If you grew up in the Knox/Blount County area, odds are that you spent a summer week or two at Camp Montvale. YMCA of East Tennessee owns the camp now, and announced last November that they were shutting it down due to declining attendance.

Following the announcement, the Maryville Daily Times asked readers to share their memories of Camp Montvale. Here are some reader responses, and here's an article with reaction to the news from some of the first campers and counselors.

In late December, a group of concerned citizens formed the "Friends of Camp Montvale" to explore ways to save the camp. According to the article, YMCA of East Tennessee said officially that the camp was not for sale, but that they were interested in having a non-profit take it over and continue operation. A figure of $5 million was "tossed around" in the discussions.

In January, YMCA of East Tennessee met with the Friends of Camp Montvale to discuss the future of the camp. Again YMCA indicated they were open to working with anyone interested in saving the camp. Blount County Mayor candidate Joe Gallagher also said he would make it an issue in his campaign and would "work to block any sale of Camp Montvale to developers."

According to today's Maryville Daily Times, the Friends of Camp Montvale organization has obtained official non-profit status, and plans a fund-raising campaign to save the camp. On their new Friends of Camp Montvale website, they say they "are pleased that the YMCA of East Tennessee has begun to engage in a dialogue with the Friends of Camp Montvale about the future of the property."

Most folks, at least most folks around here in Blount County, agree it would be a good thing to save the camp. Good luck to the Friends of Camp Montvale!