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Rocky Times For Kansas Victory Junction Gang Camp

An Opinion


November 7, 2010

By Kim Roberson

Kim Roberson

When my “real job” sent me to Kansas City for the month of October and early November, I was excited about the trip. Not just because there is great steak and BBQ out here, but a strong tie to NASCAR as well.

There is, of course the Kansas Speedway, which will welcome not just one but two races beginning in 2011. There is also a plan for a second Victory Junction Gang Camp to open its doors somewhere in the region.

The big question is when. And unfortunately, that answer is a bit in the air right now.

This week I took a little time out to speak with Kyle Brenner, the Director of Development at Victory Junction Gang Camp Kansas. When I called, he was running around Kansas City with Patti Petty, wife of Kyle Petty and co-founder of the original VJGC in North Carolina. They were on the hunt for a piece of land that would fit the camp, but also wouldn’t break the non-profit’s bank account.

“The Unified Government (of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas) was donating the land (they were originally going to build the camp on) but it fell through,” explained Brenner. “So now we are looking for land that will meet our needs and is conducive to our budget.”

The camp can’t be built on just any piece of land. The original VJGC in North Carolina is on 70 acres of relatively flat land, surrounded by farms and more land. Brenner originally said they had 100 acres in NC, but he was corrected by Patti, who said “Nope, we have 70 acres” from the passenger’s seat of the car they were in. ‘We need 80 here” Kyle went on to explain. “40 to build on and another 40 as buffer and parking for visitors, volunteers, and employees who also come to the camp.” That buffer is for the safety of the campers, who are often seriously ill or require wheelchairs to get around the facility. It gives them separation from the noise and chaos of the outside world, and allows them to have as much fun and make as much noise as they want to while partaking in the activities provided each day.

The crew wants to have the land cleared and the first building up by the time NASCAR comes back to town in June, but time is running short to meet that goal. They will need to take ownership of the land, clear and level the land, and then begin building -- all in just over six months time.

The camp has been in the works for just over two years. It was a common comment that the camp in North Carolina was just too far away to safely transport children with medical needs across the country from the west coast and midwest. So a search was done, and it was decided that the Kansas City area would be a great “mid-way” point to build a second camp that would provide the same experience for children in the Western United States as was being provide to children on the east coast.

A ground breaking was held, and it seemed like the project was set to go full speed ahead. Until the most important thing fell through.

A deal couldn’t be worked out with the original property.

At the same time, fundraising efforts were hitting roadblocks because of the recession.

“We host 120 children a week for 14 weeks over the summer,” Kyle explained. “You multiply that times two for the volunteers and full time staff, so about 300 people. And most of the full time staff lives on the property year round. That is a lot of people to feed and house.” And to feed and house them, money has to be available to cover the medical expenses as well.

“You name it, we need it,” he said.

Patti Petty is in town this week and next, driving with Kyle Brenner from place to place, looking for land and money to help them in their effort. They are speaking at Children’s Mercy Life Conference at Children’s Mercy Hospital ("Victory Junction: Keeping Adam Petty's Dream Alive"), and taking part in a “Toys for Tots” toy drive this weekend. Next week, they are appearing at a local Town Hall meeting, followed by a trip to a Kiwanis fundraiser at a Culvers in Village West in Kansas City, Kansas, Thursday evening from 5-8 pm. (The Kiwanis have pledged to build a building at the new camp.) They will be meeting with members of the Unified Government, and the Mayor of Kansas City this week as well.

They are looking to host a gala in February (2011), and a marathon at the Kansas Speedway in May.

Anything they can do to help raise awareness, raise money, and get the project rolling, they want to make it happen.

When I asked Kyle how he got involved with the VJGC, he commented, “I was with the Pettys in North Carolina. I worked with the excavation of the original camp. I saw the other camp (built) from start to finish.”

He is also friends with Austin Petty, and worked with Austin as a camp counselor at a Boggy Creek camp (associated with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall camps) in Orlando. He stayed on with the Pettys at the original camp, and two months ago was asked to come out to Kansas City to spearhead the effort to make this camp a reality.

It has been a huge undertaking, but he is optimistic that they will have children in attendance for the first time in the summer of 2013. “It will take us two years to get the camp up and running,” he said as they pulled in for a quick bite to eat between meetings.

Those two years won’t start, however, until they first get that piece of land to build that first building on.

If you want to find a way to help the Victory Junction Gang Camp- Midwest, please reach out to Kyle and let him know how you want to help. You can e-mail him at kbrenner@victoryjunction.org, or call him at 616-293-9301.

If you want to know more about Victory Junction Gang Camp, either in North Carolina or Kansas, you can visit www.victoryjunction.org.



You can contact Kim at.. Insider Racing News
You Can Read Other Articles By Kim


The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.

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