47th annual Camp Courage kicks off

Kyle Schmidt, St. Joseph News-Press, Mo.
·2 min read

Jun. 20—The adventure began at Camp Courage on Thursday as campers filed in for a weekend full of fun activities.

Camp Courage is a summer camp for adults with special needs. Co-director of Camp Courage, Britton Fields, talked about the activities going on throughout the weekend.

"We come every year just to have fun," Fields said. "We fish, we got snow cones We have tons of activities, crafts that we do."

The Indiana Jones theme brings activities involving fake snakes, a quest for an idol and a holy grail, as well as other things.

The camaraderie at the camp was contagious.

"Everyone here is equal. We are friends, no person is above the other person," Fields said. "When you think about the world that we live in, isn't that the way that it should be?"

The camp's other co-director, Ashley Fields, has been a volunteer for 25 years now. The positivity from the camp has taught her a lot over the years.

"It's nice to be out here and you kind of put your big worries of life aside and you kind of get back to everything is about relationships and friendships and caring for one another," Ashley Fields said. "And so, I've learned a lot about that through my campers."

The memories for this year will begin Thursday, but for the volunteers that have been there a long time, they last a lifetime.

"I have been fortunate to travel the world and do a lot of fun things in my life," Aaron Hamann said. "Some of my favorite memories are here at Camp Courage."

Hamann has been involved with the camp for over 30 years. It is a special place for him and he looks forward to it every year.

Many of the volunteers have been there for a long time. The atmosphere is part of the reason for that.

"So you get to take that with you. And a lot of times our volunteers do stick around for many years," Ashley Fields said. "I think that's because it's very genuine out here. You know, we're out here for each other, and we just want to make our campers smile."

The experience Hamann gets from the camp is one many of the volunteers can feel.

"I think I get filled and I come back refreshed," Hamann said. "And not take for granted some of the little things."