Victory Junction: Raising Money for Great Cause

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Founder Kyle Petty frequently visits Victory Junction and hangs out with the visiting campers. Here he is with two campers during a 2016 camp session. (Photo courtesy of wikimedia)

For kids with disabilities or chronic illnesses, all they ever want to do is be a normal kid and do normal kid activities. With Victory Junction, kids with disabilities and chronic illnesses get the chance to experience camp like a “normal” kid.

Started in 2004 by NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, Victory Junction was partly the work of Petty’s late son, Adam Petty. Adam was an avid driver and advocate for children with disabilities.

Between his many races, Adam Petty would visit sick children in pediatric hospitals. Sadly, he passed away due to a tragic car accident during practice when he was only 19. Today, you can find a giant replica of Adam’s car, 45, at Victory Junction.

Since Adam was so passionate about kids with serious medical conditions, his family began to build and plan a camp for kids for kids similar to the ones that he visited in the pediatric hospitals. Located in Randleman, just 20 minutes away from where Adam grew up, this special and unique camp is spread over 84 acres of land.

Kids can participate in rock climbing, ziplining, swimming, archery, and so many more traditional camp activities, just adjusted to accommodate all disabilities, but still the same amount of fun. According to https://victoryjunction.org/about/, the camp has a positive life-changing experience for the kids; the camp boosts confidence and builds self-esteem in tough times.

Because Victory Junction is a non-profit organization, the camp relies on donations to send kids to camp, as families never have to pay to go to camp. The Leesville Executive Council ran a fundraiser to raise $2500 — enough money to send one child to camp.

In the end, Leesville raised $2400, $100 short of the goal. Although the goal was not met, the Executive Council is still very happy with the amount of money raised.

The fundraiser ran starting on February 5 and ended on February 9, with donations being collected during first period each day. “I was so happy to donate to such a great cause,” said Maggie O’Keefe, sophomore.

Even if it is only a few dollars, every donation counts when it comes to sending a child with serious medical conditions to camp and forever changing their life.

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