Oshkosh Area Community Foundation celebrates 30 years of Hiwela Youth Fund

OSHKOSH, Wis (WISS) – The Hiwela Youth Fund at the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation (OACF) is celebrating a remarkable milestone: 30 years of transforming Camp Hiwela’s legacy into life-changing opportunities for youth across the region.

A Legacy Reimagined

Camp Hiwela officially opened on June 26, 1937, in Wild Rose, Wisconsin. It was a community-powered dream, built by volunteers and supported by families who believed in the value of residential camping for their daughters. For 58 years, the camp offered generations of girls the chance to explore nature, build friendships, and grow in confidence.

“It is difficult to describe the fresh air, beautiful pristine lakes, and the aroma of pine,” recalled Jean Collier, a former camper and counselor. “I loved sleeping in screened cabins and open-air tents, singing, swimming, canoeing, hiking, and spending time being a kid in a kids’ world.”

When the camp closed in 1995, its mission evolved. The Hiwela Youth Fund was established to carry on the values of Camp Hiwela, encouraging future generations to explore the outdoors, have fun, form lasting friendships, and deepen their respect for the natural world.

“Some of the alumni of the camp really came together and rallied around that, to carry forward the mission of the camp and the memories that they had there,” said Kate Stel, Managing and Communications Manager of the OACF. “They still sponsor camperships for kids in Winnebago County to go to summer camps all over the state.”

Founded with $860,000 from the camp sale, the fund has grown to $1.4 million and awarded nearly $1.6 million in grants to 78 camps and nonprofits. It was the first youth-focused fund in the Foundation and continues to honor Camp Hiwela’s spirit by supporting outdoor learning, environmental education, and camp experiences for young people in Winnebago County.

“As we celebrate 30 years of the Hiwela Youth Fund, we honor the legacy that began in 1937 when a group of passionate people purchased land to create a place where girls could experience the outdoors,” said Paula Condor, former camper, longtime staff member, and current chair of the Fund’s grants committee. “Though the camp has closed, the warmth of Hiwela still lives on in every heart it touched.”

2025 Grant Awards

This year, the Hiwela Youth Fund awarded over $20,000 in grants to support summer camp scholarships, also known as “camperships,” for Winnebago County youth from families facing financial challenges. The following nonprofit organizations were selected:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Wisconsin – To send 8 Littles and their Bigs to Camp Onaway in Waupaca.
• Boy Scouts of America Bay Lakes Council – To help 15 scouts attend the camp of their choice.
• Boys & Girls Club of Oshkosh – To support day or overnight trips for 175 youth at Camp Radford in New London.
• Easter Seals Wisconsin – To send 5 youth with disabilities to Camp Wawbeek in Wisconsin Dells.
• Friends of Camp Anokijig, Inc. – To give 10 youth a weeklong experience at Camp Anokijig in Plymouth.
• Wisconsin Badger Camp – To help cover costs for 2 youth with developmental disabilities to enjoy a week at Wisconsin Badger Camp in Platteville.
• YMCA of the Fox Cities – To send 20 youth to Camp Nan A Bo Sho in Lakewood.

A Campership Story: IMPACT at Camp Nan A Bo Sho

For one local family, a week at Camp Nan A Bo Sho offered a carefree, healing environment, thanks to a campership from the Hiwela Youth Fund.

“‘When can I go back!?’ were the first words my son Jackson said to me after getting off the bus,” said one local parent who received support. “Camp was everything I wanted it to be for him as a child of divorce who struggles with routine changes during the summer. It was a place for him to be carefree, and it offered healing being in the outdoors, which is really his element!”

Stories like this are at the heart of the Hiwela Youth Fund’s mission: to ensure that every child, regardless of their financial circumstances, has the opportunity to experience the joy and growth that come from spending time in nature.

Looking Ahead

Now, in its 30th year, the Hiwela Youth Fund keeps Camp Hiwela lessons alive. Camperships benefiting kids like Jackson continue to light the way for the next generations, one campfire and one child at a time.

About the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation: Since 1928, the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation has helped donors turn their charitable investments into projects that add energy and vitality to our communities. Serving Winnebago County, Waushara County, Green Lake County, and the city of Ripon, the Foundation is helping build stronger, more vibrant communities where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.