AMAZING!
One word that best describes the feelings of Bradford High
senior softball player Mindy Clouser who recently experienced her
hard work pay off.
Bradford High’s senior project is a culminating event that gives
the student an opportunity to conduct research on a topic of
interest to him or her.
Clouser decided to dedicate her senior project to the Victory
Junction Gang Camp. NASCAR’s Kyle and Pattie Petty founded the camp
in honor of their son Adam, who died after a crash during practice
at the New Hampshire International Speedway. An autopsy confirmed
the 19-year-old and fourth-generation driver died of head
trauma.
In 1999, after participating in a motorcycle ride to Camp Boggy
Creek in Florida, the Petty family felt inspired to build a camp in
the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina.
In June of 2004, the camp opened its doors.
Victory Junction is a year-round camp that serves children, ages
7 to 15, with a variety of health issues including arthritis,
asthma, cancer, epilepsy, hemophilia, immunology deficiencies/HIV,
sickle cell disease, gastrointestinal disease, heart disease,
kidney disease, liver disease, neurological disease, skin disease,
burn survivors, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, autism, physical
disabilities and kids on vents.
During the summer they offer weeklong disease-specific sessions
with up to 125 kids per session. During the fall, winter and spring
they offer family weekends with up to 32 families per weekend.
There is no cost to the child or their family for attending the
Victory Junction camp. Donations cover the ,2,500 cost per week for
each child.
The camp relies solely upon medical volunteers and the generous
contributions of individuals, corporations and foundations.
Clouser is one of those generous individuals. For the past
couple months, she has dedicated herself to the Victory Junction
Gang Camp.
“I love seeing children happy,” said Clouser.
Clouser has made more than just children happy. The senior has
made her parents, teachers and community proud with her unselfish
and outstanding effort in her cause to improve the lives of
children at Victory Junction.
Her goal was to provide them with a monetary gift as well as
obtain items found on the camp’s wish list.
“I raised ,841.79 by holding 50/50 raffles, having a buffet
dinner at Pizza Hut and also having a silent auction,” Clouser
stated. “I also raised over 400 different items that were on the
camp’s wish list.”
Clouser was able to collect the various items found on the wish
list by having a drop off spot held at the local Dollar Tree, as
well as gathering some items from family and friends.
“My family and friends have also donated a lot of time to help
me,” she said.
Her hard work paid off Feb. 29 when she was invited to attend
the camp and take a tour.
“There really is no way to explain it besides AMAZING! They have
so many different things for the children to do like bowling,
swimming, horseback riding, and it’s all from many different
corporate sponsors and people donating money,” noted Clouser.
“This was a life-changing experience for me,” she said. “When I
turn 18 I am hoping to become a summer counselor at the camp.”
Recently, the Pettys personally sent a thank you letter to
Clouser for her fundraising effort.
Mindy is the daughter of Mike and Tina Clouser of Custer
City.
When the economy falls into a slump, charities often suffer as a
direct result from money not being collected or donated.
It seems the time is now more than ever that we must begin to
take on causes and charities that without us, will not survive.
Clouser has done just that and for that she should be honored
and recognized.
For more information on the Victory Junction Gang Camp write to:
Victory Junction Gang Camp, 4500 Adam’s Way, Randleman, N.C., 27317
or phone (336) 498-9055 or fax (336) 498-9090. You can also find
them on the Web at www.victoryjunction.org.
