money earned in a bake sale at the Duke School.
"We feel relieved. We feel a sense of pride," Whitted said.
And it appears, the kids were glad as well.
Seated together at the table for the "Striders," the oldest group of kids at the camp, 11-year-old Corrine Greenblatt said she was sad about the fire because they all remember going to camp at the old building.
"I was like, whoa," Greenblatt said. "I feel glad that camp is still going to happen now."
Orientation began this past weekend, and kids are back canoeing, doing archery and arts and crafts for this first session.
"People count on it. If we had to call 400 parents, that would not work," said Riverlea owner Joe Harris.
The fire, which occurred the morning of May 14, was Riverlea's first fire in its 40-year history. James Thomas, assistant fire marshal with Durham County, said Monday that the investigation is ongoing.
"We do suspect that it was intentionally set," Thomas said.
Fortunately, insurance is picking up the cost for the rebuilding of the Shire.
Harris said the permit process is being sped along, and construction will begin after the three summer sessions.
The new Shire will be bigger and more modern, and Harris said they are looking into expanding it from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet.
