RALEIGH ó Forestry officials, NASCAR and stock car racing’s famous Petty family are seeking volunteers to help preserve trees at a children’s camp in Randleman.
The tree preservation project is from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday at Randleman’s Victory Junction Gang Camp, which was founded by Kyle and Pattie Petty to provide life-changing experiences for children ages 7-15 with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses.
Volunteers are needed to help plant and prune trees, remove hazardous trees and grind stumps. There will be plenty to do for unskilled and skilled volunteers. Free lunch will be provided to all volunteers, courtesy of Asplundh Tree Expert Company.
To complete the project, officials with the N.C. Division of Forest Resources’ Urban and Community Forestry program are teaming up with the N.C. Urban Forest Council, the Petty family and NASCAR. Each year, the N.C. Urban Forest Council selects a site in need of a community service project. The project is a chance for the organization and its members to give back to a local North Carolina goodwill or charitable organization.
The Victory Junction Gang Camp empowers children in a safe and medically-sound environment. The program offers a week of challenging and nurturing fun with 24-hour medical supervision. Activities include arts and crafts, woodshop, an adventure course, archery, swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding, music and theater. The camp also boasts a NASCAR-themed area with race cars, racing simulators and racing gear. Each summer session offers up to 125 camper spots, and the fall and spring family weekends offer 30 families a chance to experience camp together.
The children and their families depend on the trees to brighten their days and lift their spirits.
The N.C. Urban Forest Council is a nonprofit organization of individuals, citizen groups, nonprofit organizations, businesses and agencies in North Carolina that share an interest in community and urban forestry. For more information, visit www.ncufc.org or call 336-774-0215. To learn more about the Victory Junction Gang Camp, call 1-877-VJG-CAMP or go to www.victoryjunction.org.