Life

Lions sponsor a week of fun at Camp Dogwood

Nine campers and one caregiver made the trip to the North Carolina Lions Foundation’s recreational facility for the visually impaired. Campers included Pam Yaney, Marjorie McLeod, Greg Capps, Elsa Jennings, Bertha Guillet, Marilyn Jerome.

By , Published: July 26, 2012

They got off the van chattering like a bunch of school children, each one more excited than the last. The group had just returned from a week at Camp Dogwood, the North Carolina Lions Foundation's recreational facility for the visually impaired at Lake Norman.

A total of nine campers and one caregiver made the trip sponsored by the Hendersonville Lions Club. Six came back on the van furnished by Refuge Baptist Church in Dana. The group ranged in age from 49 to 98. Two of them were first time campers.
"I loved it," said Marilyn Jerome, a first time camper. "I made a pillow for my great grandson with his name on it."
Bertha Guillet, a second time camper loved everything about the week. "It was wonderful. They kept us busy." But campers could also choose to relax and do nothing. "They had this long porch of rocking chairs," Guillet said.
This was Pam Yaney's second trip to Camp Dogwood. "I went horseback riding," she said. "It was the first time since my stroke three years ago. I rode a quarterhorse named Borden."
Marie Phillips won the "Ageless Princess" award for the week. "She's somewhere between 96 and 98," said Guillette. "We can't get a straight answer from her."
Elsa Jennings, 98, kept them all hopping. She went tubing and fishing and did crafts. "She tired the young folks out," said Greg Capps, the youngest camper at age 49. In fact, Jennings won a tubing achievement award which she carried home proudly.
"We also had the trainer for the Pit Crew class from the Nascar Training Institute to come out and talk to us," said Capps. "I got to experience changing a tire as the pit crew would do for Nascar. And, no, I'm not looking for a job yet. Way too slow."
Capps, a six-time camper, organized the outing and is trying to get more people in the community involved.
"There's still room to grow," said Capps. "If people are not involved, they should be. The Lions also have a vision support group available."
Camp Dogwood was founded in 1967 and is owned and operated by the North Carolina Lions Foundation. Every summer more than 850 visually impaired and blind adults enjoy weekly stays with daily events and relaxation.
Morning activities at the waterfront include fishing, pontoon boat rides, and tubing and skiing. In the afternoon, speed and pontoon boat rides, fishing, paddleboat rides, and lifeguard-supervised swimming are available.
Craft sessions are planned for weekday mornings. The complex also includes a nature center and nature trail, a sensory garden, a touchable art gallery and a library.
Off-campus activities include miniature golf, bowling and horseback riding.
"I'm going again next year," said Jerome. Lanning, who turns 99 this year, is planning to have a 100th birthday party at the camp.
For more information about Camp Dogwood or programs for the visually impaired and blind in Henderson County, contact Capps at 828-696-5243 or email dgcnc@bellsouth.net.