1989 - 1995 Era

You were there in its humble beginnings, unsure of what was going to happen that week and not sure if there was going to be a next week. But you knew you had 300 acres of Heaven in East Texas that Catholic youth needed to experience. It changed your life and you wanted to pass that gift along to as many as possible. And because of you, The Pines Catholic Camp now enters into its 36th year.

I often think of the parable of the mustard seed when I think about a counselor at The Pines. The mustard seed is small and seemingly insignificant, yet it grows into the largest of trees. We, a year or two out of high school and sharing a few days at a time with a handful of children, may have felt similarly insignificant at that time. Our impact was anything but insignificant. It has been extraordinary. We paved the path for upwards of a dozen staff members to become ordained priests. Campers, aspiring to be just like us, became the next generation of counselors. They, in turn, changed the lives of their campers. We now have a staff of 200. We host over 3300 campers each summer while hundreds more hope to make it off the waiting list. This is our legacy.

While we are in smaller numbers, our generation is in a unique position to support the camp in ways that others simply cannot. Join me as we raise funds in the upcoming North Texas Giving Day. Let’s continue providing the gift of The Pines to Catholic youth.

Funds raised this year will ensure 10 full weeks of spiritual leadership and accompaniment, training and staff formation, upgrades to the ropes courses and adventure elements, waterfront and pool activities, and infrastructure and mobility upgrades.

Spread the word. Reach out to your Pines network and amplify this message. In doing so, we, the era of the first years of The Pines, will continue to embody the parable of the mustard seed.

-Mark "Chiggar" Tepera

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Here are the prizes for this year:

MOST MONEY RAISED: A limited-edition t-shirt with a design specific to your era, sold in the camp store. All donations over $50 receive a complimentary t-shirt.

MOST DONOR PARTICIPATION: A limited-edition sticker with a design specific to that era. All gifts over $25 receive a sticker.

ALL: Anyone who donates above $19.88 gets a special NTXGD Pines sticker.

May the best era win!