Winchester Medical Center
07/29/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/29/2026 12:35
Camp Follow the Leader Celebrates 21 Years
Camp Follow the Leader Celebrates 21 Years
Camp Follow the Leader celebrated its 21st year with a fun-filled week of activities. From July 20-24, 31 campers ages 6-10 took part in the program hosted at the Winchester Church of God. The weeklong camp offers local children with special needs a traditional camp experience, providing opportunities to learn new skills and create memories.
Mark Nantz, Valley Health President and Chief Executive Officer, and Chris Rucker, Valley Health Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), visit with Camp Follow the Leader organizers and volunteers.Kate Von Schuch serves as camp co-director alongside Emily Beckley. For camp co-director Emily, the camp's purpose is simple.
Camp Follow the Leader is a camp tailored for children that have special needs. They can have any diagnosis requiring any support needs. We create a fun camp that is tailored to meet their needs. We have therapy and educational support staff present on site every day. The Valley Health Foundation supports and funds camp with a very minimal fee to each camper. All of the community supports come together to make a wonderful week for the kids.- Emily Beckley, Camp Co-Director
The camp welcomed many returning volunteers, with more than 50 community volunteers contributing throughout the week. Each camper is paired with one to two volunteer "buddies" each day to support them throughout the camp experience.
Volunteers included student volunteers, Valley Health nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists and staff from respiratory and radiology departments.
On Wednesday, campers enjoyed visits from the local sheriff's office, EMS, fire departments, and Valley Health Medical Transport helicopter, offering new community experiences.
Funded by the Valley Health Foundation , the camp offers a variety of activities designed to provide new experiences for campers in a supportive environment.
Campers visited several off-site locations including East Coast Gymnastics, Marker Miller Orchard, and Stonebrook pool. Camp activities throughout the week included tractor rides, donut making, crafts, indoor games, and swimming. The camp also offers social skills groups and sensory rooms to support campers' individual needs.
It has been such a wonderful week filled with an abundance of joy and smiles. It's such a great experience for everyone to come together and create some really magical summer memories for such an amazing group of campers.- Kate Von Schuch, Camp Co-Director
Interested in serving as a volunteer, or participating as a camper next year? Email [email protected].
Winchester Medical Center published this content on July 29, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on July 29, 2026 at 18:35 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]