The
Victory Junction Gang Camp is a camp for
terminally ill, and chronically illTerminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe an active and malignant disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer...
children located in
Randleman, North CarolinaRandleman is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,557 at the 2000 census. It is the home of NASCAR's Petty family, the Richard Petty Museum, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.-Geography:...
, USA. It is part of the
Association of Hole in the Wall CampsThe Hole in the Wall Camps, also known as The Association of Hole In The Wall Camps, is a worldwide affiliation of over a dozen recreational facilities for seriously ill children....
.
The idea for the camp came from
Adam PettyAdam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...
, who was a teenage stock car driver (as well as the son of veteran
Kyle PettyKyle Eugene Petty is a retired American NASCAR driver and currently a NASCAR broadcaster for TNT. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam Petty. His wife is Pattie and they have two surviving children Austin and Montgomery Lee...
, the grandson of seven-time champion
Richard PettyFor the president & C.E.O. of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, see Richard PeddieRichard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, and great-grandson of two-time champion
Lee PettyLee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars.-Career:...
). The Pettys were also inspired by their visits to Camp Carefree, a camp in Stokesdale, North Carolina that utilized the same concept, but originated in the 1980's.
The
Victory Junction Gang Camp is a camp for
terminally ill, and chronically illTerminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe an active and malignant disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated and that is reasonably expected to result in the death of the patient. This term is more commonly used for progressive diseases such as cancer...
children located in
Randleman, North CarolinaRandleman is a city in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,557 at the 2000 census. It is the home of NASCAR's Petty family, the Richard Petty Museum, and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.-Geography:...
, USA. It is part of the
Association of Hole in the Wall CampsThe Hole in the Wall Camps, also known as The Association of Hole In The Wall Camps, is a worldwide affiliation of over a dozen recreational facilities for seriously ill children....
.
The idea for the camp came from
Adam PettyAdam Kyler Petty was a professional racing driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history.-Early life:...
, who was a teenage stock car driver (as well as the son of veteran
Kyle PettyKyle Eugene Petty is a retired American NASCAR driver and currently a NASCAR broadcaster for TNT. He is the son of racer Richard Petty, grandson of racer Lee Petty, and father of the late Adam Petty. His wife is Pattie and they have two surviving children Austin and Montgomery Lee...
, the grandson of seven-time champion
Richard PettyFor the president & C.E.O. of Maple Leafs Sports & Entertainment, see Richard PeddieRichard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
, and great-grandson of two-time champion
Lee PettyLee Arnold Petty was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars.-Career:...
). The Pettys were also inspired by their visits to Camp Carefree, a camp in Stokesdale, North Carolina that utilized the same concept, but originated in the 1980's. In 2000, the Pettys began talks with Hole in the Wall founder
Paul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and auto racing enthusiast...
about the new venture.
On May 12, 2000, Adam Petty was killed in a crash during practice at
New Hampshire International SpeedwayNew Hampshire Motor Speedway is a oval speedway located in Loudon, New Hampshire which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since the early 1990s, as well as open wheel racing during the 1990s. The track was originally the site of Bryar Motorsports Park before being purchased and redeveloped by Bob...
. Kyle and his wife, Pattie (Huffman) Petty, carried on Adam's vision and spent four years raising money for, and building, the camp. On June 20, 2004,
Father's DayFather's Day is a day honoring fathers, celebrated on the third Sunday of June in 52 of the world's countries and on other days elsewhere. It complements Mother's Day, the celebration honoring mothers.-History:...
in the U.S., the VJGC welcomed its first campers.
Facilities include a swimming pool, a recreational game room, a computer lab, an outdoor recreation area with open space, and a medical clinic. In 2006, work began on a "superdome" that would host indoor sporting facilities. It was begun with a $1 million seed donation from fellow
NASCARThe National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver
Tony StewartAnthony Wayne Stewart is an American auto racing driver and owner. Throughout his racing career Stewart has won titles in Indy cars and stock cars, as well as midget, sprint and USAC Silver Crown cars, giving him the recognition of "one of the finest racers of his generation." Tony currently owns...
. Other drivers, team owners, team sponsors, and NASCAR itself have given substantial donations to the camp.
The VJGC is open year-round and can accommodate about 100 campers at a time. The size of the camp is kept relatively small to allow the children more personal attention. Most campers live in the Southeast United States, but the number of participants that live in other parts of the country has grown over the time it has been open.
External links