LOCAL BUSINESSMAN HELPS TO RAISE NEARLY $700,000 FOR CAMP ONDESSONK OVER THE PAST 23 YEARS
By Jamie Fields | Ozark IL
“It’s all for the kids!”
This simple, yet meaningful statement is a personal motto for Pete Korte, the owner of Korte & Luitjohan Contractor’s, Inc. in Highland, Illinois. For the past 23 years, Korte has planned and hosted a Golf Benefit to support Camp Ondessonk and the camp’s Scholarship Fund, which provides tuition assistance to families so their children can attend summer camp. Thanks to the passion and dedication of Korte and his family, friends, and colleagues, nearly $700,000 has been raised over the past 23 years.
This year’s golf benefit was originally scheduled for Saturday, September 8th, but heavy rains forced the tournament to be rescheduled for Saturday, October 13th. The golfers enjoyed a chilly but dry day on the golf course! In addition to the dedicated support of the volunteers, this event would not be possible without the support of many sponsors. The Premium Tournament Sponsors were American Fiber Comm LLC, Beelman Ready Mix, Kehrer Brothers Construction, Prindable Insurance Agency, and Thomas Young, Sr. The Platinum Sponsors were Ameren, Alessa Brennan, Core & Main, Huddle House, Keeley & Sons, Midwest Municipal Supply, Rehkemper & Son, Roland Machinery Company, RP Coatings, Jim & Kate Shively, Southern Illinois Builders Association, St. Louis-Kansas City Carpenters Regional Council, USI Midwest, and VanDevanter Engineering. The Apparel Sponsor was Silkworm, Inc and the Food and Beverage Sponsors were Excel Bottling, US Foods, Trenton Processing, Robert “Chick” Fritz Distributing, and Howard Rakers. We would also like to thank the Southern Illinois Builders Association and Keeley & Sons for generously donating their winnings from the 50/50 drawing at their regular meeting.
Pete Korte’s involvement with Camp Ondessonk spans decades. His children and grandchildren attended Camp and served as counselors, and Pete and his generous employees have donated thousands of hours of their time, equipment and construction expertise to build Camp’s shower houses and a climbing wall, installing water and electric lines, and dozens of other building projects that help Camp keep tuition low for its campers.
In 2018, Camp Ondessonk served over 3,300 campers in their summer camp, with a majority from Illinois and Missouri.
“Camp Ondessonk provides exceptional outdoor and spiritual adventures, empowering kids of all ages,” said Dan King, Camp’s executive director. “Kids nowadays are bombarded with crazy schedules, mixed media messages and technology that fill their every moment. Camp Ondessonk is a place for them to escape and just be kids in a place that is accepting and nurturing.”
Thank you to Pete Korte and his family, Cheetah Horstmann and the employees at Korte & Luitjohan, and all the businesses, sponsors and golfers who have supported the campers of Camp Ondessonk for the last 23 amazing years!
About Camp Ondessonk:
Since 1959, Camp Ondessonk has been offering summer camp and leadership development programs to youth ages 8 to 17. The American Camp Association and Certified Horsemanship Association accredited programs and facilities give campers the opportunity to explore the outdoors while growing in self-esteem and respect for God’s creation. Camp Ondessonk also provides conference facilities, lodging, and a variety of programs for youth and adults throughout the year. More information is available at Ondessonk.com or Facebook.com/Ondessonk.
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