CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Camp Rainbow is a special camp created specifically for seriously ill children who would not otherwise be able to attend a regular summer camp. It gives them a place to have fun while feeling safe and welcomed.
Camp Rainbow Co-Founder, Diane Miner, recently spoke with Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon on the Clarksville’s Conversation podcast about this special place where dreams come true.
Miner and Mary Woodall founded Camp Rainbow in 1983 and it has grown by leaps and bounds over the past 36 years. The founders said they wanted a camp that would cater to the needs of seriously ill children whose medical problems kept them from attending regular camps.
RELATED: Beaver 100.3’s Camp Rainbow Radiothon (Feb. 14 and 15) supports camp for seriously ill children
Miner shared her experiences as a nursing supervisor at Children’s Clinic in Clarksville and told a story about a young child at the clinic named Ernie who had Leukemia. He would always get excited when he would talk to Miner about his family’s plans to go to Disneyworld.
Miner said her heart was broken when she found out that unfortunately the family couldn’t afford to go to the theme park. A short time later she heard a public service announcement on the radio about The Dream Factory of Hopkinsville, which said it was accepting donations to help make dreams come true for children.
That organization provided the money for Ernie and his family to make the trip to Disneyworld, which led to the creation of the Clarksville Dream Factory. Miner said when the family returned from the trip, Ernie went door-to-door collecting money so other kids could fulfill their dreams the way he had.
It was at that point Clarksville Dream Factory began providing dreams for children with life-altering illnesses. Bikers Who Care (BWC) got on board as a sponsor of many events and donated funds, which they still do to this day.
Miner said she and Woodall thought about starting a camp and just decided to go for it.
“I worked at Children’s Clinic, so it wasn’t hard to get the doctors to come and get some nurses to come and then we got volunteers to come and we had our first Camp Rainbow,” Miner said.
Miner shared another Camp Rainbow memory about a little girl who was about nine or ten with a genetic disorder that required her to use a walker. Very soon she started warming up to her counselor and the other children and slowly emerged from her shell.
By the second day of camp, the girl had replaced her walker with a cane. By the third day Miner said she was seen walking without her cane, and on the fourth day you could find her fishing and even swimming.
“She had become a little girl again,” Miner said.
For 2019, the magic of Camp Rainbow will happen June 10-15 at Brandon Springs Group Camp at Land Between the Lakes in Dover, Tennessee. The camp features a long list of activities for children including swimming, canoeing, games, arts & crafts, carnival and much more.
The camp is free for those attending and each year around 40 youngsters share a week of fun and learning with close to 70 volunteers. There is a one-to-one ration of counselors for each camper and Premier Medical provides doctors and nurses who donate their time and services depending on a child’s individual needs.
The caring and amazing work of Camp Rainbow and the Clarksville Dream Factory can’t continue without the support of the community, especially with fundraising efforts like the Camp Rainbow Radiothon, happening Thursday & Friday, February 14 & 15 on The Beaver 100.3 FM.
Listen for heartwarming stories from some of the Camp Rainbow children and their families along with interviews from volunteers who help to make the dreams a reality during the Camp Rainbow Radiothon and listen to more stories on the podcast below:
About Clarksville’s Conversation:
The Clarksville’s Conversation podcast, hosted by Katie Gambill and Charlie Koon on Clarksvillenow.com, gives you the opportunity to eavesdrop on interviews with leaders and innovators in Clarksville-Montgomery County who shape our community. Check back every Wednesday for new episodes.
Want to become a Dream Maker? Text CAMP to 77000 for details.
Last year the radiothon raised a grand total of $55,687. For more information visit Camp Rainbow’s website or Facebook page.
Meet the campers and find out what they love most about Camp Rainbow: