Conversations with Chad
By Elizabeth McCurry
December 15, 2023
Celebrating 20 Years of Inspiration and Dedication at Victory Junction
As we approach the end of the year at Victory Junction, the air is filled with celebration, gratitude, and as always, an unwavering commitment to the mission. Starting in January, Camp will celebrate a milestone- 20 years of Victory Junction! In honor of VJ reaching this milestone so soon, I sat down with our CEO, Chad Coltrane. We had a great talk about all things Camp, celebrating this accomplishment, and looking to the future!
When I asked Chad what he want the 20th anniversary of such an awesome place to look like, he responded with “I want it to not only a celebration of what we’re doing now, but a celebration of all the people who have come before to make to make it happen.” As we talked, there were so many people who came to mind when it came to forming Camp. But he also said, “We can’t celebrate without nodding to Adam, who all this was done for. He had a dream, and we are grateful that we are able to see the products of that every day here.”
COVID threw a wrench in the works, but Chad’s all about bouncing back stronger. He is really passionate about rebuilding everything at VJ from where we are and getting the momentum we once had. “We’ve been fixing up everything—our traditions, our connections with kids and volunteers, connections with donors, you name it!” But not all things from the pandemic were bad! Chad made a (very fitting) analogy of Camp to a racecar. This time allowed us to stop at a “pit stop” and make changes to some things and as the racecar gets back on the track, we are a better “car” because of the stop we made.
When we talked about Chad’s biggest goals for Camp, he said in 10 more years, he hopes VJ will have DOUBLED what the current outreach is. “We have this incredible place here, so now we look at how do we continue to serve our kids and our community better?”
No talk about a milestone year would be complete without some chats about big anniversary events! And while he couldn’t give away too many of the secrets of things happening during the 20th, he did give us a couple. The Kyle Petty Charity Ride will be coming to Camp and even finishing their ride here next year which is super exciting. While they are here, the goal is to unveil Camp’s BRAND NEW, fully accessible waterpark! There is also talks of a gala and a community day so keep your eyes and ears open for kinds of ways to support VJ in the 20th anniversary year!
Chad wrapped it up by saying, “I honestly think our mission is incredibly strong. Keeping it going to benefit as many kids as possible—that’s what really matters.” His passion is contagious, and he’s all about making sure Victory Junction is here for generations to come.
