A Plain City farm is trading its quiet fields for barbecue smoke, auction paddles and a few hundred folding chairs on Friday, as the 14th annual Boys Camp Benefit Auction & Dinner sets up at Freeman Schlabach Farm. The donation-based dinner and auction exists for one purpose: raising money to keep boys in crisis enrolled in wilderness camps that organizers say help them find a better path forward.
The event runs at 8680 Woods West Avenue in Plain City, with the dinner line open from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., according to WSYX. An auction preview begins at 3:30 p.m., with bidding kicking off at 5:30 p.m. Menu items include BBQ chicken, brisket, ribs and sides, all served on a donation basis, while the auction itself features new and like-new items along with professional services up for bid.
Proceeds benefit three wilderness camps that serve boys facing serious behavioral and emotional challenges, and the money also helps fund scholarships for families who can't otherwise afford tuition. Per the station's report, these camps serve boys ages 8 through 15, offering outdoor living, consistent mentorship and positive peer support meant to help boys work through challenges and rebuild relationships. The typical stay at one of these camps runs about 18 months, the outlet notes.
Last Year's Haul Sets a High Bar
Organizers have real numbers to chase this time around. Last year's fundraiser raised $163,000, served roughly 950 dinners and drew more than 190 registered bidders, according to the same account. Event organizers say they hope to build on that success and reach even more boys and families this year.
The scale of that goal comes into focus when weighed against what it actually costs to keep a boy enrolled. WSYX reports that wilderness camp operating costs average approximately $2,800 per boy each month. That figure stands in contrast to what Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp lists on its own website, where the camp's frequently asked questions page puts its monthly cost at roughly $1,900, a number that can be reduced further through need-based scholarships. The evidence available doesn't clarify whether the two figures are measuring the same thing, so both are worth noting as reported.
A Tradition With Roots Going Back Years
Friday's gathering is the latest version of an event that has been running in the Plain City area for well over a decade. Back in 2016, what was then called the fourth annual Boys Camp BBQ Chicken Dinner and Auction Fundraiser was held at Plainview Christian School, just a few miles from Friday's farm location, according to a report from pcdblog.com. That year's proceeds were split among Ohio Wilderness Boys Camp, Fair Play Camp School in South Carolina, and Gator Wilderness Camp School in Florida, with the chicken dinner line opening at 6 p.m. on a donation basis and the auction beginning around 7:15 p.m.
The basic formula, donation-based barbecue paired with a live auction to fund struggling boys' access to wilderness programs, has stuck around even as the venue and scale have grown. This year's event will again be promoted through updates on the Boys Camp Auction Instagram and Camp Benefit Auction Facebook pages, giving the community a way to follow along before doors open Friday afternoon at Freeman Schlabach Farm.
