Camp Allen is an important outreach for the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and beyond, serving over 68,000 people each year through retreats, summer camp, and an accredited outdoor education program. The challenge is that many children from economically disadvantaged families and schools need financial assistance in order to be able to participate in summer camp and the Discovery Program. The mission of Starry Nights is to bridge this gap by supporting the camp’s Scholarship Fund, enabling more children to experience this beautiful place and the transformative experiences provided at Camp Allen.
Starry Nights Austin 2020 will be held on Thursday, May 7th at 6:30 PM at downtown Austin’s Mercury Hall. We are invite you to help make the event as successful as possible by being one of our underwriters and take part in the fun evening featuring live music and exciting auction items, and a “Canteen Cuisine” inspired menu of small plates served by local chefs.
One of the most unique and impactful aspects of Camp Allen's summer camp program is the volunteer leadership. Each summer, clergy and lay leaders from across the Diocese of Texas bunk up at a campsite to be the hands and feet of Jesus to campers and counselors. In addition to serving as surrogate "mamas and papas" to campers for the week, session directors teach dynamic programming, frequent the blob, cover themselves in shaving cream, and don clergy collars with tie-dye shirts to celebrate Eucharist. The relationships built throughout the camp session and the pure fun shared truly brings the Gospel message to life in a whole new way. At this year’s gala, we are delighted to honor the following Austin clergy that currently or have recently served as session directors at Camp Allen:
The Rev. Christian Hawley | St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Madeline Hawley | St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Dean Lawrence | Episcopal Church of The Good Shepherd
The Rev. John Newton | St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Kathy Pfister | Episcopal Church of The Good Shepherd
The Rev. Kevin Schubert | St. George’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. Chuck Treadwell | St. David’s Episcopal Church
The Rev. William Tweedie | Episcopal Church of the Resurrection
Please join us as we shine light on the service of these clergy camp leaders by reserving your spot as an underwriter using the enclosed envelope or at campallen.org. Thank you for your support; we look forward to seeing you at this star-studded event!