Help "Close the Gap" on rising construction costs

Board moves forward with construction and raising funds

The Ewalu Board of Directors called a special meeting for the association of Camp Ewalu on October 25, 2025, to approve a motion from the board to pursue a mortgage of up to $1.4 million for additional costs associated with the Cedar Lodge renovation project. The 37 voters present at Ewalu’s Creation Center for the meeting overwhelmingly approved the motion, allowing the board to move forward with the Cedar Lodge project as planned.

The Ewalu board will not pursue a mortgage loan until necessary, and fundraising for the project has been restarted to cover the shortfall and to minimize (or eliminate!) borrowing. Already, Ewalu has successfully raised over $2.1 million for Cedar Lodge renovations and the solar project (already completed), based on the initial projected cost of $2 million. But construction costs have risen dramatically since the start of the campaign, adding $1.4 million to the initial projection to complete the full extent of the plans.

As of today (October 28, 2025), construction work has already begun under the project management of Loecke Building Systems of Manchester. Early stages of the project will consist of site work and foundation work on the expanded footprint of the building, including what will become the new kitchen and pack-out room. Subcontractors will be actively working on site by the end of this week.

The construction team is committed to the timeline of completing renovations before the start of the 2026 summer camp season. Already, an Ewalu committee is working on plans for the camp’s 65th anniversary and a rededication of Cedar Lodge the weekend of August 28-30, 2026. Save the date for a return to Ewalu for fellowship with alumni and friends of camp and to see the renovated lodge. We have Minnesota folk musician Peter Mayer booked for a concert that Friday night to kick off the anniversary weekend!

Already, additional gifts are coming in to help Ewalu reach the finish line with this important renovation. Cedar Lodge has served as the hub of camp activity since the early 1960s and has been the backdrop for countless memorable moments at Ewalu. But time takes a toll, and the beloved building now struggles to serve people of all ages and abilities. The “Cedar at 60” project provides necessary renovations, including air conditioning, a new kitchen, new HVAC and plumbing, accessible bathrooms on the main level and improved living space for summer staff on the lower level. These necessary improvements to Cedar will ensure that every guest, camper and staff member feels welcome and cared for, for generations to come!

Can YOU help us “close the gap” with a gift to the campaign? If you’ve already donated, can you make an additional gift to help cover rising construction costs?

Please reach out via the contacts below with any questions you may have:

Frank Johnson, Ewalu Executive Director
Harry and Elle Blobaum, Campaign Co-Chairs
Mark and Jill Davidson, Campaign Co-Chairs
Jason Martin-Hiner, Ewalu Board President

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Progress Toward the Goal 📈

We've reached our $2 million goal!

Drum roll, please… we have wonderful news about the Cedar Lodge campaign! Late in 2024, we put out a challenge to “Top the Tree” and help us reach our $2 million fundraising goal by Christmas… and YOU DID IT! We have officially met the campaign’s $2 million goal!

Even though we have reached the goal, it’s not too late to make a gift and be part of this important campaign! Help us go BEYOND the goal so Cedar Lodge can serve campers, summer staff and guests for the next 60 years and even longer.

Construction is set to begin immediately following summer camp in August 2025!

Scroll down this page to learn more about the plans for Cedar Lodge. To make a gift, click here and select “Cedar at 60.”

Major Gift Update 🎁

Candy and Rich Altorfer donate $500K to Ewalu!

Ewalu Camp & Retreat Center announced May 6, 2024, the largest gift to date for the Cedar Lodge renovation project, bringing the fundraising total within striking distance of its $2 million goal. The $500,000 gift from Candy and Richard Altorfer of Cedar Rapids, with $400,000 going to the Cedar Lodge project and $100,000 to the camp’s endowment, puts the “Cedar at 60” campaign at $1.7 million raised, paving the way for the project to break ground in 2025.

“We are overjoyed and grateful to Candy and Rich for this incredible gift to Ewalu,” said Frank Johnson, executive director at Ewalu. “We give thanks to God for all the campers, school groups, young adult summer staff, alumni, adult enrichment attendees, and rental partners who will reap the benefits of a new, modernized, beautiful Cedar Lodge. With this gift, we are eager to make the new Cedar Lodge a reality as soon as possible.”

The Altorfers’ gift honors Candy Altorfer’s late grandparents, Vernon and Hilda Schuchmann of Manchester, and Candy’s parents, Deleva Grimm Stevenson and the late Gordon Grimm, who were instrumental in the construction of Cedar Lodge in 1962. “My father was one of the builders of Cedar Lodge,” said Candy. “They had a volunteer group of men from First Lutheran Church in Manchester. The women of the group would come and bring food to feed them, because there was no kitchen yet.” Fittingly, the Altorfers’ gift to the campaign means the camp can plan for construction in 2025 to update the same building that Candy’s parents helped build more than 60 years ago.

