A Season For Thankfulness
By Elizabeth McCurry and John Barnett
November 18, 2021
As the days get colder, the leaves start to change colors, and the holiday season approaches, it’s hard not to reflect on the year that has passed so quickly. We blinked on New Year’s Day, and now we are getting ready for Thanksgiving. Sometimes the season of Thanksgiving is looked over as a time for tasty dishes, football games, and really good shopping sales. After these past two challenging years, we want to slow down a little during this holiday season and put an emphasis on the reasons why November and Thanksgiving are important.
November is a great time to turn our reflections on the year into realizations of gratitude – that feeling of appreciation for what we have. It’s a recognition for values far beyond monetary worth, and it’s an affirmation of goodness and warmth that we create for ourselves. In the spirit of that gratitude, we would like to share our long list of those we are thankful for.
First of all, we’re thankful for Adam Petty. Without his dream of a place free of barriers, where kids with serious illnesses are free to just be kids, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Our gratitude for Adam also extends to the Petty family for taking his dreams and making them a reality.
Next, we are SO thankful for our campers and their families. Without our them, VJ would be just a collection of buildings in rural North Carolina. Their jokes, smiles, and really good dance moves help make Camp the magical place it is. At Victory Junction, we like to say that our campers are the heartbeat of Camp. They are the heart of everything we do, and we are grateful for them.
We also want to give a big warm and fuzzy to our seasonal staff. Many of them are young adults or medical professionals who are taking time to make magic for others. During summers and family weekends, they create laughter, excitement, and fun for the children we serve in a medically-safe environment.
Victory Junction has the best volunteers in the world, and we’re so grateful for them! From volunteering during camp sessions, to helping with groundskeeping, to assisting with administrative tasks, they can do it all. We greatly appreciate our volunteers’ dedication of their time and talents to help others.
A group that can’t be forgotten on our list is our donors and Camp partners. Because of their incredible generosity, Victory Junction can continue to provide life-changing experiences to children at no cost to their families.
Our year-round staff also deserves a huge acknowledgment of gratitude. They work tirelessly to make sure that Victory Junction operates smoothly at all times to serve kids with complex medical conditions. The behind-the-scenes work that makes Camp run is all thanks to them!
Lastly, if you don’t fit into any of the boxes above but are still reading this blog post, we want to thank YOU! We appreciate your compassion for the kids we serve, however you choose to support Camp. Victory Junction is a strong organization today because of you!
A blog post will never be enough to say thank you for everything that all of these great people have done for Camp. So far in 2021, Victory Junction has delivered more than 7,000 experiences to kids and families. We couldn’t do it without you, and we are truly thankful. Happy Thanksgiving to our VJ family.
