As district governor of the 55 Lions Clubs in her region of West Texas, Big Country Electric Cooperative General Manager Fredda Buckner is responsible for facilitating and promoting many community, state and international charitable projects.
But one cause is especially near and dear to her heart: the Texas Lions Camp on the outskirts of Kerrville that gives children with physical disabilities, cancer and Type 1 diabetes the chance to climb a rope, ride a horse, fish, explore nature, pet goats, sheep and calves, and even plan and implement their own on-site radio show. In short, it’s the chance to be a kid. And, the camp is free, thanks to the sponsorship of individual Lions Clubs across the state.
“This is one of Texas’ best-kept secrets, and we need to get the word out,” Buckner said of the camp that rests on more than 500 acres in the Hill Country. It offers nine sessions, starting June 6 and ending August 7. All sessions last one week, with campers staying on-site, except for a three-day camp at which children go home every evening.
The first five sessions are for children from the ages of 7 to 16 with physical disabilities or who have been diagnosed with cancer. Qualifying physical disabilities include absence or amputation of limbs, cerebral palsy, hearing, vision and speech impairments, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida and orthopedic conditions.
The next two sessions are exclusively for children who have been diagnosed with cancer. After the subsequent day camp, the Texas Lions Camp concludes with two sessions for children from the ages of 8 to 15 who have Type 1 diabetes and are insulin-dependent. Those sessions emphasize medical education.
For more information, including how to obtain an application or make financial donations to the camp, call (830) 896-8500 or go to www.lionscamp.com.
