Jackson's Camp Scholarship Fund

"Way up in the mountain tops
Touching the blue sky
There is a place I long to be"
YMCA Camp High Harbour Song

One of my favorite places on Earth is just 2 hours away from my house, here in Asheville.

You can find this little piece of Heaven nestled in the North Georgia mountains on the beautiful Lake Burton. This is where I spent every summer from 1992-2004.


I have had the opportunity to travel overseas and see much of the United States, and without question, YMCA Camp High Harbour is one of favorite places. Period.

I know that I am not alone when I make a statement like that.

I miss this place, and think about it often. Especially RIGHT NOW because it is summer time, and I know that right now little campers are finding their way to their first skill (class) of the camp week. Right about now I would be doing roll call and telling tower that we are CHECK for that skill. I could be doing any number of things like pulling out materials for an arts and crafts activity, explaining archery techniques and form (I am no Katniss Everdeen, but I can teach a decent archery class), getting ready to go on a nature walk, pulling out canoes to take a flock of campers on the water, or calming squealing campers that are ready to go out and water ski. Teaching campers something they have never done or had the courage to do, is just one of about 1,000 things I miss about this place.

I can still hear the sounds of camp. The slow creek of a cabin screen door opening and the immediate slam it makes a second later. In comes a group of excited campers ready to tell you exactly what they did in first and second skill, and how much fun they had doing it. I can hear the sounds of the dining hall right before a meal. The hum of the kitchen hard at work and the sound of upbeat music to energize the staff and campers inside preparing the meal. I can hear the sounds that the entire waterfront makes when a really great "blob" takes place--a loud splash and cheering for the latest airborne camper. I can hear the sounds of morning exercises. The sounds of counting jumping jacks and windmills, clapping after each set, and yelling at the boys and the "old lady across the lake". I can hear the sounds of night time in the mountains. The chorus of insects firing up for an evening song, the crackle of a camp fire on Wednesday nights, cabin groups doing cheers as they walk to night program, constant laughter, and even the sounds of staff members telling campers to take a shower with a few last minute reminders to not forget to clean their ears (even though the staff have not done either in, well, days).

These are just a few sounds I still hear. I could sit here and name a hundred. All of them a sweet sweet memory. All of them I would give anything to go back and relive, if just for one day. Camp is a huge part of my life that will always be so very special to me, and place that I love.

I can make the following statement:

Everything that I have learned in life, I have learned from my parents and camp.

I like to make the tennis analogy that my parents set-up the serve, and camp followed it up with a perfect ace. Camp and parents. That is how it is done. A perfect balance.

I learned how to be responsible.

I learned about honesty.

I learned about respect.

I learned how to always serve others first.

I learned individuality.

I learned how to think on my feet.

I learned how to diffuse problem situations with tact and ease.

I learned a proper handshake. I even learned how to wave and smile even when you are about to burst into flames from heat exhaustion.

I learned you should always be early to something, and never late. 

I learned that you should always tell someone how much you love and appreciate them.

I learned how to be outgoing, personable, and conversational.

I learned that you should always be yourself, and that everyone appreciates you for exactly who you are.

I learned about friendship and life-long relationships.

Above all,

I learned how to be a leader.

I had the opportunity to spend some time just the other day with a dear camp friend and his precious wife. We have known each other for years, and would say that we have been through it all together. We were not even talking about camp, and out of the blue he says, "Gosh, I miss camp. I miss it so much. Best years of life spent there."

Ditto, my sweet friend. Ditto.

In that moment, I could have cried.

Just a few weekends ago we attended a wedding of a pair of dear friends, and another one of my great camp friends was also in attendance with his fabulous wife. I asked my sweet camp friend if he ever looks at his watch and knows exactly what they are doing at camp that very moment. His response?

"Absolutely, all the time."

Ditto again.

I just had to ask.

Years and years after we have all moved on and "grown up" (yeah, right), we still think about our days at camp. We are always and forever a part of it.

(Push Off the Mat night program. A favorite. When you work with the youngest of campers, they insist on getting to paint the counselor. Fierce and fabulous war paint, or at least we liked to think so.)

The friendships I have made are of a different league.

Lifelong, quality relationships.

I think of all of them and smile. I know the impact every one of them has made on my life, and I can articulate what each of them means to me. We may not all get to be together as much as we would like, but the memories and experiences we all had together makes up for that. When we do get to see each other, it is like time never passed. I love all of them and I am grateful for all them.

I should note that I spent the majority of my camper years and the first part of my staff years at the Lake Burton site. I spent the last 3 years of camp working as a staff member at the Golden Isles site (on Jekyll Island). The site at the beach has since shut down, and moved to Lake Allatoona! Soon there will be a third site at Lake Lanier! Multiple sites, same amazing experience.

Some of my favorite memories are from my final year at camp. Summer 2004. I was the Program Director for the Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program. This program is for teenagers that are ready to be a part of the leadership program and become staff members. This program is one that they apply, interview, and then place into. They come for 3 week sessions. It is no easy program, and not every LIT becomes a staff member.

