Angelica Ramos
Contributing Writer
CHRISTIANSBURG- For the first time in many years, Christiansburg Jill’s Buddy Camp and Salem Jill’s Buddy Camp have come together for summertime fun.
Jill’s Buddy Camp is a one week summer program for children with special needs where they are paired with a “buddy” who is a teenage volunteer. Jill’s Buddy Camp was originally founded as “Buddy Camp” by Dr. Tommy Barber in 1981 and was brought to Salem in 1984. “Buddy Camp” wasn’t renamed until 2013 after a former “buddy” who had gone on to become a teacher and reading specialist for hearing-impaired children in Washington D.C, Jill Bailey Chenet, had passed away tragically. Dr. Barber and his team renamed it “Jill’s Buddy Camp” and started the “Jill’s Buddy Camp Foundation” in 2013 in her honor.
With the help of Christiansburg Parks and Recreation through Montgomery County Public Schools, Jill’s Buddy Camp has a Christiansburg branch as well. For the first time in 10 years, according to Christiansburg Parks and Recreation Director Brad Epperley, the Salem and Christiansburg branches held their first combined camp day at the new Huckleberry Park on June 26, 2024. This combined event hosted both chapters and their buddies, a petting zoo, fun in the sun on the splash pad, smiles and laughter on the playground and plenty of pizza for lunch. Mayor Micheal Barber was in attendance and enjoyed spending the morning with the buddies on the playground and even enjoying some pizza himself.
With Christiansburg Parks and Recreations mission including accessibility and inclusivity, their involvement with Jill’s Buddy Camp aligns with that as the events and camp activities both branches host have a long lasting effect on children with special needs and the volunteers that care for them.
“This camp is very special to me,” said Epperley, “as it provides an opportunity for children with disabilities to enjoy the camp experience and form lifelong friends with their buddies. This is our 10th year in Christiansburg. When we started the camp 10 years ago, my plan was for the camp to make a great impact on the campers. What I have found over the past 10 years is that the campers have made just great of an impact on the buddies, teachers, staff and myself. Being able to share today with Salem’s Jill’s Buddy Camp was very special for me. Tommy Barber and I worked on this for a while and even spoke at the NRPA (National Recreation and Parks Association) and VRPS (Virginia Recreation Parks Society) about the camp and the impacts it can make within the community. We were able to get other similar camps started in other areas as our ultimate goal is to see growth of the camp. Having both of our camps together today [June 26] really brought a great deal of joy to me.”
