Outdoor Campus recovers from arson; ready for weekend event


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SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sioux Falls residents have come to the rescue of an outdoors program targeted by an arsonist.

An early morning fire July 11 burned down a shed housing more than $30,000 worth of outdoors equipment owned by the state Game, Fish and Parks Department. The blaze destroyed 21 kayaks, seven canoes, one tandem kayak, 80 life jackets, 90 paddles and four bags of bird decoys.

Police said someone intentionally set the fire but they have made no arrests.

People have donated more than $10,000 since the fire, along with life jackets and other equipment, Outdoor Campus Director Thea Miller Ryan told the Argus Leader newspaper (http://argusne.ws/1gt2p3g ).

"I'm sure whoever caused the fire didn't expect the good will it would generate," Miller Ryan said.

The donations helped purchase new canoes and kayaks in time for the annual Outdoor University educational and adventure event. The South Dakota Canoe and Kayak Association also will lend boats.

More than 3,000 people are expected to attend Saturday to take part in boating, slacklining, fishing, archery, paintball and telemetry.

"The fire caused a lot of people to take notice of us, so we may have more people than we're even planning for," Miller Ryan said.

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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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