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By Vicki Randolph
Camp New Hope was filled with exactly that on Saturday: hope for
the future of the camp, hope for the
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Camp Director Randy Brown and her
husband Chris are happy to have the third season at the
camp underway. Photos by Vicki Randolph
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families who visit it, and hope for the community that hosts them
both.
Camp New Hope is a hidden treasure located in Ashe County, off
of Boggs Road, along the banks of the New River. It is a place
where families with terminally ill children can come for a respite
from the trials and challenges of daily life. It is a place where
those families can go to forget about, if only for just a little
while, what makes them so special.
The camp is getting ready to open its gate for the third season
of welcoming families from North Carolina and many other states.
But before the season gets underway, the staff and volunteers
wanted to invite everyone from the community to see for themselves
how remarkable it really is.
Dozens of people from the local area, as well as some from Charlotte,
Greensboro and other distant towns came to Camp New Hope on Saturday
to share in the festivities. There were chili dogs, chips and
old fashioned homemade ice cream to get the party started.
Most everyone's favorite part of the day was the riding tours
in the Bobcat off-road mini trucks. Kids piled in the seats and
dust billowed from behind as the groups road up to the mountain
top to enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding highlands. Breathtaking
scenery is something Ashe County is famous for, but the mountain
behind the camp's lodge provides one of the best vantage points
around.
After Bobcat rides and tours of the lodge, guests were encouraged
to visit the recently finished Chapel of Hope. Just entering the
tiny building was enough to bring many to tears. It's hard to
believe that only a few short weeks ago, the chapel was a disheveled
tool shed filled with decades worth of discarded junk. Now, the
tiny shed is no longer filled with trash, but with hope and prayers.
It's hard to describe the comforting aura yet heavy burden that
exudes from its doors simultaneously. The softly playing music
from the corner, the painting of a joyful Jesus carrying a smiling
boy, a worn Bible on the altar, and streams of sunlight coming
through a small stained glass window all combine to touch the
hearts of those who enter.
Camp New Hope is a place like no other; it holds so much joy for
families. In the face of what most others would think of as their
worst nightmares, these families are amazing pillars of strength
and inspiration. One father who recently lost his two-year-old
son to Batten Disease actually said, "we are the lucky ones,"
when referring to the outpouring of love and support they've witnessed
since their son's diagnosis and passing.
None of the families who come to the camp are angry. As a matter
of fact, it is quite the opposite; they are full of laughter and
joy and zest for life. They are making the most of every day and
every experience with their children, because they know they won't
always have the opportunity to do so.
One family from Concord North Carolina came back to the camp for
the day, so they could share their story with visitors at the
open house, and also to reminisce about their stay last summer.
Chris and Wendy Hawkins, along with their sons Brandon and Jeremy,
hold a special place in their hearts for this camp full of hope.
They brought with them a small tree to add to the landscape of
Camp New Hope. It was the boys' idea, and they even got to choose
the spot for its planting. Their little tree is the first of many
that will grow along with the Garden of Hope.
The tree is a monument to their young lives and will continue
to give life even after theirs on earth have ended. It will be
a testimony to the world that these brothers continue to live
on in spirit and in the hearts of every person they have come
to know, despite the disease that promises to rob them of years
they deserve. (Both of the Hawkins boys also have the fatal neurological
disorder, Batten Disease.)
After the tree was planted, older brother Brandon delivered a
speech and said a prayer, while his younger brother Jeremy spread
soil with a shovel.
"Thank you all for coming," said Brandon. "And
thank you, God, for the land, the sun, the clouds, the world,
all the animals, the soil, the grass, the water and the fish."
That about covers it, except for thanks for the owners and workers
of such a giving place and all they bring to the community and
the lives of such extraordinary families. "Amen!"
To learn more about Camp New Hope and to view photos, go to www.CampNewHopeNC.org
To learn more about Batten Disease and the courageous children
who battle it, visit www.BDSRA.org |
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