The ashes of the original Camp Aldrich Dining Hall, a building storied with weddings, reunions, summer camps and much more, have been removed to make room for a new facility for the next generation of central Kansas families to enjoy.
The foundation of the new dining hall has been poured and basement walls are being finished. The scheduled completion date is December, with an opening date of April, 2016.
The original Dining Hall burned down due to accidental causes in April of 2014.
“The fire was a terrible thing,” Dean of Finance Mark Dean said. “But, we are going to end up with a nicer facility than what we had before.”
One thing that won’t make a return, Dean said, is the fire pit and fireplace.
“We had to focus on ensuring it won’t burn,” he said.
This also means the building will be made of steel and concrete instead of wood. The siding will be Hardieshingle, a type of fiber-cement siding, to have the appearance of wood to match the décor of the rest of Camp Aldrich. A new sprinkler system and water source will also be added.
Dean also expressed gratitude for the patience of everyone who had reserved the dining hall prior to the fire.
“Everybody has been very understanding,” he said. “We appreciate that.”
Kans for Kids Fighting Cancer Foundation also raised $300,000 in tax credits to be used toward enhancements to the facility.

Barton Foundation Clay Shoot to return in 2016
The annual Barton Foundation Sporting Clay Shoot fundraiser has also been delayed until April 17, 2016. Many sponsors who planned to be a part of the event in 2014 before the fire elected not to receive a refund in order to sponsor the event when it returns.
The clay shoot scheduled for April 2014 would have been the seventh annual Clay Shoot sponsored by the Foundation. In only seven years, the shoot had already become one of the premier clay shooting events in the state and also one of the largest, said Coleen Cape, Coordinator of Fundraising and Special Events at the Barton Foundation.
The 2014 event would have been the first held at Camp Aldrich. Cape said there were two reasons Camp Aldrich was chosen as the venue: the camp belongs to the college and the Foundation wanted the opportunity to show it off and promote its many uses to the public, and the layout and rustic wooded geography of the camp would make for a challenging and enjoyable shoot.  
Following the fire, several other venues and locations were scouted and each one was found lacking in some way to meet the event’s needs.
“So instead of forging ahead and holding a sub-standard event, it was decided by the Foundation Board of Directors to hold off and plan the event at Camp Aldrich for April 17, 2016,” Cape said. “This event promises to be bigger and better than ever and we are thankful to all of our donors for hanging in there with us.”