Out in Ontonagon County, a patch of land, with a fishing pond, a cabin and a camp helps people build confidence. Camp Josh provides space for disabled residents, and veterans a place to meet in the outdoors and enjoy nature. The camp was established in 2000, after Norman Pestka donated the original cabin and land in the memory of Josh Bader. Since then, its board of directors have improved the grounds, making camp josh an accessible place for the disabled community to enjoy fishing, and hunting.
We’ve been able to purchase an adaptive shooting system for individuals that maybe can’t handle a gun, but they still want to hunt so that they can do that. And in the future, what we’re looking at doing is trying to build a learning center. It would be an area for uh people within, if it’s poor weather, they could still get out and be in nature. – Eugene Lewis, Executive Director, Camp Josh
Camp Josh Executive Director Eugene Lewis adds the camp hopes to use a portion of funds raised from Giving Tuesday 2025 to support the construction of an indoor programming cabin. In recent years Camp Josh has worked with the Ontonagon Gogebic Intermediate School District and has invited troubled youth to the camp for fishing, and summer programming. Learn more about Camp Josh and Giving Tuesday with Copper Shores online.







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