We Love You Heggnes Fundraising Campaign
Dear LPC Community,
We are writing to you because the camp site in Heggnes, Norway needs your help!
For those of you who have been to Heggnes, think back to when you were an LPC camper, counselor or director there. Remember what a special place it is, perched on a remote fjord, in a world of its own. For those of you who have never been to Heggnes, we hope you will all help us save this beloved site! You can find many evocative photos of Heggnes and a unique story of early Heggnes history from LPC director Dan Streit here.
The house in Heggnes is owned by Barthold Vonen, who came to LPC in the 1960’s as a camper and later directed several camps. Barthold has been providing the Heggnes site to us since 1982 and we are extremely grateful for his generosity in maintaining the property for us for over 40 years! Unfortunately, the house now needs more maintenance than Barthold can provide and requires urgent attention to keep the site in suitable condition to hold camp.
One of the biggest problems in Heggnes is the rain which creates a damp house with accompanying issues (wood rot, mold, laundry not drying, etc). The primary focus of the work will be to repair the damage done and create a drier house, before moving on to more costly upgrades and larger repairs.
We ask that you consider making a donation for this work, and thank you in advance for your support in keeping Heggnes a viable campsite, and helping it continue to be the magical spot it has been for so many years for LPC.
Debby Drew, Russell Carlson-Stadler, Sara Bartholomew, Rose Cowan and Júlia Agulló Samaranch
LPC International Fundraising Committee
To make a contribution to the We Love you Heggnes campaign, please refer to the Donations section of this website!
*** Please note on your donation that the contribution is for the “We Love You Heggnes” (WLYH) campaign. Thank you!
“We Love You Heggnes Week” – 2025 edition!
We are inviting everyone from the LPC community and beyond to join a Mini-Work-Camp at Heggnes, Norway – the so-called “We Love You Heggnes Week”. Any age is welcome, minors will have to come with a parent/guardian.
Event details
Address: LPC Heggnes; N-6963 Dale i Sunnfjord; Norway
Dates: July 12th – July 19th 2025
Site: Heggnes is a charming old farmhouse located on a peninsula in the Dalsfjord, just north of the Sognefjord and 100 km north of Bergen on Norway’s west coast. It is surrounded by fields and hills, and its elevated situation offers a spectacular view of the Dalsfjord and the neighboring highlands.
Objective: During the week, we will focus on
• Maintenance work on the house and site, making sure it is ready for this year’s LPC Camp,
• Traditional LPC activities (singing, folk dancing, games, arts etc.),
• Exploring the beautiful surroundings and go hiking, swimming, fishing and boating on the fjord.
Costs:
• Accommodation, meals and necessary materials will be provided.
• Transportation to and from Dale (where we can pick you up) is your responsibility.
Registration: If you are interested in joining, or would like more information, please contact us at office@luethipetersoncamps.org . The deadline to register is March 1st.
Disclaimer: This is not an official LPC event (but it will contain much of the good and fun of LPC 😉).
We look forward to a productive and fun week with you!
2024 LPC Newsletter!
As we wrap up the past summer and begin to look ahead to next year, we would like to share with you some stories from camp with our 2024 LPC Newsletter, curated by the LPC-US Board!
We did it!
January 30, 2024
Dear LPC Community,
In June, 2023 the LPC Fundraising Committee launched an ambitious effort to raise over 100,000 euro before the end of the year. We knew it was a steep challenge, but we could not pass up the opportunity to help support the future of LPC. Faced with that challenge, the LPC community rallied and stepped up in a big way.
We are so excited to announce that by December 31, 2023 – the LPC Global Fundraising Initiative raised over 102,000 euros, in a joint effort that has seen contributions from many different countries in Europe as well as the USA.
We want to give our heartfelt thanks to everyone who made a contribution, regardless of the size. Each and every donation helped us meet and exceed our fundraising goal. Thanks to your contribution, once again this year we will be able to hold culturally, ethnically and economically diverse camp groups as well as support our volunteer staff members going to camp by helping cover their expenses.
Our gratitude goes out to this wonderful LPC community for helping us achieve and exceed our fundraising goal!
Patrick Neely, Chair
LPC Global Fundraising Initiative
LPC 2023 Global Fundraising Campaign
Dear Friend of LPC,
Four short years after the conclusion of World War Two, Natalie Peterson held the first summer camp that would eventually become Luethi-Peterson Camps International (LPC), with the ambitious goal of fostering peace and international understanding. By bringing children from previously warring nations together to spend a summer sharing cultural insights, languages, and the freedom of childhood, Natalie believed that trust between historic enemies could be built, and as a result, future conflicts could be avoided.
Remarkably, each summer for the last seven decades, children from around the world have gathered at LPC camps to perpetuate Natalie’s vision. Lifelong friendships have been created, cultural ideas have been imported to new destinations, and the number of “LPC summers changed my life” stories are too numerous to count. The success and longevity of that original vision is truly awe inspiring.
A big part of that success stems from LPC’s unwavering commitment to financially support a large number of counselors and campers who would otherwise not be able to participate in an LPC camp experience. Through scholarships and other grants, LPC strives to foster an inclusive environment by bringing together campers and counselors from diverse regional, ethnic, cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, furthering the mission that Natalie first envisioned in 1949. As supporters of LPC, it is up to us to carry on that vision, and ensure that LPC continues to be an effective force for peace and international cooperation.
However, our organization stands at a crossroads. The financial demand of supporting our diverse camp participants, coupled with two years of Covid related shutdowns with no income from camp tuitions to offset our annual expenses, has had a significant impact on our fiscal stability. LPC’s financial reserves have dwindled to historically low levels, and the long-term financial health of the organization is in question.
