Camp John Marc
Encyclopedia
Camp John Marc is a year-round therapy camp located in Meridian, Texas
(85 miles southwest of Dallas
) for Texas
-area children with chronic illnesses/major physical disabilities such as Muscular dystrophy
, Cancer
, Brain injuries
, HIV/AIDS
, Spina bifida
, etc. The 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) tranquil retreat area in the Texas Hill Country
provides 20 wheelchair accessible
, air conditioned cabins
to fulfill the needs of all campers; lodge-style dining hall
; centrally located buildings; handicap accessible challenge course; athletic field; riding ring; amphitheater
; chapel
; shooting sports range; a swimming pool
; [nature] trails; sports barn,as well as two wheelchair accessible tree houses, fishing pier, [star]-gazing platform, and covered wagon
camping areas. 2007 marked the completion of the camps largest building which has been coined "The Silo
." This building houses a teaching kitchen,library, medical education room, costume closet, screened nature porch with balcony, multipurpose room, and basement for storage. The building's most prominent feature is the silo/indoor rock wall through which campers enter. Construction of the new building has allowed camp activities to continue during unfavorable weather. Camp John Marc also utilizes community and medical volunteers to provide program support and quality medical care and treatment. Volunteers and medical staff change with each new week allowing for very specialized care for every camper. The camp staff of about twenty individuals, however, remains constant throughout the summer.
The camp hosts eleven week long summer camps including those specialized for Asthma, Childhood Cancer (2), Heart Disease, Hemophilia, Juvenile Arthritis, Kidney Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Sickle Cell Anemia, Burn Survivors, and Spina Bifida.
The camp also hosts weekend camps throughout the year: Childhood Cancer, Deaf/Blind, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Craniofacial Disorders, H.I.V., Upper Limb Differences, Sickle Cell, Spina Bifida,Hemophelia, and Transplant Patients.
, fishing
, cooking
, starlab, dance
, horse
back riding, and swimming. Younger (scheduled) campers participate in activities as a cabin, while older (free-choice) campers select their activities on an individual basis.
Projects, which last for about an hour everyday, allow for all campers to individually branch out into a unique area of interest. Projects include: karate
, basketball
, outdoor adventure, pottery
, cooking
, painting
, hockey
, cinematography
(Lights. Camera. Action!), rappelling, card games, and photography
/darkroom
.
's local portions of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
.
Meridian, Texas
Meridian is a city located in Bosque County in Central Texas. The population was 1,491 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bosque County, Texas.-Geography:Meridian is located at ....
(85 miles southwest of Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
) for Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
-area children with chronic illnesses/major physical disabilities such as Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy
Muscular dystrophy is a group of muscle diseases that weaken the musculoskeletal system and hamper locomotion. Muscular dystrophies are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness, defects in muscle proteins, and the death of muscle cells and tissue.In the 1860s, descriptions of boys who...
, Cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Brain injuries
Traumatic brain injury
Traumatic brain injury , also known as intracranial injury, occurs when an external force traumatically injures the brain. TBI can be classified based on severity, mechanism , or other features...
, HIV/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
, Spina bifida
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
, etc. The 170 acre (0.6879662 km²) tranquil retreat area in the Texas Hill Country
Texas Hill Country
The Texas Hill Country is a vernacular term applied to a region of Central Texas featuring tall rugged hills consisting of thin layers of soil atop limestone or granite. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located...
provides 20 wheelchair accessible
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
, air conditioned cabins
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
to fulfill the needs of all campers; lodge-style dining hall
Cafeteria
A cafeteria is a type of food service location in which there is little or no waiting staff table service, whether a restaurant or within an institution such as a large office building or school; a school dining location is also referred to as a dining hall or canteen...
; centrally located buildings; handicap accessible challenge course; athletic field; riding ring; amphitheater
Amphitheatre
An amphitheatre is an open-air venue used for entertainment and performances.There are two similar, but distinct, types of structure for which the word "amphitheatre" is used: Ancient Roman amphitheatres were large central performance spaces surrounded by ascending seating, and were commonly used...
; chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
; shooting sports range; a swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
; [nature] trails; sports barn,as well as two wheelchair accessible tree houses, fishing pier, [star]-gazing platform, and covered wagon
Conestoga wagon
The Conestoga wagon is a heavy, broad-wheeled covered wagon that was used extensively during the late 18th century and the 19th century in the United States and sometimes in Canada as well. It was large enough to transport loads up to 8 tons , and was drawn by horses, mules or oxen...
camping areas. 2007 marked the completion of the camps largest building which has been coined "The Silo
Silo
A silo is a structure for storing bulk materials.Silo may also refer to:* Silo , a 3D modeling software* Silo , a defunct chain of retail electronics stores* SILO , used in Linux...
." This building houses a teaching kitchen,library, medical education room, costume closet, screened nature porch with balcony, multipurpose room, and basement for storage. The building's most prominent feature is the silo/indoor rock wall through which campers enter. Construction of the new building has allowed camp activities to continue during unfavorable weather. Camp John Marc also utilizes community and medical volunteers to provide program support and quality medical care and treatment. Volunteers and medical staff change with each new week allowing for very specialized care for every camper. The camp staff of about twenty individuals, however, remains constant throughout the summer.
History
This facility has been in operation since the 1960s with Muscular Dystrophy camps being the forerunners in 1967, many disease-related camps followed years later. Its only major concern was that there was no permanent site. This all changed when a generous family donated 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) in memory of the son, John Marc. On June 1, 1991 the camp was officially open and has continued to grow ever since. A more in depth history is available on this website.The camp hosts eleven week long summer camps including those specialized for Asthma, Childhood Cancer (2), Heart Disease, Hemophilia, Juvenile Arthritis, Kidney Disease, Muscular Dystrophy, Sickle Cell Anemia, Burn Survivors, and Spina Bifida.
The camp also hosts weekend camps throughout the year: Childhood Cancer, Deaf/Blind, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Craniofacial Disorders, H.I.V., Upper Limb Differences, Sickle Cell, Spina Bifida,Hemophelia, and Transplant Patients.
Camp activities
Daily activities include a ropes course (zip-line, rock walls, and high ropes elements), sports and games, archeryArchery
Archery is the art, practice, or skill of propelling arrows with the use of a bow, from Latin arcus. Archery has historically been used for hunting and combat; in modern times, however, its main use is that of a recreational activity...
, fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, starlab, dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
back riding, and swimming. Younger (scheduled) campers participate in activities as a cabin, while older (free-choice) campers select their activities on an individual basis.
Projects, which last for about an hour everyday, allow for all campers to individually branch out into a unique area of interest. Projects include: karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, outdoor adventure, pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
, cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
, cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
(Lights. Camera. Action!), rappelling, card games, and photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
/darkroom
Darkroom
A darkroom is a room that can be made completely dark to allow the processing of light sensitive photographic materials, including photographic film and photographic paper. Darkrooms have been created and used since the inception of photography in the early 19th century...
.
Media spotlight
Camp John Marc has been featured on KXAS-TVKXAS-TV
KXAS-TV, virtual channel 5 , is the NBC television station for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. The station was Texas' first television station when the station made its debut on September 28, 1948. Its transmitter is located in Cedar Hill...
's local portions of the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon
The MDA Labor Day Telethon is an annual telethon in the United States to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association . The first MDA telethon was during the Thanksgiving Day weekend of 1952 and titled Party for MDA. It has been held annually since 1966...
.