Camp Thunderbird

2025-2026 Bill 1196: Camp Thunderbird - South Carolina Legislature Online

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
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S. 1196
STATUS INFORMATION
Senate Resolution
Sponsors: Senator Climer
Document Path: SR-0682KM-VC26.docx
Introduced in the Senate on May 14, 2026
Adopted by the Senate on May 14, 2026
Summary: Camp Thunderbird
HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

Date

Body

Action Description with journal page number

5/14/2026

Senate

Introduced and adopted

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VERSIONS OF THIS BILL
05/14/2026

A
senate
RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE YMCA Camp Thunderbird UPON THE
OCCASION OF ITS ninetieth ANNIVERSARY AND TO recognize August 28, 2026, as Camp
Thunderbird Day in South Carolina.

W
hereas, the members of
the South Carolina Senate are pleased to recognize YMCA Camp Thunderbird as it
celebrates this important milestone; and

W
hereas, YMCA Camp
Thunderbird was founded in 1936 as the Observer Fresh Air Camp, established to
ensure that children, regardless of circumstance, could experience the
life-changing benefits of fresh air, nature, and community; and

W
hereas, in 1946, the
camp was entrusted to the YMCA of Greater Charlotte, strengthening its
commitment to youth development, character building, and providing access to
meaningful camp experiences for children of all backgrounds; and

W
hereas, in its early
years, YMCA Camp Thunderbird served as a place of healing and hope, offering
restorative outdoor experiences to children facing health challenges and
limited resources, including those recovering during the polio era; and

W
hereas, over the past
ninety years, YMCA Camp Thunderbird has made an extraordinary and lasting
impact on the region, serving more than eighty thousand overnight campers, more
than fifty thousand day campers, and more than four hundred thousand students
through its environmental education programs; and

W
hereas, YMCA Camp
Thunderbird has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to access and equity by
providing more than twenty-eight thousand scholarships, ensuring that children
from all circumstances can experience the joy, growth, and belonging that camp
provides; and

W
hereas, Camp
Thunderbird has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to youth leadership
development through its Counselor in Training (CIT) program, a four-week
immersive experience that has prepared nearly three thousand teens with the
skills, confidence, and character needed to lead and serve in their communities;
and

W
hereas, generations of
young people have been shaped by YMCA Camp Thunderbird through experiences that
foster confidence, independence, leadership, and lifelong friendships, while
thousands of counselors and staff have carried the values learned at camp into
their communities and professions; and

W
hereas, through times
of national and local challenge, including economic hardship, public health
crises, and periods of societal change, YMCA Camp Thunderbird has remained a
steadfast and trusted resource for families, continually adapting to meet the
evolving needs of youth; and

W
hereas, YMCA Camp
Thunderbird has become a cherished part of family traditions across the
Carolinas, with generations of campers, staff, and families returning year
after year, creating a powerful legacy of shared experiences, connection, and
belonging; and

W
hereas, as YMCA Camp
Thunderbird celebrates its ninetieth anniversary, it continues to carry forward
its mission of strengthening youth, families, and communities while honoring
the traditions, relationships, and values that have defined it for nearly a
century; and

W
hereas, the members of
the South Carolina Senate greatly appreciate the dedication and commitment of YMCA
Camp Thunderbird to serving the people and the State of South Carolina. Now,
therefore,

B
e it resolved by the
Senate
:

T
hat the members of the
South Carolina
Senate
, by this resolution,
congratulate YMCA Camp Thunderbird upon the occasion of its ninetieth anniversary
and recognize August 28, 2026, as Camp Thunderbird Day in South Carolina.

B
e it further resolved
that a copy of this resolution be presented to the leadership of YMCA Camp
Thunderbird.

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This web page was last updated on May 14, 2026 at 2:36 PM