Camp Redwood Inc. is a children's camp located in Walden, New York. Founded by Irma and Buddy Estis in 1961, this family-owned and operated business has all the makings to bring the perfect summer experience. Campfires, canoeing, and nature programs can all be found just an hour outside of New York City. However, this year marks their 57th season, and with it comes a special event to wrap up August.
An Opportunity Arrives
According to Camp Director Jon Estis, Camp Redwood was a sleepaway camp that later went on to offer day programs. As you might have guessed, Jon is the son of Buddy and Irma. He also had a few connections at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. One of which was a parent of his son's friend who serves there as a Major. There was also talk about having an event for the children of those serving on the base.
"When the opportunity came up to host a day camp program for their kids, I was informed that to participate, you need to become a government contractor," says Jon, "This was all 'Greek to me,' so to speak."
So how does one become a government contractor? You need to be registered in the System for Award Management (SAM). This applies to all services and products, whether you're selling parts for spaceships or running a summer camp. This is where US Federal Contractor Registration was able to help.
Working with US Federal Contractor Registration
"I was put in touch with Anna Boutin; she was wonderful, and she helped me through the process along with Kelli Johnston," says Jon. Camp Redwood Inc. pretty much had everything in line that they needed to perform the work. It was just a matter of jumping through the hoops of getting the proper registration. This is a process that might seem intimidating to many, and with errors, it can draw in even more headaches.
“What I have enjoyed most about working with Jon is that he wanted to be able to provide the kids a wonderful Camp Experience; it was a contract that made him feel good being able to provide the service,” says Anna Boutin,
Kelly Williamson, the Director of the National Guard Family Readiness Program, informed Anna that they had looked at other camps in the area. Still, none provided the vast amount of watersports that Camp Redwood offered. She estimated that if Jon could complete the registration on time, Camp Redwood would be the Air National Guard’s first choice.
Gearing up for Camp
With the help of USFCR, that registration was completed on time, and Camp Redwood Inc. was awarded its first government contract. Starting on August 28, the program with Air National Guard is set to run for three days. Jon foresees a warm, humid week coming up, which means there will be a lot of water activities, such as boating and skiing on their lake, along with plenty of swimming in their Olympic-sized pool.
Camp Redwood Inc. provides various non-competitive programs where children can receive instruction at any skill level. Some of their other activities include soccer, flag football, arts and crafts, bass fishing, and bowling. You can find a complete list of their summer programs on their website. They also offer facility rentals for personal or corporate use.
If you're looking to get into government contracting, US Federal Contractor Registration is here to help. Just as Camp Redwood Inc. was able to get registered and start working with the government, so can you. We provide a full service for SAM registration assistance, which can also be useful if you're looking for grants. We also offer training, the Simplified Acquisition Program, and access to the Advanced Procurement Portal to be able to search for contracts on local, state, as well as federal levels.
