Alice Walton's gift keeps giving to northwest Arkansas youth

A youngster practiced his archery skills at Camp War Eagle, located 30 miles from Eureka Springs. Many campers qualify for free tuition at the camp, which offers 60 activities at its site on the shores of Beaver Lake. Anna Mathews / Carroll County News [Order this photo]

ROGERS -- Northwest Arkansas is filled with many hidden gems tucked away into the hills and hollers, all awaiting discovery.

Camp War Eagle is one such gem. It's a mini-city of its own, located on 100-plus acres along the shores of Beaver Lake, just 30 miles from Eureka Springs.

There, during the summer months, 3,000 youngsters, ages 7 through 17, pass through its gates to partake of 60 different activities during their one or two week stay.

The youngsters represent a cross section of the area's socio-economic diversity, just as camp founder Alice Walton envisioned.

According to Camp Director Pete Day, the camp is the vision of Alice Walton, who attended summer camp as a child and recognized its unique ability to shape lives and affect children.

He said it is her vision and her resources that make Camp War Eagle possible.

"She did it with the idea of improving the culture of northwest Arkansas, saying any child can earn the right to come. She wanted a cross representation of what northwest Arkansas is, economically, socially, ethnically. She wanted children to learn that they are a lot more alike than different.

"More than half don't pay anything," Day continued. "It's done on a sliding scale, based on family income. Children from households with incomes of $40,000 a year or less pay zero. Household size doesn't matter. Any child can earn the right to come."

Earning the right, he said, usually means providing a letter of endorsement from a teacher, coach, minister or community leader for the first year's camp experience.

Those wishing to return the next year are expected to perform community service or participate in one of the camp's year-round follow-up programs.

This year's camp slots are already filled, Day said. Applications for next year's camp sessions will be accepted beginning in October, and should be turned in by Dec. 15 for best placement options, he said.

Families can choose either a one-week or a two-week session. Sessions, with 420 campers each, begin in late May and continue though mid August.

All applicants must live in Benton, Carroll, Madison or Washington counties.

History

Day said this is Camp War Eagle's fourth year of operation. It is modeled after Camp Ozark, located in Mount Ida and owned by Sam Torn.

Day said he began working at Camp Ozark in 1991 and was there when Alice Walton made her first inquiries.

"She liked what was going on at Camp Ozark," he remembered. "With Sam Torn's experience impacting children -- and her vision, Camp War Eagle came about. I came up here as part of that process and I've been here from the onset."

Discussions began in 2003, he said, with construction getting under way in April, 2004. Their first campers arrived the summer of 2006.

Camp War Eagle is situated on a very unique piece of property, Day said, shaped like the state of Florida, surrounded on three sides by Beaver Lake.

Staff

Camp War Eagle has 40 full-time employees who work year-round. Some live at the camp while other reside nearby. Day said some of the full-time staffers are recruiters, traveling to 20 colleges and universities to find the 300 seasonal employees it takes to run the camp during summer sessions.

The seasonal staff members, mostly counselors, are described as positive, upbeat and wholesome Christian role models.

"We carefully select qualified staff who love and want to positively impact kids," said Day.

Those seasonal staffers supervise activities and bunk with the campers, who are housed 10 to a cabin with a minimum of three counselors. Day said more than 50 percent of their seasonal staff return the next year.

Faith

Day said Camp War Eagle is founded on Christian principles, but no particular denomination. A Sunday worship service is held in the great outdoors, alongside Beaver Lake in a serene setting where bluff rocks jut out over the rippling waters.

The message is delivered through deeds, he said, and by example. It is their intent to have children gain a greater appreciation for God, themselves and for others through the camp experience.

"We present it and let the kids know it's there," said Day.

The climbing wall [Order this photo]

Activities

There are 60 activities for youngsters to pursue at Camp War Eagle -- everything from water skiing to horseback riding.

The campers are kept busy from morning until night, with a few "chill-out" times thrown in. Instructional opportunities abound, along with free-style play.

Tribal competition between campers is ongoing throughout the camping session, said Day. There are three main things they learn: maximum effort, enthusiasm and true sportsmanship.

"To give it your all," Day explained. "They can use it to bring into the rest of their lives. Our philosophy is, the victory is in the approach, not the outcome."

Special events, such as carnivals, western night, and reindeer games are a fun way to end the day, he said, with lights out at 9:30 p.m.

"We keep the kids moving and having a good time," he explained.

The camp offers youngsters a chance to experience something different from what they would get through their usual routine.

Nature is a big part of the camp experience, said Day, with horseback rides, mountain biking, fishing, paddle boating, and even a nature center where grass grows on a roof, irrigated with a bicycle-powered rainwater system.

The camp food is great, said Day, and there is a doctor and four nurses on staff throughout the summer session.

What makes this camp so unique, said Day, is its 365-day follow-up programs, with weekly events held in Fayetteville, Springdale, Bentonville and Rogers. There, campers can stay connected, participate in community service projects, and take advantage of the mentoring and tutoring programs that are available.

"We tie the two together," said Day, "the camp and the follow-up. We want to make a positive impact, not just on the young people, but on the community as a whole.

"We have a tremendous amount of people committed to impacting these kids," he added, "thanks to Mrs. Walton's vision and resources."

To learn more about Camp War Eagle, contact Day at (479) 751-8899 or log on to www.campwareagle.org.