Welcome to the Laity Lodge Youth Camp Alumni Site. We are more than excited to bring you what we hope will be your link to the past, present, and future of LLYC. What began in 1966 as an ambitious dream of Bill Cody and Frog Sullivan has exploded into one of the finest youth camps anywhere. LLYC kicked off its inaugural summer in 1967 as an outgrowth of Laity Lodge, the adult retreat center. Our historical information indicates there were 13 campers during the first summer, marking the birth of LLYC. Maybe you have seen the famous picture of that first group of campers. Over the last 40 years, we have grown substantially. We reached an all-time record high in the summer of 2008—1,525 campers!
Beginning that first summer, our vision has been simply to show kids “the best two weeks of their lives.” Thousands of campers and over 40 years later, we continue to see kids awakened to a world full of fun, excitement, and adventure mixed with hope—the hope that only Christ can provide. Lives have been transformed.
There have been numerous changes in our facilities over the years, but one thing has never changed. Can you guess what that is? When Bill Cody and Frog Sullivan dreamed and planned and implemented LLYC, there were three mighty important ingredients they were passionate about. The first imperative was to love kids unconditionally and accept them for who they are. Second, they wanted kids to have fun because if they aren’t having fun, they won’t be open to the third dream. Third, they wanted every camper to know and have a relationship with Jesus Christ. Over 40 years later, the Sullivan and Cody dream has not changed at LLYC!
LLYC continues to live on the edge, reaching kids where they are as we run, talk, laugh, cry, and sing our way through 14 of the longest days and two of the fastest weeks in our lives. Kids become alive and awake at LLYC. With clear eyes, they see Jesus Christ. They hear about him in Roundup, they see him reflected in the beautiful surroundings, and they experience a personal reflection of Christ in the staff. Frog said it so well: “LLYC is a continual game of show and tell.” We show kids Christ all day, every day, and when the time is right, we tell them about how incredible he is. When kids see Jesus for who he really is, they find him hard to resist.
That’s it! In all its simplicity, that’s who we were when we began, and that’s who we are today. Hopefully, since you are visiting our Alumni Site today, you know firsthand about being transformed. Your story is important, and we would be honored to hear it!
If you have ever been a camper at LLYC or a member of the summer staff, you are encouraged to register as an alumni. It is our desire to know what is happening in the lives of our past staff and campers, and we want this section of our website to open opportunities for sharing life and camp experiences. Thank you for registering, and we look forward to reconnecting with you and allowing you to connect with your camp friends.
