Ring by ring: your roots, our reach
Every summer at LAJF adds a ring to our tree. Every camper, every staff member, every generation becomes part of a story that continues to grow.
This summer, we're inviting our alumni to mark your ring with a gift inspired by your Camp Rising Sun or The Ethical Leadership Experience journey.
For family and friends of CRS and TELE alums, we invite you to make a gift in honor of an alum in your life. Here’s how to join the campaign:
Give Your Camp Year:
For example, if you attended in 1996, consider a gift of $19.96, $96.00, or $1,996!
Give Your Years:
If it's been 30 years since your Camp experience, consider giving $30 in honor of your 30th ring, or if it’s been five years since you attended, give a gift of $5!
Become a Sustainer:
By giving your number each month and helping future generations continue the tradition.
No matter the amount, every gift adds another ring to the story we're growing together as we approach 100 years of Camp Rising Sun.
Find your year. Make your mark!
Hear more about the campaign from LAJF Executive Director Barry Fulton below:
Dear LAJF Community,
Have you ever looked at the cross-section of a fallen tree?
What strikes me the most about the tree rings is not just how beautiful they are, but what they represent. Every ring marks another year of growth. The rings might vary in width or shape; some reflect seasons of abundance, others seasons of challenge. Yet still, every ring remains part of the tree’s story, making it stronger.
This has been on my mind because Camp Rising Sun has always felt a bit like that to me: Every summer is unique; every cohort leaves something behind; every generation continues to build on what the previous one started.
Reflecting on my own CRS experience, I remember so much beyond just the activities and traditions. I remember life-altering conversations that changed my outlook on the world, connecting with friends who are still a part of my life today, and stepping more fully and confidently into myself.
That’s my ring, and I’m sure you have a ring like that too.
Whatever your CRS or TELE ring holds, it became a part of something larger than a single summer.
As Camp Rising Sun approaches its 100th year, I can see what has made this milestone possible. It’s not just one person or one summer, it’s all of us, thousands of people around the world, each adding our ring to a shared story.
This is the spirit behind our Ring by Ring campaign.
Right now, we’re inviting alumni, family, and friends to celebrate their own CRS or TELE story with a gift inspired by their number—their Camp year.
The amount isn’t what matters the most, your participation is.
Each ring matters, each year matters, each generation matters. And each gift, large or small, helps strengthen the community that has shaped so many of our lives and will continue to shape young leaders from around the world.
I hope you’ll take a moment to find your year, remember your ring, and make your mark.
As the old CRS song goes, “wider and wider our circle expands,” and every ring you add keeps it growing. Together, ring by ring, we’re growing towards 100 years!
With gratitude,
Barry
