CM7 Milestones 1981 - 2023
Camp Mark 7 has a storied history, starting in 1981 when the Mark Seven Deaf Foundation (M7DF) and Father Tom Coughlin won over five other bidders in bankruptcy court to purchase the historic former Mohawk Hotel property on 7.2 acres.
- 1982: Start-up of the Camp Mark Seven (CM7) programs for deaf and hard of hearing children.
- 1990: CM7 is featured in The New York Times.
- 1992: M7DF becomes a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- 1997: Kids of Deaf Adults (KODA) Camp program is founded, the first of its kind in the country.
- 1998: CM7 receives coveted accreditation from the American Camping Association (ACA).
- 1999: CM7 receives the ACA Eleanor Eels Award for Innovative Camping and Program Excellence.
- 2000: CM7 is featured on the front page of The Watertown Times, Watertown, NY.
- 2001: CM7 and the Central Adirondack Association (CAA) begin a joint annual 5K and 10K Walk and Fun Run event in Old Forge which continued for several years.
- 2004: The first M7DF Capital Campaign raises $300,000 over the next several years; The Friends of the Foundation section is established with membership donations starting at $1,000.
- 2006: A dinner fundraiser featuring major baseball league’s Curtis Pride as the guest speaker is held in Maryland.
- 2007: CM7 celebrates its 25th anniversary and KODA Camp’s 10th anniversary with a major reunion. The Tree of LIFE is unveiled to honor CM7’s many donors and Tree of Life members.
- 2008: M7DF’s $300,000 Capital Campaign goal is surpassed, and the Waterfront Beautification Project fundraising project is achieved with the installation of white fencing and lifeguard stations.
- 2010: M7DF hosts the Metamorphosis Gala at the Lincoln Center in NYC in honor of Meredith “Muffy” Greenough.
- 2012: CM7 celebrates its 30th anniversary. The tennis court receives a new blacktop and is now called the multipurpose court.
- 2013: Deaf Film Camp (DFC) program is launched.
- 2014: DFC produces a YouTube music video featuring an ASL rendition of Pharrell’s “HAPPY,” which goes viral and is viewed by more than 1.7 million people. This leads to articles in Time, People, The Hollywood Reporter, ABC News, Billboard, Buzzfeed, NY Daily News, with several television mentions.
- 2014: The Mohawk Lodge roof is replaced.
- 2015: The Tree of LIFE backdrop is replaced with a North Country permanent backdrop. The Tree and its four islands now hold 300 colored metal leaves, bronze rocks recognizing Friends of the Foundation donors, and is given a new name: The Tree of LOVE.
- 2015: M7DF hosts the CM7 Gala: A Green Carpet Premiere at the Museum of Moving Image (MOMI) in New York City.
- 2016: M7DF purchases the former Wilcox property next door, adding 4.7 acres to the main CM7 property.
- 2017: A new waterfront dock replacement takes place, and a bonfire pit with seating is built by volunteers.
- 2017: CM7 celebrates 35 years of summer programs along with KODA Camp’s 20 years and DFC’s 5 years and bronze rocks honoring Friends of the Foundation members.
- 2018: A highly successful major fundraiser undertaken by a board member and his parents is held in the Philadelphia environs to support CM7's many needs.
- 2018: CM7 received the Best of Old Forge Award.
- 2019: M7DF purchases the former hotel waterfront property. The long-desired dream to combine the 3 adjoining properties is finally realized.
- 2019: The first Polar Bear Swim fundraiser occurs on the dock!
- 2020: For the first summer in its history, CM7 is closed due to the Coronavirus pandemic.
- 2020: During the summer closure, five cottages and the Wilcox house was demolished for future plans.
- 2021: CM7 once again is partially closed for the children's program due to the Coronavirus pandemic however, re-opened later during the month of August with two family weeks, along with the Active Deaf Adults and ASL Immersion programs.
- 2022: CM7 celebrates its 40th year and finally re-opened after nearly three years to a camp full of a very successful Deaf Camp program (record of 54 deaf campers) and three nearly full and successful KODA Teen, Youth and Children programs!
- 2023: Summer of 2023 was one for the books! We had summer programs that reached maximum capacity such as our Deaf Camp, KODA Camp, and ASL Immersion program. We also purchased a new Triton boat, 15-passenger van, and a John Deere Gator vehicle thanks to a very generous anonymous donor.
Thanks to amazing support from our donors and friends, CM7 (which is supported by M7DF) has been self sustaining for many, many years. We continue to welcome donations for programs, camperships, maintenance, and new building construction for recently purchased properties. To donate, click here.
