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August’s Dinner for a Cause benefits Camp Schoenwald. $20/person.
Highline Kiwanis club, was formed in 1931. This club is part of Kiwanis International, a service organization serving the children of the world.
In 1950s, several of the Highline Kiwanis club members were employed by the Highline Public School district. Highline Public Schools sends children to Camp Waskowitz during the school year which is in North Bend. The members wanted to have a camp in Burien to serve the youth in the area. They purchased a five-acre parcel just behind Sylvester Middle School in Burien to begin construction on the camp. The Schonwald family donated another five-acre parcel adjacent to the property under the condition that the camp be always used as a children’s camp to serve the children in the local community.
Camp Schonwald was opened in 1954. The camp has provided a pristine outdoor environment for any organized children’s organization for free. The only requirement to use the camp is the children’s organization have their own adult supervision and their own insurance. The reservations are on a first-come, first-served basis. Groups such as Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, Highline district schools and other local schools in the area use the camp year-round. The camp is used by organized groups approximately 300 days a year.
The camp has many structures available to campers. There is a lodge with a kitchen, bathrooms, and a meeting room with sleeping lofts on the top floors and there is a teepee with picnic tables and a firepit. The camp also has an amphitheater and Adirondacks on the property. There are several trails throughout the camp crossing over Miller Creek. There is a caretaker trailer on the west side and a caretaker’s house on the east side of the camp. The caretaker’s jobs are to protect the camp and schedule groups of campers.
Every Kiwanis organization has a service project. Camp Schonwald is Highline Kiwanis’ service project. Highline Kiwanis members volunteer their time and labor to maintain and improve the camp. We have never charged any children’s group during the entire existence of the camp. The members volunteer at concessions stands at the local stadium to raise money to support the camp. We have a pancake breakfast every year at the Burien fire station to help raise funds. We also rely on donations to keep the camp running.
We are very proud to provide an outdoor camp available to any organized children’s group for free. We are grateful to the Elks for providing Dinner for a Cause for Camp Schonwald. Without generous donations such as yours, we would not be able to provide this wonderful camp for the children. Thank you for your continued support. It is very much appreciated.
Glenda Ester
Highline Kiwanis, Secretary/Treasurer