****UPDATE, 5:15 p.m.****

The 3-Day event staff has made the decision to relocate the sleeping area of camp to an indoor location (North High School, 2416 – 11^th Ave., St. Paul MN). The weather situation in the area for the next several hours has escalated to the point that we feel it would be safest and most comfortable to move our campers indoors to sleep. Doing this proactively means we can avoid a middle-of-the-night move, should the weather become severe later.

Here’s what 3-Day campers should know about next steps:

• If you are NOT going to stay in camp tonight, you may leave at any time. It is not necessary to check out with crew members or staff members.
• Buses will transport participants from Harvest Park to North High School on a loop starting as soon as possible. We will run the buses between locations for as long as it takes to transport everyone.
• Camp Show for tonight has been cancelled
• At this time, we do not recommend that family members and friends come to the 3-Day camp. Supporters who are already at camp will be informed of the relocation; they will not be able to visit participants at the indoor location, however, they can pick participants up from the high school if they wish.
• Food service at Harvest Park (the current outdoor camp) will continue until approximately 5:45 p.m., (this could change at any time if weather conditions become severe). We strongly encourage campers to eat before relocating to the indoor location.
• The shower area of camp has been closed. We’re sorry!
• There will NOT be food service or showers at the indoor location.
• You will not set up a new tent in the high school gym (it will be one big slumber party!). There are indoor bathrooms at the site.
• Regarding participant gear, campers have two options:
  • You can grab your most essential sleeping items (sleeping bags, pillows and air mattresses; essential toiletries; pajamas and clothes/shoes for tomorrow), and leave the rest of your gear inside your tent in camp. Please be sure to leave enough to weigh down your tent (you can also weigh your tent down with gallon jugs of water, which you can grab from camp hydration tables). Do not take more than you need for one night of sleep. We can provide you with plastic bags to carry your stuff to the indoor site if needed. You can return to your tents and gear in the morning.
  • You can grab your most essential sleeping items (sleeping bags, pillows and air mattresses; essential toiletries; pajamas and clothes/shoes for tomorrow), and load your remaining gear onto the gear trucks. You should be able to access your bags again in the morning; once camp closes on Sunday, all gear on the trucks will be moved ahead to the Participant Finish Area, where you can retrieve it Sunday afternoon.
• ON SUNDAY MORNING – Buses will begin shuttling crew members back to Harvest Park at 3:45 a.m. on Sunday morning. Breakfast service for CREW will begin back at Harvest Park at 4:00 a.m.. Breakfast service for WALKERS will begin at 4:30 and camp medical service will begin at 6:00 a.m. The last bus back to Harvest Park will leave North High School at 5:30 a.m.
• Route operations for Sunday are expected proceed as normal. The route opens at 6:30 a.m., and all walkers must be on the route by the time camp closes at 7:00 a.m.

****2:30 p.m.****

With as beautiful as it was on the route earlier today, it’s hard to imagine that the weather might give us any trouble tonight, but unfortunately, it is looking like that doozy of a summer storm is going to find its way to us this evening and stick around into the night.

Here’s where we stand with how this will affect the Twin Cities 3-Day:

• We are monitoring the changes very closely and adjusting plans accordingly. We know that the weather can change minute by minute, so we’re watching it minute by minute.
• At this point, we do not plan to relocate to an indoor camp site for the night. We will update you promptly if that changes.
• We will have buses standing by at camp where participants will take shelter should the storms become severe during the night (i.e., if lightning is present and/or winds become hazardous.).
• Family & Friends Night and the Saturday Night camp show are scheduled to proceed as planned.
• If you choose to leave camp to stay elsewhere tonight, the gear trucks will be available to take and store luggage until Sunday at the walker finish area, where it may be retrieved.
• If you will be sleeping at camp tonight, we strongly recommend that you keep all of your luggage and belongings in plastic bags, and if possible, you sleep close to the center of your tents.
• Please continue to check Facebook and Twitter for updates throughout the evening, and come to the Saturday camp show, where we will also announce any updated information.
• Finally, if a relocation should become necessary at some point, please follow all staff and crew instructions.

We at the 3-Day have weathered weather issues like this before, and we’re confident with our plan for tonight. Our number one priority is keeping our participants safe. If you have questions, please ask a 3-Day staff person.