The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Local News

September 6, 2008

Camp-4-Kids a huge success

By Michelle James

With fuel prices and the cost of living up this summer, Salvation Army Capt. Bob Cornett said he was a little doubtful the $20,000 goal for the 2008 Camp-4-Kids fund would be attainable.

Those fears were put to rest, however, as the community pulled together, donating more than $22,000 to the fund. With an anonymous match of up to $20,000, the fund, a joint effort of The Salvation Army and The Register-Herald, pulled in more than $42,000.

“When I heard it (the fund total), I went running through the halls screaming, ‘Hallelujah,’” Cornett said. “I was absolutely amazed by how wonderful people were all across the area.”

Camp-4-Kids, which is in its third year, raises funds to send area children to Camp Tomahawk, a 172-acre residential camp nestled in the hills of Berkeley County in the Eastern Panhandle.

Cornett said, thanks to the donations, dozens of children were able to attend the week-long camp, where they participated in various activities such as swimming, paddleboating, canoeing, soccer, basketball, baseball, biking, hiking, archery, nature studies and arts and crafts.

Also, the fund enabled an average of 28 children to attend The Salvation Army’s Keeping Kids Off the Streets summer day camp.

“It was an awesome summer,” Cornett said. “A lot of folks probably can’t afford to do anything because of all the prices going up, so the kids needed this more than ever.”

Money remaining after the camps were paid for was used to help The Salvation Army meet its regular operations cost.

“It’s been the hardest summer we’ve had as far as expenses,” Cornett said. “The need increased by more than 30 percent this summer.

“This allows us to serve the community and to do the things people come to The Salvation Army for.”

— E-mail: mjames@register-herald.com

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