LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — Holt Daniels is a 17-year-old junior at Charlotte Latin but is no stranger to camp life at the YMCA.
Next summer will mark his 10th year at YMCA’s Camp Thunderbird serving as a junior counselor.
“When I was a first-grader I started going during the summer for two weeks and every single summer I come back to spend a night for two weeks," Daniels said.
Camp Thunderbird has been welcoming campers for over 80 years on Lake Wylie. The camps host both overnight and day camps for kids to be adventurous.
“My favorite activity definitely has to be the ropes course. There’s lots of lars, there’s a zipline there’s a big alpine tower you can climb 50ft off the ground," Daniels said.
Holt said it's also a safe place for campers to build friendships and embrace their authenticity.
“So as a kid I remember if there was a school year where I didn’t have very many friends at school or in other areas of my life I was able to come to camp and it was this whole other world where I could be exactly who I am," Daniels said.
This opportunity is something Holt wants everyone to experience.
From now to the end of 2021 he is hoping to raise $10,000 to go towards Camp’s scholarship program. Every year the fund ensures that kids of any financial background will have the opportunity to make memories at Camp Thunderbird.
“I have a donor that has promised to match every donor I raise up to ten thousand dollars," Daniels said.
He is hoping the community will step up and help him make a difference so new faces will join Camp Thunderbird and make lifetime memories.
“A donation of $1, $2, $5, $25 is really going to mean something and it's really going to help us meet our goal," Daniels said.
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