A Christian campground near Waupaca is celebrating the opening of a new pedestrian tunnel, allowing campers to safely cross a busy highway. Inspiration for the project comes after a 14-year-old girl was hit and injured by a truck in 2019. July 9, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A Christian campground near Waupaca is celebrating the opening of a new pedestrian tunnel that allows campers to safely cross a busy highway.
Inspiration for the project comes after a 14-year-old girl was hit and injured by a truck six years ago.
Dozens gathered Wednesday afternoon as the new tunnel at Spencer Lake Christian Center was unveiled, making crossing the road a breeze for traffic and campers alike.
“A lot of times, we’d have to wait a long time to use the crosswalk if there was a lot of traffic, but it’s really nice now because everyone can go back and forth freely,” camper Davian Garcia said.
The Spencer Lake campground is split in half by County Highway E. All of the lodging is on one side of the road, and activities and dining are on the other.
The idea to install a tunnel under the highway dates to the 1970s. However, it wasn’t until a night of shock and pain back in 2019 when the $975,000 project really became serious.
Teenage camper Lilly Weiers was hit by a truck while trying to cross the busy highway. Thankfully, she survived, but it brought safety at the camp to the forefront.
“I am very thankful that people helped me out with my accident. If it wasn’t for Jesus, I wouldn’t be here, so I’m very thankful,” Weiers said.
She was just 14 years old at the time and has no memory of the crash, but the now 20-year-old Weiers has since made a full recovery.
Weiers and her dad couldn’t be more grateful for the campground taking swift action to prevent further accidents. Now, they’re dedicating the tunnel in Weiers’ honor.
“It was emotional,” Lilly’s dad, Joseph Weiers, said. “Our kids come to all the camps and so for them, the future generations, that they’re going to be able to experience this crosswalk is amazing.”
There are nearly 7,000 pedestrian crossings in a given day at the camp. That’s about 356,000 during the season. Spencer Lake Christian Center wanted to make sure what happened to Weiers never happened again.
“There’s things that could have been done to avoid it, so I’m super proud that we were able to execute this project to avoid that happening to other families in the future,” Spencer Lake Christian Center Director Kent Falstad said.
Money for the project was gathered through church fundraisers, families and other camp partners.
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