With this in mind, we are launching the 2023 LPC Global Fundraising Initiative to ensure that the organization remains strong and vibrant for the next generation of LPC campers. We have set a goal of raising 100,000 euros by the end of 2023, all of which will go to the LPC general fund to help place LPC on solid financial footing, allowing us to continue operating summer camps and offering scholarships to campers and counselors. Like Natalie’s original vision, attempting to raise 100,000 euros is an ambitious goal, but with the help and support of the LPC family, we know that it can be done.
But it will take all of us working together, so please consider making a donation to LPC. I would encourage you to share the LPC story with your friends and family, and invite them to make a contribution as well. No donation amount is too small – as every euro raised will help build and strengthen LPC’s financial foundation.
In the United States, you can make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking on this link, or mailing a check to
LPC-US Inc.
PO Box 82
Wakefield RI 02880.
Outside of the United States, you can make a contribution by bank transfer or by credit card through Wise (recipient: Luethi Peterson Camps International).
LPC International bank account information:
Account holder: Luethi Peterson Camps International, CH-3860 Meiringen, Switzerland
IBAN: CH31 0079 0016 5975 2117 4
Account Nr: 16 5975 2117 4
Clearing Number: 790
Swift or BLZ: KBBECH22XXX
Bank address: Berner Kantonalbank AG, Bahnhofstrasse 2, CH-3401 Burgdorf, Switzerland
Thank you for your consideration, and your help in making the LPC Global Fundraising Initiative a success.
Patrick Neely, Chair
2023 LPC Global Fundraising Initiative
Remembering Ed Koren
Dear LPC community,
It is with heavy hearts that we learned of the passing on April 14th of Ed Koren, the talented cartoonist who created LPC’s beloved “Fuzzies” logo.
Ed brought joy and humor to countless people through his cartoons and illustrations.
After his son Nat attended Freedom as a camper in 1976, Ed drew the LPC Fuzzies as a generous gift, and years later also made drawings for the San Francisco/Bay Area LPC support group and for the LPC/Ecole Song Book.
We extend our deepest condolences to Ed’s family, friends.
Below are the beautiful and heartwarming works Ed donated to LPC.
Thank you, Ed, for sharing your gifts with us and leaving a lasting impact on LPC and the world of cartooning.
New York Times obituary
New Central Office Administrator
January, 2023
Dear LPC Community,
This past year, the LPC Executive Committee conducted a search for a new Central Office Administrator. We received several applications from very qualified people, all from within the LPC community. At the Christmas Conference, a new administrator was selected.
We would like to introduce Bruna Melis as the new LPC Central Office Administrator (COA). Bruna is a long time LPCer, having been a camper and counsellor over many years. Her familiarity with all aspects of LPC will be of great benefit to our organization and to her new role as COA. You can reach Bruna at the same email address for the LPC Office: Office@luethipetersoncamps.org.
We appreciate Colin Townes-Anderson’s work in this role over the past three years. We are also grateful for Bruna’s commitment to LPC, and for taking on this important administrative role.
Sincerely,
The Executive Committee
Mo Tunney, Chris Signorino, and Laia Fabre
The Third LPC Silent Auction was a big success!
Hello LPC Friends,
Our third LPC Silent Auction, which ended Nov. 6, raised $6,211 ($578 was from donations to the LPC Endowment fund). This was slightly more than we raised from last year’s auction, which is wonderful!
There were 54 active participants, who between them made 202 bids on a total of 52 items and experiences offered by members of the LPC community. The three most popular items were: a Swedish hand-made multi-wood butterknife, hand-knit socks, and Cwmcoch Black Welsh Mountain Wool.
Many thanks to all who helped make this auction work so well to benefit LPC. We welcome feedback on how it went, and are also happy to help with any problems that might come up with receiving your winning item. Please email us at: lpc.fundraisers@gmail.com
From the Silent Auction Team (Nina Horáková, Sara Bartholomew, Frida Tidén)
LPC Silent Auction 2023
Hello LPC Friends, Our third silent auction to benefit LPC began on Oct. 28th! It will close on Sunday, Nov. 6th at noon PST, 3pm EST, 8pm GMT and 9pm CET.
Here is the link to get to the auction: https://app.galabid.com/lpcauction2022/items The LPC community has donated over 55 wonderful things to bid on, from tangible objects to crafts and experiences. If you do not see anything that interests you, look at the bottom of the page for an item called: “Donate to LPC’s Endowment fund” (*described below). So it is easy for everyone to help LPC!
Piet-Hein will announce the auction at his LPC Radio Show on Sunday, October 30th 7-9pm CEST (NOTE: for one time only, 2-4pm EDT and 11am-1pm PDT in the U.S., due to clocks going back an hour in Europe). Here is the link to join: https://bit.ly/2pGnP3v
And there will be a Virtual Pöschtli on Saturday, November 5th to showcase some of the auction items (1-3pm EST, 6-8pm CEST). Here is the link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89078104433?pwd=NDMvdVM5Z09FVU5WeGFVU1llb0R5dz09
Thank you for supporting LPC through this fundraising effort.
Warmly,
The Silent Auction team
Nina Horáková, Sara Bartholomew, Frida Tidén
*From the LPC International website: “The LPC Endowment is an investment account created to generate annual income for LPC’s operating expenses, scholarships and special projects. Funds in the Endowment, whether contributed by LPC supporters or transferred from other cash accounts at the direction of LPC’s governing body, are invested in socially responsible investments in accordance with LPC’s Investment Policy.”
LPC World Gathering 2023
As previously announced, LPC will be hosting our World Gathering at the Ecole d’Humanité from July 6-9, 2023. More information can be found on the World Gathering webpage here.
Please email the World Gathering organizers at lpcwg2023@gmail.com if you have any further questions.
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