For all of its beauty and appeal, Scarborough has no charming town center where folks congregate. There is a place, though, not too far off the beaten path, that serves to connect people, and the community turns out every year for its Martini Madness fundraiser.

“We’re best known as a summer camp,” says Thomas Doherty, executive director of Camp Ketcha, a rustic red lodge in Scarborough that sits on 107 acres of walking trails and open space that on this night was all dolled up for the occasion. “We also have year-round horseback riding, a Montessori preschool and an after-school program. We have new zip lines, and in the last year, we’ve had over 3,000 kids do our ropes course for team building.”

Board member and event chairwoman Staci Nisbett explains the emotional connection so many folks have with Camp Ketcha.

“The connection to the outdoors is huge. It’s such a great mission, and there are so many great programs here,” she said. “I’ve seen it really spread outside of the Scarborough area over the last few years.”

As the Tony Boffa Band kicked the festivities into high gear, partygoers flocked from the robust silent auction to the expansive dance floor.

Christian Teter of Portland, a professor of psychopharmacology at University of New England, attended with his wife, Lindsey, and their pal Mary Moreno of the Gorham Cooperative Preschool. Jeff Bellino was joined by his fiancee, Lori Smith of Scarborough, and Ed and Denise Rowe of Windham. Carri and Bill Brown and Ellen and Jeff Worthing of Scarborough came out to enjoy the party and support Camp Ketcha, which their children attended.

“We just moved here from Senegal, Africa, in May,” said Kelly Valdmanis of Scarborough, mother of 31/2-year-old twin boys, who enjoyed the festivities with her husband, Richard, Boston bureau chief for Reuters. “It’s a perfect fit for us since it is nature-based. This is such a loving environment for them. It’s a great place.”

“This event is a great way to engage the greater community here at Camp Ketcha,” said board member Kris Dorer, who attended with her husband, Glenn Thornton. “Camp Ketcha provides a unique, comprehensive experience for kids that’s not duplicated elsewhere. It’s learning, it’s experiential and it’s social.”

“My husband and I have been corporate sponsors here for many years,” said Sunny Townsend of Keller Williams Realty, who was there with her husband, Scott. “They have an exceptional trail network, and we think it’s an asset to our community. Camp Ketcha and all of its land adds so much to this area and helps to maintain that rural feeling. It’s a sense of community, too.”

It is a beloved place to residents of Scarborough and beyond. Chad Shaw, who attended with his wife, Kate, and their friends Ken and Maili Lafayette, captured the essence. “Camp Ketcha is an institution,” Shaw said. “It’s part of our fabric. I only hope it is here for generations to come.”

For more about Camp Ketcha, visit www.campketcha.org.

Margaret Logan is a freelance writer who lives in Scarborough. She can be contacted at: [email protected]