READ MORE ABOUT THE ALTORFERS AND THEIR GIFT AT THIS LINK.

Update on Solar Panel Project ☀️

We have solar power at Ewalu!

Thanks to an outpouring of financial support, the Board of Directors has approved building the solar array! Building this part of the Cedar at 60 project will have an immediate impact, as we can begin saving on our energy bills.

The solar panels were installed in March 2024, in a spot behind Hickory Lodge where some trees have been cleared. The array will power Hickory and the renewed Cedar Lodge. We will also have net-metering, which means payback for extra power.

Special thanks to the many donors who met our Christmas Challenge in 2023! An anonymous donor has made a special gift of $10,000 to the Cedar at 60 campaign because YOU met the challenge! If you “adopted” one of our 80 solar panels, you will be able to monitor its production through a special app.

A campaign to renovate Cedar Lodge
& strengthen Ewalu’s mission

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Cedar Lodge plans & renderings (PDF)

Why renovate? (PDF)

Bulletin insert for churches (PDF)

Regeneration for Every Generation!

After 60 years of service, Cedar Lodge needs some loving care so that it will continue to serve the people of eastern Iowa for generations to come. The Generation to Generation: Cedar at 60 campaign will provide necessary improvements to Cedar Lodge and ensure that every guest, camper, and staff member feels welcome and cared for.

Time Takes a Toll

Now, more than ever, accessible and adequate facilities have an impact on who can experience camp and how we can serve them.

Today, Cedar Lodge, the beloved icon at the center of Ewalu, struggles to provide the hospitable welcome we want to share.

People living with disabilities have to go to the Creation Center in order to find an accessible restroom.
Stricter health codes and the increasing dietary requirements of Ewalu’s guests tax the old kitchen equipment. Dining space can be confining and difficult to navigate with large groups.
Conference and retreat leaders now require internet access and other technologies for programs.
The damp, musty conditions of the lower level must be addressed for the health and well-being of the summer staff and all who use this space.

“Over the years, Cedar Lodge has provided a welcome space for all kinds of camp activities, but the well-used building is in dire need of an upgrade. After spending many an hour repairing the decades-old plumbing, heating, lighting, insulation, kitchen appliances, and exterior effects, the plans to renovate it are very exciting. The time has come to give this gem of Ewalu a facelift and bring it into the 21st century.”

Paul Frantsen, Property Director

With Your Help...

Cedar Lodge will be redesigned & updated to provide:

Greater Hospitality

ADA-accessible restrooms on the main floor
Additional space for camp gatherings and worship
Air conditioning for the hottest muggy Iowa days
Technology upgrades for retreats and conferences

More efficient food service and dining experience

Remodeling and expanding the kitchen for higher food production capacity and to better serve guests with food restrictions and allergies
Enhancing food preparation capabilities for the Outpost, off-site and decentralized programming.
Redesigning the dining hall layout to streamline serving and seat more people comfortably

Enhanced living conditions for summer staff

A new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system designed to address the longtime moisture issues in the lower level
Remodeled restrooms on the lower level and new shower areas
A remodeled break room for summer staff to rest and rejuvenate during personal time

Improved environmental stewardship

Increased energy efficiency and reduced costs for appliances and HVAC system
New solar energy collectors to power the building (and potentially sell energy back to the electric company or share it with other nearby camp buildings)

Moving Forward Faithfully

Ewalu’s Board of Directors has approved a campaign goal of $2 million to make these necessary changes to Cedar Lodge.

Thanks to you, our faithful and generous stewards, Ewalu has recently retired all of its long-term debt! With this firm financial footing, all board members have pledged already to the campaign and together have met 10% of the goal.

Before we break ground, however, the Board has resolved to meet the following benchmarks:

90% of the $2 million campaign goal in commitments
75% of the $2 million campaign goal in funds received in-hand

The improvements to Cedar Lodge will promote Ewalu’s sustainability. The benchmarks will help to ensure its financial stability.

With construction costs increasing due to both supply-chain issues and general inflation trends, the total cost of this project is in flux. If necessary, it will be designed in two phases. We seek your support to allow us to proceed promptly.

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OTHER WAYS TO GIVE:

Make a gift from your IRA – CLICK HERE for details

Make a gift of stocks/bonds or other assets – CLICK HERE for details

“What an amazing time for Ewalu! These much-needed updates to Cedar Lodge will help us live more fully into our mission to connect the Word of God with the world of God. Come, be involved in what God is doing next at Ewalu!”

Frank Johnson, Executive Director