I loved this program because you have the opportunity to be a leader for amazing young people, but the sweetest part is getting to watch them grow into the most outstanding leaders. Being a leader is one thing, but watching them grow and become leaders is entirely different--it is better.

I love these kids, and I think about them often. I wonder what they are up to, and how they are doing. I do know that many of them are still with camp in higher leadership roles!

I would love to go back and have a morning devotional with all of them.  We could carry kayaks and the lifeguard stand one more time. Amazing young adults. Amazing leaders. All of them. They still make me proud. They helped shape me into who I am today, and they had no idea they were doing that at the time.

Leadership.

We have a song that we sing on closing night at camp.

It is called "Pass It On". We start the song with a single burning candle, and by the end of the song the entire amphitheater is filled with everyone's burning candles. One candle lights hundreds. No lights. Just the warm glow of candles. It is my favorite single moment of camp. It is so beautiful and so powerful. Usually, everyone is crying by this point in the evening.

It only takes a spark to get a fire going,
And soon all those around can warm up in its glowing;
That's how it is with God's Love,
Once you've experienced it,
You spread the love to everyone
You want to pass it on. 

I share this with you because this song keeps ringing in my ears lately. It is special because of its spiritual and emotional meaning, but it now has a new meaning to me.

Last week while we were at the beach, something amazing and really unbelievable happened. I received a text message from one of my dearest friends, Jennifer Lancaster aka JR. She informed me that they wanted to start a camp scholarship fund in Jackson's honor. Can you believe that?! 

I had to scrape myself off the the floor when I read the text. I even showed it to Russ because my eyes could not believe. He has never been to camp, but he married camp when he married me...and he was floored by the text.

Oh, and a plaque on the dining hall in his honor. I mean really, they had me at just the plaque.

She had already assembled a team of angels to pull through this scholarship fund. Everyone was on board before the text was ever sent to us. The ball was rolling.

It only takes a spark, right?

I think this is a little more than a spark, as we are about to set things ablaze here.

Leadership. Jennifer, you are an outstanding example of that.

I just completed reading book called "Stepping Up", by John Izzo Ph.D.. The whole book gives real life examples of where people saw a need and decided that they were the best possible person to address that need, so they stepped up--thus change. The book says that change does not happen because people have more resources (i.e. time and money), it happens because of grit, determination, dedication, and passion. Jennifer has everything we need for change. Girlfriend just done stepped up.

She loves our son and she loves camp. These two loves combine beautifully for a scholarship camper fund in Jackson's honor. This fund will send kids to camp that will not normally have the opportunity to go. As his parents, we are honored to see young  deserving children have the experience of a lifetime. They will learn everything I mentioned above, and then some.

How is that for a Footprints and Hope story?

If you are reading this, I am asking you to consider donating to this fund. This is exactly how we would want to remember our son.

Many people over the last 7 weeks have asked me, "What can I do?" or "How can I help?". Here is your answer. Plain and simple.

Jackson's Camp Scholarship Fund.

We will never have the opportunity to send him to camp, but this is a close second. If we cannot send him, lets send many many other campers there in his honor. For Russ and me, knowing that other young children will get to experience this little piece of Heaven makes us so very proud. We know that our angel will take care of them the entire time they are there, and they will have a life changing experience. Our son will have the impact we are craving through this fund, and it is one step closer to having the world know his name. He. Is. Amazing. We miss him and love him so much. This type of thing makes our days just a little brighter. It gives us strength. It gives us HOPE.

He will Always and Forever be a camper.


If you cannot think of an amount, let me help you and have some fun with numbers.

$5 --he was born in May, the 5th month

$7--that is $1 for every day they are at camp and he was born on the 7th of May :)

$12- that is how many years I spent at camp

$57.12--combine all the above numbers and you get that amount or even cooler...he was born on 5-7-12 :)

That is as cool as I can get with numbers. Anything past that is just pushing it and getting creepy.

We need $700 to send one camper to camp THIS SUMMER. We are already half way there with donations :)

I have always been a dreamer.

Here is the dream.

We need $10,000 for it to become an endowment fund. Can you imagine an endowment fund in Jackson's honor? I can. I believe in it. I know this can and will happen.

That is a whole lot of campers getting to go to camp every single year, just like we would send him to camp every single year. An endowment fund will go on for as long as camp goes on and will impact so many children.

Honor him by donating any amount to this fund.

Ask your employer if they have a matching program for charitable contributions. Many employers do! Even if they do not match, your donation is 100% tax deductible!

Here is the information you need to send a donation:

Make checks payable to:
YMCA Camp High Harbour

And mail checks or money to:
Jennifer Reeves Lancaster
1090 Christian Drive
Watkinsville, GA 30677

Thank you Jennifer for your dedication, determination and passion for camp and Jackson. You are an amazing, lifelong friend. You are a blessing in our life, and we are grateful for your love. All 3 of us love you very much.

It only takes a spark, to get a fire going.

My candle is lit, and this is me passing my light to you. What will you do? I hope you will donate and pass this along to other friends and family members. Share your light.

We are so very thankful.

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:14-16

Love,

Emily and Russ