FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 21, 2005

Collin County Adventure Camp to open in 2006

(McKinney, TX) - Construction of the 427-acre Collin County Adventure Camp is almost complete and plans are underway to open the facility in summer 2006.

"When voters approved $26 million in bond funds back in 2001, we had a vision for creating an outdoor educational center that would be close to our Collin County students" explains Collin County Adventure Camp Advisory Board Chairman Dr. Joe Farmer. "It is wonderful to see this vision come to fruition."

Land and construction of the camp was paid for by bond funds. The camp will be managed by the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas. The facility will house up to 500 students (12 students/two adults per cabin), two school staff cabins housing a total of 32, and 24 seasonal staff members. It will include three professional housing units, a dining hall, amphitheater, and education center each having a capacity of 250 people, wet labs, swimming area, challenge course and a 14 acre lake for fishing and boating. The camp will be surrounded by a security fence and is accessible only by a gate. Additionally, it will provide:

• Over Six Miles of Hiking Trails
• Creek and Pond Study Area (Wet Labs)
• Prairie Study Area
• Woodland Study Area
• 250-Seat Ampitheater overlooking the lake
• Recreation Areas
• Swimming Pool
• Interpretive Learning Stations
• Eight covered teaching shelters along six miles of trails
• Challenge Course
• Archery
• Fishing Pier
• Boating Pier
• Two Large Pavilions with Fireplaces

Fifth graders from 15 of 21 Collin County districts are already signed up to attend 2 ½ days sessions beginning the week after Labor Day in fall 2006.

In spring of 2006, the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas will take over the camp operations with group camping to begin in the summer of 2006 and outdoor school groups to follow in the fall. Along with the school groups in the fall, the YMCA will begin hosting YMCA Adventure Guides groups on the weekends.

The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas has been in operation since 1885 with more that 100 years of camping experience. The YMCA provides camping programs from summer day camps to resident camps and outdoor education in seven North Texas counties including YMCA Camp Grady Spruce on Possum Kingdom Lake. The YMCAs values and program legacy make the partnership with the camp a natural fit to serve the kids and families of Collin County.

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