Outdoor Campus recovering, ready for weekend event

The Sioux Falls community pulls together when it needs to.

That’s what The Outdoor Campus Director Thea Miller Ryan said about the local response to a July 11 fire that destroyed a shed full of canoe and kayak equipment.

Not quite three weeks later, The Outdoor Campus has raised more than $10,000. People also have donated life jackets and other equipment — so much so that Miller Ryan said she does not have room to store it without a shed.

The donations helped purchase new canoes and kayaks in time for the annual Outdoor University event on Saturday.

More than 3,000 people are expected to attend, and Miller Ryan said she’s ready for even more.

“The fire caused a lot of people to take notice of us, so we may have more people than we’re even planning for,” she said.

Sioux Falls police said arson caused the fire, but no arrests have been made.

“I’m sure whoever caused the fire didn’t expect the good will it would generate,” Miller Ryan said.

To help ensure enough boats for everyone on Saturday, members of the South Dakota Canoe and Kayak Association also will lend kayaks and canoes.

The association has helped with Outdoor University for about the past five years, and member Jarett Bies said he wanted to provide extra help this year by bringing his kayaks.

Bies said he’s seen how popular paddling sports were in past years, and he wants to give young people ample opportunity.

“It gives them the chance to try something that could be a lifelong passion,” Bies said.

Other Outdoor University events include slacklining, fishing, archery, paintball and telemetry.

The Outdoor Campus continues to collect donations. Miller Ryan estimates replacing all of the damaged property could cost between $30,000 and $40,000.

How to Help

You can help replace The Outdoor Campus’ equipment by donating on their GoFundMe site