Superheroes haven’t just taken over at the box office, but were also hard at work this past weekend at Camp Potlatch – one of Canada’s premier Wilderness camp sites – where they gathered to paint, rebuild, power wash, and generally prepare the camp for this Summer’s arrivals.

This year’s Cabinet Kick-Off/ Day of Caring event was designed to give United Way’s incoming 2012 Cabinet members insight into how United Way and its donors contribute to the community, and to make a real impact themselves (any sore muscles, broken fingernails and paint streaks in the hair were just an added bonus! )

Doing their own bit as United Way superheroes were about 20 Cabinet members and their families, led by Co-Chairs Loring Phinney and Jamie Pitblado, and joined by Potlatch alumni volunteers.

Co-Chair Loring Phinney said the Kick-Off event was particularly special because it connected Cabinet members back to their community and United Way agency partners. “Seeing almost 100 people working very, very hard to get this camp ready felt very special”, he said.

Tasked with putting Michael McKnight and Cabinet members to work was Marc Couture, Facilities Manager & Director, Camp Potlatch. “We have over one thousand children who come here just over the summer months, and you can imagine the amount of wear and tear this creates!”

A comment by 13-year-old Owen Pitblado summed up the day’s events: “I have been to some camps before, but never knew it took so many people and this amount of work to get things ready. So I’m really grateful now to all the people who set up the camps I went to”.

Camp Potlatch, run by the Boys and Girls Clubs of South Coast BC, offers a unique outdoor camping experience to everyone, regardless of financial resources. United Way’s support for Boys and Girls Clubs forms part of its investment in safe places and supportive programs, where children feel they belong, find great role models and grow their confidence.

Check out the photo album for photographic evidence of everyone hard at work!