Camp Allyn is located at 1414 Lake Allyn Road, Batavia, OH 45103. The phone number is (513) 831-4660.
Visitors (including members of the Rotary Club of Cincinnati) are welcome, but should contact the camp prior to making a visit unless a Rotary event is scheduled. All visitors must sign in and adhere to the visitor’s policy. Alcohol is not permitted without special authorization by the Stepping Stones Board of Directors.
History of Camp Allyn
Camp Allyn is the pride of the Rotary Club of Cincinnati. The club founded the camp in 1921 by leasing property at Lake Allyn to provide a camping experience for “crippled children” – those that had polio or were accident victims. The club later purchased the property in 1928 and operated it as a summer camp for these children for several years.
In the 1960’s, the club entered into an agreement with Stepping Stones and the client population was expanded to serve children and adults with many types of disabilites. In the 1970’s and 80’s, as the demand for services grew, the facilities were winterized and others were added to make the camp useable year round. Today, services at Camp Allyn have expanded from basic summer camping to include respite programs, a preschool program, an adult habilitiation program, summer day camp and summer overnight camp. The camp is used year round by several hundred children and adults with disabilities.
Each summer, members of the Rotary Club of Cincinnati offer tethered hot air balloon rides to campers and assist with other activities for the campers that cannot ride in the balloons.
Camp Allyn is leased in perpetuity to Stepping Stones through an agreement with the Rotary Foundation of Cincinnati, the owner of the property. The camp is operated by Stepping Stones with a portion of the operating funds coming from the Rotary Foundation of Cincinnati each year. Through this agreement, Rotarians are appointed to the Stepping Stones Board of Directors and serve on a Camp Allyn Advisory Committee.
Our club is privileged to have played a part in the lives of the many campers that have attended Camp Allyn since 1921. It is just one way we live out “Service Above Self.”
Video by DRIVENOPTICS.
