Community celebrates Camp Cristina renovations

The first two phases of the renovation project at the YMCA Camp Cristina are now complete.

Members of the Riverview, Ruskin and Brandon chambers of commerce joined YMCA officials at the Riverview facility for a June 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate.

Mark Bullard, a member of the Camp Cristina board of directors' executive committee, marveled at the changes since he first visited the camp in the mid-1990s.

"First time we walked upstairs to the second floor of the main building, it was all rafters and camp stuff," Bullard said.

Now the second floor is home to additional classroom space and a new, 1,800-square-foot teaching kitchen, which will be utilized by campers for the first time this summer.

The teaching kitchen was part of Phase II of the renovations, which also included a redesigned high-rope course, a new 400-foot zipline, a new playground and the addition of a Ga-Ga pit, which houses Israeli dodgeball games.

Phase I - which began about 18 months ago with a new pavilion and the installation of paintball and disc golf courses - featured a new entrance to the camp, as well as new fencing and signage, and renovated basketball courts.

According to Cindy Sofarelli, district vice president for the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA, the cost of the first two phases was an estimated $1.2 million. Riverview philanthropist Ray Campo, now deceased, contributed $750,000 of that money.

There is a proposed Phase III, which YMCA officials call "The Dream," that would feature a new horse barn, trail upgrades, a new treehouse and lakeside renovations.

"We had the financial resources to complete phases I and II," Sofarelli said. "Hopefully, we'll soon have those resources for Phase III, but we don't yet."

Still, the YMCA family is excited about Camp Cristina's newest facelift.

"These renovations really allow us to expand our services and really serve the community as best we can," Sofarelli said.