Imagine being a physically or mentally disabled child and not being able to join your peers in physical activities. Mark Price and his wife Amanda had this in mind when they decided to found Camp Conquest, a summer camp dedicated specifically to children and adults with special needs.
The inspiration behind Camp Conquest came to the Prices when some friends of theirs told them they were having difficulties looking for summertime activities for their autistic children. Mark began searching for summer camps, and he found a special needs camp called Camp Barnabas in Purdy, Missouri. He became acquainted with the founder, who, after a handful of conversations, offered to come down and help the Prices start a special needs camp of their own.
“We had identified three different campgrounds that we could rent for our summer camps,” says Price. “So he and his wife came to Memphis and looked at those three properties. And they said The Grove at Red Oak Lake would be our best option.”
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So, with the help of Camp Barnabas’ leadership team, the Prices were able to host their own camp in 2011 and 2012. And in 2013, they filed for nonprofit status as Camp Conquest.
“This was just a huge answer to prayer because with us knowing nothing about operating a camp, they brought their leadership team and taught us everything we needed to know that we could just absorb,” says Price.
The Prices have since bought a permanent property in Millington for Camp Conquest, where they are able to provide an “extraordinary camp” for “extraordinary people.” At this new location, children participating in the program will have the opportunity to partake in thrilling activities, like zip lining, rock climbing, horse riding, canoeing, and more.
“These kids see stuff like this and they think, boy, I wish I could do that,” says Price. “They see people go down the zip line or the lake slide — because most camps that you go to, they don’t have the ability to do this.”
According to Price, of the 3,000 summer camps in the U.S. that claim to take special needs kids, only 10 percent of them serve children with all disabilities, including cerebral palsy, down syndrome, and more. Camp Conquest is able to serve these children by obtaining the best safety equipment, such as specialized zip line chair harnesses, as well as implementing adequate safety protocols and bringing on a substantial number of qualified and verified staff members and volunteers to ensure children’s safety.
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“There are always two people at the bottom of the lake when campers come off that lake slide to help get them out,” says Price. “They have to wear a life preserver and helmet. Same with the zip line: There are five people who are checking and double checking every connection to make sure they’re ready to go. We don’t just set them up there and push them down. We let them make that decision because that’s what builds their confidence after some time.”
Price reflects on the experience of one camper, named Amanda, who is confined to an electric wheelchair and has very limited use of her hands. “She said, ‘Okay, I’m ready,’” Price says. “And down the lake slide she went. She went home and learned Spanish and learned how to brush her hair because of that and how it impacted her.”
Amanda is not the only camper who has exhibited drastic improvements in confidence and ability following a week-long stay at Camp Conquest. “If anybody tries to start a conversation with many of the kids, they’re very, very bashful and shy,” says Price. “But parents say that after camp they see a big difference, and their kids will actually start conversations with people.”
It’s no wonder these campers exhibit higher levels of confidence, considering that after Camp Conquest many of them are able to say they’ve now done something their parents might not have done before.
“At the end of camp, one of the things I always love to do is ask first-time parents, ‘How many of you have been down a zip line before?’” says Price. “One or two hands will go up. And I’ll say, ‘Okay kids, how many of you went down the zip line?’ And they all go up. So now these kids have something that they’ve done that their parents haven’t done.”
Right now, spots for this summer’s program are full, but the Prices are working on building more cabins, expanding into a nine-week summer program, and implementing week-long spring and fall break camps to keep up with the high demand for campers. Visit campconquest.com to stay posted on registration for campers and volunteers, which rolls out in December.
Julia Baker, a second-generation journalist, is a staff writer for Memphis Parent magazine and a University of Memphis junior.