CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Kanawha County Commission has restored $100,000 in funding for Camp Virgil Tate, which will help in the effort to keep the camp open.
The 4-H camp, which hosts weddings, reunions, church camps, and plenty of other events, has a laundry list of repairs that need to be made to its nine buildings and facilities.
The commission withheld funding from the camp because Child Protective Services was using some of its buildings temporarily to house at-risk foster children within the county.
Commissioner Natalie Tennant said during a commission meeting last week that there needed to be a better relationship between the Camp Virgil Tate Foundation and the commission, and more quality discussions needed to be had. She says they’ve worked on that in the past few months.
“Some work needed to be done, and the work was done in terms of building a stronger relationship between the county commission and the foundation,” Tennant said in a meeting last week. “I’m proud of the work that we have done and I’m proud of the fact that my fellow commissioners came back and said that we’ll do the budget line item and do the $100,000.”
According to Camp Virgil Tate Foundation treasurer Oscar Hutchinson, CPS will no longer be using the camp for last-resort options.
Tennant says that while the funding from the commission will help, Camp Virgil Tate is in a place where more funds from the community are going to be needed.
“We need business folks. We need marketing people, lawyers, accountants, and fundraisers,” Tennant said. “This is great to come from the commission, but it’s not nearly enough after the foundation takes on all of the expenses.”
Tennant says Camp Virgil Tate does have support from the community, and people want to see it up and running for the long haul.
“There are folks who want to see the camp thrive because they have so many good memories and such an experience that other children now deserve to have,” Tennant said.
4H camp at the complex will start next week.
To donate you can visit campvirgiltate.org