Project:Camp – A Week in Beggs, Oklahoma
I’m currently somewhere over the Midwest, writing this on the flight home from Tulsa International Airport. Looking out at the clouds from 35,000 feet, I am reflecting on what an incredible experience I’ve just had.
Through a partnership between CampGroup and Project:Camp, my colleague and friend Ben (from Lake of the Woods and Greenwoods Camps) and I headed down to Beggs, Oklahoma, earlier this week. We had the opportunity to help run a pop-up day camp for a community that had just been hit by a tornado. The storm severely damaged the local schools, leaving the kids in Beggs with nowhere to spend their days.
We teamed up with two guys from Project:Camp, Newt and Kam, and a group of local volunteers. We got to work offering the kids sports activities, art projects, STEAM experiences, and general camp merriment. They especially loved the KPT Color War favorite, Cat & Mouse!
As a teacher by trade, I’m always looking for lessons in the experiences I am fortunate enough to have. It’s no surprise that identifying lessons from my time with Project:Camp was simple. Being in Beggs was a powerful reminder that camp isn't about the lake or the facilities; it is about showing up for each other when it matters most.
Resilience is a muscle. When kids go to camp, we are essentially asking them to be resilient. We’re asking them to step into something new and unfamiliar, and that’s exactly the environment where they grow. The kids in Beggs were the ultimate example of this. They were smart, funny, and a blast to be around. More than that, they were incredibly adaptable. Even though their town was upside down and their school was a mess, they fell into our camp routines almost instantly. You could see them find comfort in the new norms we created. It reminded me that kids don't just handle change; they thrive in it when they have a safe place to land. It was exactly what they needed to start feeling like themselves again.
The "Camp Family" shortcut. There is a specific kind of bond that happens when you’re thrown into the trenches with people you just met. Within no time, Ben, Kam, Newt, and I settled into our own little camp family. We figured out each other’s rhythms, we helped each other out, and we laughed a lot. We were four "camp people" who had never set foot in this part of the country before, but we found our place together. Camp friends just "hit different." You don't need years to build trust when you're all focused on the same goal.
Community is the comfort. Every morning, Kam and I walked three blocks to the local Kanokie Coffeehouse. Every single day, we were met with the kind of warmth you only find in a small town. Locals would greet us, ask how the camp was going, and share how much the kids loved Project:Camp. They even picked up our tab more than once. They were just grateful that someone was showing their town some love in a tough moment. It felt a lot like the community we try to build at camp every summer. Living in a strong, supportive community feels like a safety net; it’s a comfort that allows you to feel like part of something much bigger than yourself.
As I head home, it’s easy to see why people want to help a place like Beggs. The people there epitomize the warmth that makes a town feel like a home. Thanks for having me, Beggs. You’ve got a whole lot of heart.
