Rotary’s Camp Florida has been a part of the Brandon community since the 1950s. It was originally a camp used by the United Methodist Church, but in 1991, Rotary’s Camp Florida was incorporated to acquire, operate and maintain a year-round camp facility for children with special medical needs. The property on which Rotary’s Camp Florida sits was purchased on December 26, 1991, and extensively remodeled. As the church camp was built in the 1950s, it was not designed for special-needs children.
“It a local hidden gem, and I don’t want it to be hidden anymore,” said Rotary’s Camp Florida’s new director, Eleanor Saunders.
Saunders is a Brandon resident, a Rotarian and the former executive director of ECHO of Brandon. She begins her new journey as the camp’s director on Monday, July 13.
“I was at ECHO for 11 years and I prayed very hard about taking the first step for the position at Rotary’s Camp Florida,” Saunders said. “The first step was submitting my resume, and from that point it all seemed to fall into place.”
The mission of Rotary’s Camp Florida is to provide a safe, fun space to learn, grow and play for groups whose members need supportive accommodations.
“Rotary’s Camp Florida is a 21-acre, ADA-compliant campsite, and I can’t wait to start promoting the camp’s mission to the community and beyond,” Saunders said. “It is a place that has so much potential, and I love helping local nonprofit organizations realign and grow.”
Rotary’s Camp Florida welcomes nonprofit and for-profit organizations for celebrations, team building, planning meetings, corporate retreats or workshops. Throughout the 21-acre campus, guests can enjoy peaceful seating areas, lakeside views and outdoor spaces for teambuilding exercises and other activities. The camp’s facilities can be rented for the day, the weekend or weeklong camps.
“I love that the camp has something for everyone,” Saunders said. “My hope for the camp is that it will become very well known in the local market as an option for retreats and events, and that earned revenue will fully support our campers, so kids with special needs can come to camp without money being a concern. They can just come to camp and be a kid.”
If you would like to learn more about Rotary’s Camp Florida or if you are interested in renting the camp for an event, you can visit the camp’s website at https://rotaryscampflorida.org/ or call 813-654-4042. The camp is located at 1915 Camp Florida Rd. in Brandon.
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