A new mission for Treacy Levine Center

New ownership of the Treacy Levine Center was announced Sunday while celebrating 50 years of the center promoting understanding between people of different faiths and ethnicities.

The new owner will be Camp Korey, a charitable organization that serves children with disabilities and various medical conditions, which is currently renting land in Carnation, south of Seattle.

“Camp Korey will continue to use this place for good,” Sarah Rutherford, Treacy Levine Center board president, told an overflow crowd at the center, southeast of Mount Vernon at Lake McMurray.

The center, then named Camp Brotherhood, was founded in the turbulent ‘60s by William Treacy, a Catholic priest, and Raphael Levine, a Jewish rabbi. Their mission was encouraging people — especially youngsters — to live in harmony.

Rising maintenance and operating costs for the buildings and grounds forced the TLC board to decide to sell the property, Rutherford said. Now volunteers don’t have to worry about fundraising for the facilities; instead, they can focus their energies on the founders’ dream, she said.

The mission of instilling peace and unity in humanity by opening dialogue among diverse peoples is as urgent now as in the 1960s, so the work will continue. The format isn’t known yet. “But we will continue to put on programs,” she said, “and we will continue to work with other nonprofits with the same goals.”

Jeff Renner, retired KOMO TV weatherman, said he was inspired by Treacy’s commitment to “melt the ice of human indifference,” as he introduced the 97-year-old priest to a standing ovation.

Renner noted that Nov. 1 was All Saints Day. He placed Treacy in their realm and invoked the names of several saints of the priest’s native Ireland.

Treacy thanked the countless volunteers and named significant donors who made outreach possible for a half century. He spoke of families in crisis who came to the center to resolve problems, the youth programs that brought Christians, Jews and Muslims together.

He recalled working with KOMO on a documentary that explored underlying reasons for Middle East tensions. The center hosted local organizations and groups from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Israel, Palestine and Northern Ireland.

One person who lingers in Treacy’s memory is a Muslim from Afghanistan. The man was so impressed by the center’s ecumenical message it took two hours to get him on the departure bus, Treacy said. As they parted, the man pledged brotherhood. When he returned to Afghanistan, the man spoke widely about his positive American experience. Sadly, he was murdered to silence his words.

If a priest and a Muslim cleric can embrace brotherhood, there is hope for the world, Treacy said.

Looking to the future of campgrounds that spread enlightenment for 50 years, the candle will remain aflame, with Camp Korey bringing joy and understanding into the lives of youngsters. The speakers agreed the transition marks a rebirth for the facilities.