The Arizona Daily Star Sportsmen’s Fund raises money so children from low-income households and active military families in Southern Arizona can attend summer camp on scholarships funded by Star readers.
We send local kids to weeklong YMCA, Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts) and Girl Scout overnight camps, as well as overnight camping at Camp Tatiyee for school-age children with special needs.
Our goal was to raise $225,000 to send at least 500 kids to overnight camp. So far, we’ve received 978 donations totaling $227,653.80 and spent $256,853 on scholarships to send 431 Southern Arizona boys and girls to camp. Camp scholarship numbers were down from the proposal at all camps except Camp Tatiyee, which had record interest from families who have children with special needs. Tatiyee scholarships are $1,000 a week, the largest scholarship of the camps we sponsor.
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Since 1947, the Sportsmen’s Fund has helped pay for 44,822 children to go to overnight camp. We’re one of the oldest 501(c )(3) charities in Arizona and one of the most efficient, with 97 cents from every dollar going to send kids to camp.
Your contribution to the Arizona Daily Star Sportsmen’s Fund Send a Kid to Camp fund qualifies for the Arizona tax credit for donations to qualifying charitable organizations. Our code is 20450. Joint Arizona filers can donate up to $987 for 2025 taxes, and other Arizona filers can donate up to $495 for 2025. Our EIN is 86-6053274, which is needed for some fund transfers.
Credit-card donations and details on the camps we sponsor: azsendakidtocamp.org
Send checks, payable to Sportsmen’s Fund, to: Send a Kid to Camp, P.O. Box 16141, Tucson, AZ 85732-6141
For more information: Debbie Kornmiller at 520-954-3139 or info@azsendakidtocamp.org
Donations are welcome throughout the year.
Recent donations include:
Deanna Bohling, $50.
Regina Bohnert, $115.
Morgan Bros. B&D, $104.70.
Robert Carroll, $495.
Christina Fell, $52.51.
David and Nancy Hall, $1,000.
Gayle Hartmann, $250.
Frank Kingman, $50.
Alfred and Sandra Luckau, $50.
JoAnne Mallie, $10.72.
Renee Monroe, in memory of John R. Bowdy, $100.
Bob and Marie Moore, $200.
Waltraud M. Nichols, $100.
Judy Pickrell, $100.
Byron M. Snyder, $100.
Susan K. Willis, $15.98.
Mark S. Zimmer, $25.
2 events benefit Send A Kid to Camp
Two fall events benefit the Arizona Daily Star Sportsmen’s Fund Send A Kid to Camp this year, and we invite you to join us.
The Cork Fun Chili Cook-Off is at The Cork Tucson, 6320 E. Tanque Verde Road. It’s from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 27, and sponsored by The Cork Tucson and the The Cork Fun Chili Cook-off Committee. Admission is $10 at the door and includes tastes of chili by nine local restaurants, competing for bragging rights as the fan-favorite best chili in Tucson. Most of the chilis are imagined just for this event.
Chili-heads will be The Cork Tucson, UnCork’d, Vero Amore, Millie’s Haus, Fini’s Landing, Renee’s Tucson, Canyon Crown, Eclectic Cafe and Kingfisher.
Several dozen items or baskets will be raffled off, all with a value of $50 or more, and include a TV from Tucson Appliance Co. Raffle tickets are $5 or five for $20. You need not attend to buy raffle tickets or win a prize. Raffle tickets are available by contacting Jacque Humphreys at Humphreys2@comcast.net. Jacque is also the contact person if you would like to donate a raffle prize or are interested in sponsoring the event. For more information on sponsorships, visit funchilicookoff.org.
Last year the all-ages event drew more than 200 people and raised more than $27,950 for Send Kids to Camp. Now in its 21st year, the Cork Fun Chili Cook-Off has raised $316,543.48 to help send kids to camp.
The second is Catalina Rotary Club’s Denim & Diamonds at Skyline Country Club, 5200 E. St. Andrews Drive. It’s from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30. Tickets are $50 for hors d’oeuvres/small plates and country-western line dancing until your boots won’t take any more. Country-western or Halloween attire encouraged.
For individual tickets, a table for eight or sponsorship information, contact Chair Patricia Heasler, at 509-366-2471 or patriciaheasler@icloud.com. Tickets are available until Oct.15, when ticket sales end.
This is the first year for the all-ages yeehaw, which organizers expect to raise thousands of dollars to send kids to camp. There will also be a raffle, including one for a pair of one-carat diamond earrings.
The Catalina Rotary Club is one of 50 Rotary Clubs in District 5500. The motto of the Catalina Rotary Club, the second oldest in the Tucson area, is “improving the lives of youth in need.” Past recipients of fundraisers have included the Tucson-based nonprofit Youth on Their Own.
More readers will be thanked in the coming weeks.
