Victory Junction - Part 1

Over the years, the boys and I have spent a lot of time at Victory Junction Gang Camp in Randleman, NC. The camp opened in 2004, and we've been there every year...most years we've gone for family weekends, the boys have both gone for week-long sessions over the summers, and we've gone for Holiday parties each December. Victory Junction was started by the Petty family (of NASCAR fame) after the death of Kyle & Pattie's son Adam in 2000...Adam's dream was to help children who were born with medical conditions that kept them from being able to go to a regular summer camp. Kids like Bryson, who would have been left sitting at home all summer if not for a place like VJGC. I cannot find the words to tell you just how amazing this place, and the people who work there, are...it's beyond definition. No matter what issues the children who attend have, they are treated as though the sky's the limit and they can do anything they want and become anyone they want to be, while they are at camp. The camps' volunteers are the best in the world...they give each child their utmost attention, there are never any frowns, and the place is full of positive energy! For more information on Victory Junction Gang Camp, go to www.victoryjunction.org.

Welcome to Camp! This is one of the buses that VJGC uses to pick campers up from the airport, and it's also used for tours and such...

Each family gets to stay in one of these wonderful cabins. Each cabin consists of a shared 'great room' with sofas, chairs, a mini-fridge, games, and table/chairs, and two bedrooms. Each bedroom has 8 single beds, bean bags, and a restroom with multiple showers and stalls. Each family gets an entire side to themselves. There are 16 cabins in all, capable of housing 32 families per weekend. (During summer week-long camp sessions, campers share the cabins with other kids in their own age-range.) Each cabin is named after a NASCAR race track and each has race memorabilia for decorations. I also want to mention that each bed is covered with a hand-sewn quilt and a hand-knit or hand-crochetted afghan and has a hand-made teddy bear made of checkerboard material (like the checkered flag awarded to the winner of the race). At the end of the weekend or camp week, each camper and family member gets to take their quilt, afghan, and teddy bear home as a reminder of the fun that they shared during their time at camp. To all the wonderful volunteers who make those items and donate them to the camp : THANK YOU!

Campers and families eat in The Fuel Stop, Victory Junction's version of a cafeteria. There are race cars and trucks hanging from the ceiling, tons of tables, and a huge fireplace. The cook-staff provide healthy meals that taste sooo good! Each meal is different, and you never leave hungry. During the day you stay so busy and time flies so fast that it seems like you've just left one meal when it's time to go eat another....but yet each time you go into the Fuel Stop, you are ready to eat again. During times when you're not eating, the Fuel Stop becomes a fun spot for an opening-night campfire (in the fireplace), story-telling, sing-alongs, morning exercises and dancing, and hilarious skits.

One of the many statues to be found within the miniature golf course...there are giraffes on roller skates, goats driving scooters, pigs on motorcycles, and all sorts of wild & crazy things to see...

Sprinkled here and there throughout the grounds are statues of people and animals. Everywhere you look there is something interesting to see. This statue is found in the barns, and reminds us all to relax and take some time for ourselves...