20 Salina Youth Head to Camp Wood Thanks to YMCA Scholarship Efforts
Nearly 20 children from Salina headed to Camp Wood YMCA this week, many attending at no cost thanks to scholarship support and community generosity.
For the campers, the trip means a week of outdoor adventure, friendship and personal growth. For those who helped make it possible, it is also a reminder of the long-term impact a camp experience can have on a child’s life.
On Sunday morning, families gathered at the Salina Family YMCA as campers boarded a bus bound for Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Before the bus departed, longtime YMCA member Bill Medina was there to wish the campers well and share why opportunities like this matter.
Camp Wood YMCA has served youth and families for more than 100 years. Located on more than 800 acres of tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills, the camp encourages young people to “Be You, Be Adventurous, and Belong,” while helping them build confidence, character and meaningful relationships.
For Medina, those values were not just words.
“When I was 10 years old, our family moved to Salina,” Medina recalled. “Life was difficult. My father was serving in Vietnam, and like many military families at the time, we faced uncertainty and challenges. I was struggling and often getting into trouble.”
A referral to Camp Wood changed the direction of his life.
“We didn’t have any money at that time, but there was a program to help kids go to camp and I got to go,” Medina said. “It was a life-changing experience for me.”
Decades later, Medina has not forgotten what that opportunity meant.
“It wasn’t until almost 40 years later that I was able to give back to the Y,” he said. “This is a wonderful family organization that unites kids and their parents in activities that build memories that last a lifetime.”
His story points to the often-unseen impact of scholarship programs and youth development efforts. While a week at camp may seem like a simple summer experience, supporters say it can help children build confidence, develop resilience, form friendships and gain a sense of belonging that can stay with them long after they return home.
For the Salina Family YMCA, sending nearly 20 local youth to camp this summer represents more than a successful program. It represents an investment in young people.
The campers who boarded the bus Sunday morning may return home with stories about hiking trails, campfires, new friendships and outdoor adventures. But if Medina’s experience is any indication, some may also return with memories and lessons that shape the rest of their lives.