The Lions Club Youth Exchange Program (YEP) is building momentum around the Northwest, thanks in large part to the work of Selah businesswoman Tammy Allan. 

The YEP, which Allan helped introduce to Multiple District 19 last summer, recently completed a spring camp with 11 international students and will be welcoming 10 more students from Europe this summer. 

The spring camp took place in April at Camp Totem in Vancouver, B.C., and in Central Washington, while the summer camp — scheduled for June 23-30 — will be held at Camp Camano. The students will then enjoy some tourist activities in Seattle and stay with host families in the Yakima Valley for two to six weeks.

Allan, who has served as the MD19 chair for the past six years, said she and the other YEP coordinators were overjoyed by their spring camp experience. MD19 encompasses all of Washington, northern Idaho, and parts of British Columbia.

“All of the kids who came here in April just raved about the experience,” said the owner of Allan Insurance Agency in Selah. “They really enjoyed themselves, and many of them have already sent us thank you letters.”

The spring camp cohort was comprised of seven students from Australia, three from Italy and one from Israel. Aside from visiting Camp Totem and all of the tourist sites in Vancouver — including a Vancouver Canucks hockey game — the highlight of the 10-day experience was a visit to White Pass Ski Area, where many of them put on skis for the very first time.

“Seven of the students had never skied before, so they were pretty excited to have that opportunity,” Allan said. “One of the host dads, Stacy Stoltenow, is a ski instructor at White Pass and he donated his time. He and his wife, Kirsten, both helped them on the mountain and then gave them a place to stay for a week. We really appreciate what they and our other host families do to create such amazing memories for these kids.”

All of the April host families were in Selah, Yakima or Naches, and Allan expects most of this summer’s hosts will also be from the Yakima Valley. The June summer camp group will be made up of mostly students from Europe, but registrations are still underway.

“Both of our camps have been a huge success, and more people are starting to hear about what we’re doing,” Allan said. “We are always looking for new families.”

Allan believes interest will continue to increase as long as MD19 keeps providing such positive experiences for their student visitors. One improvement the district is planning next year is to host a winter camp instead of a spring camp.

“The spring camp was a lot of fun, but we are thinking about doing a winter camp next year so the students can enjoy a true skiing experience,” she said, adding that the Lions Club has traditionally offered winter and summer YEP camps.

Allan has served as chair of MD19 since 2017, and she will soon be taking over as the district governor for the Lions Club. She will be asked to travel more in her new role, and she will have different responsibilities. But not matter what happens, her heart will always be with the Youth Exchange Program.

“I will always be involved and host kids,” she said. “Getting to know people from other countries and building lasting friendships with them is something I never want to give up.”

Allan and her family have hosted more than 20 students over the years and are welcoming two girls from Italy this spring. They will welcome a student from Israel this summer, and she’s also helping coordinate a trip to Australia this summer for a group of MD19 students.

“The best part about these camps is the lasting friendships you make,” she said. “The relationships they build with people they’ve never met before has a really positive impact on their lives. It’s nice for them — and for us — to see that we’re all the same. We all have the same hopes and dreams for our families, and experiences like these really help broaden your horizons.”