Camp Horsin’ Around Is More Than Horse Play
camp horsin' around, culture, horses,
Children with chronic illnesses can have their spirits lifted for a day, weekend or a full week at the new Camp Horsin’ Around.
The camp officially opened in June 2009 on 191 acres of open space in Boyle and Mercer counties. Five cabins on site can each hold up to 20 campers and eight counselors.
The camp is open seasonally to children in Kentucky and surrounding states who have chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, asthma, sickle cell anemia, kidney disease, AIDS or heart ailments.
“We even have a medical building that can handle emergencies and chemotherapy if necessary,” says Jackie Nicholson, treasurer of Camp Horsin’ Around. “In September 2009, we scheduled our first group of cancer children who visited the premises.”
The camp is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to get children away from medical treatment and sickbeds for a short time to enjoy the outdoors. The privately funded facility is patterned after those founded by Paul Newman, who named his the Hole in the Wall Gang Camps.
“A dining hall will also be operational by the summer of 2010, and there are plans to eventually install a swimming pool,” Nicholson says. “In the meantime, country singer Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry fame lives two farms away, and he and his wife, Tracy, are gracious enough to let kids use their personal swimming pool whenever they attend the camp.”
Nicholson adds that children have the opportunity to enjoy all of the activities their bodies will allow, including a ride on Flash, the camp horse. There is also a river that spans three-quarters of the property, and youngsters are welcome to swim and catch small fish.
“In the future, we are planning to also invite the siblings of these children, because sometimes siblings feel left out if there is a sick child in the house,” she says.
Visit www.camphorsinaround.org for more information.
Story by Kevin Litwin
