The Judge David Campbell Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution presented Lindsey Sharpe with the Community Service Award at their meeting last Wedneday.
Ms. Sharpe is currently a physical therapist at Children’s Hospital at Erlanger. In her work with children, she saw a need for these children with disabilities to experience life without the limitations that their physical challenges imposed on them. She founded Camp Horizon in 2005 to serve this need. So for one weekend each year, campers are invited to step outside their limits and challenge their horizons in an outdoor environment with other youth with similar issues.
There is no cost to the campers or their families. Campers get to go swimming, canoeing, horseback riding and much more at the camp. High school campers also have the chance to do the region’s only handicap-accessible zip line.
In 2005, there were 11 campers and 17 staff/counselors for that first weekend experience. The camp had grown to 44 campers in 2019, 54 UTC students as counselors and 25 clinical staff. COVID did close the camp in 2020 but Camp Horizon is rebounding again with campers, students and staff numbers increasing. The camp is staffed completely by volunteers consisting primarily of therapy staff from Children’s Hospital and PT/OT students from UTC. There are also several doctors and nurses who volunteer their time to be at the camp the whole weekend.
The weekend is offered at no expense to the campers or their families. Check out the website to learn more about the camp and view the 2023 Slideshow
here.