Nestled on close to 550 acres in Randleman, North Carolina, outside of Greensboro, is a place where children with serious illnesses and chronic medical conditions can find temporary respite from the challenges they face.
It’s a place where they can spend several days enjoying nature, playing fun games, eating good food and making new friends – all at no cost to them or their families, thanks to the generous contributions of reliable donors.
This place is Victory Junction, a NASCAR-themed camp started by NASCAR’s legendary Petty family 21 years ago to put smiles on the faces of children who essentially need a break from being sick.
“We are a camp for every kid,” said Jonathan Lemmon, Victory Junction’s chief operating officer. “We want them to feel like they belong and that they can come be a kid. We’re going to take care of the medical things that are going on while they’re there. We’re going to make sure they have good, healthy, balanced nutritious meals. We’re also going to make sure it’s an environment where they can have the most fun.”
Since hosting its first campers in June 2004, Victory Junction has served tens of thousands of kids from all 50 states and several countries. Victory Junction’s traditional summer camps – open to ages 6-16 and each lasting four or five days – typically begin in early June and end in early August. Each week of camp is known as a “session” and is specifically designed for children with a particular diagnosis.
For example, one of the sessions in the summer of 2025 is for kids with cerebral palsy. Another is for children with diabetes. The full list of sessions is available at VictoryJunction.org.
Grouping campers allows Victory Junction to have the appropriate medical staff on-site each week. It also serves another very important purpose.
“Kids come to Camp and they go, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m not the only one that has this diagnosis,’ or ‘I’m not the only one that deals with going to the doctor to get dialysis every three days,’ or ‘I’m not the only one that deals with going to get chemo,’ or ‘I’m not the only one on a transplant list,’” Lemmon said. “They get to make that connection. In all the time I’ve spent at Camp, that is the most powerful thing to see. That’s because kids go from feeling like, ‘Hey, I’m alone in this’ to ‘not only am I not alone, but I keep making friends and I’m at a place where I can belong.’”
Popular attractions with Victory Junction campers include a zipline, a climbing tower, a horse barn, a petting zoo, arts and crafts, an on-site bowling alley and theater, a gym and an indoor baseball field. The most recent addition is a new waterpark paid for by the Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America. The $2.5 million project features a lazy river, splash pads, swimming areas and much more. Every Tuesday night in the summer, campers experience what’s known as the NASCARnival. This electrifying extravaganza includes carnival-style games, lots of sweet treats to eat and drink, and a live pit stop performed by a NASCAR team.
“That’s just a magical night,” Lemmon said. “That doesn’t happen anywhere else on the planet. It never gets old. But really, there’s something for everybody all day every day.”
None of this would be possible, however, without a team of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Each week in the summer, Victory Junction needs between 40 and 60 volunteers to perform a range of jobs ranging from that of cabin counselor to lifeguard.
Volunteers can serve up to three weeks in the summer, and their meals and lodging are free. Paid staff members, which typically include many teachers and college students, serve at each of the camp’s nine summer sessions and arrive early to participate in a training and orientation program. Their meals and lodging are likewise at no cost.
“Every year I ask the summer team, ‘Why do you want to work here?’” Lemmon said. “They say, ‘I want to make a difference in somebody’s life.’ I’m like, ‘That’s awesome. That’s going to happen. But what you may not realize is that these kids are going to change your life way more than you expect.’
“That’s never failed me. Every year, the staff comes up to me at the end of the summer and they go, ‘You were right.’ As long as that keeps happening, we’re going to keep doing camp.”To sign up to camp, volunteer or join the summer staff, and to learn more about Victory Junction’s application process and program offerings, including its family weekend camps and day programs, visit VictoryJunction.org.
