THOMASVILLE, GA - Camp ARROW celebrates 50 years as a week-long residential camp designed to meet the special needs of children with multiple disabilities.

On Wednesday, June 4, campers went to Hands and Hearts for Horses in Thomasville, Georgia.

Camper Hunter Beasley said, “I like to ride horses, swimming and fishing. Everything.”

“I enjoy canoeing and fishing,” camper Tydarion Collins said.

Collins and Beasley became friends by attending Camp ARROW together for the last few years.

Camp Counselor Eli Taylor said the reward for him is learning how to teach each child about canoeing and fishing at their own level.

“It’s good to be out here doing the Lord’s work — just giving back to my community and helping out these kids because it means a lot to me to be able to do them for them because it makes them happy,” he said.

Located at the Camp Tygart facility in Southwest Georgia, Camp ARROW has activities designed to encourage independence and foster self-confidence.

Each day, campers learn and participle in swimming, arts and crafts, music and games. The camp also includes special activities like a banquet and dance, trips to restaurants, a bowling alley, fishing, canoeing and horseback riding.

Kathryne Williams, co-director said, “You will not experience anything better than camp. It is something you cannot even put into words. It’s beautiful, and it’s amazing. A magic week. We go out in the middle of the country, and you forget the world behind you, it’s just the kids you focus on.”

This year Camp ARROW is serving 34 children with multiple disabilities for one week as they learn new skills and enhance their special abilities.

“Seeing how much it’s grown, the number of kids we serve, the kids that come back to volunteer as adults. We actually have one out here today who’s in his thirties. And so it’s neat to see that they still have an attachment. The bonds and things that we build and make don’t just end in the week we are here. They carry on for a lifetime,” co-director, Leigh Carroll, said.

To celebrate this milestone Camp ARROW gifted each child with a special gift, along with staff and counselors for their dedication to making this week special for all their campers.

To learn more about Camp Arrow, visit camparrow.org.

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