Camp Quality creates important friendships

CHRIS ROUSH/DAILY FORUM
Camp Quality Companion Dakota, left, hangs out with his Camp Quality camper, Rhett. The two spent the week together at Camp Farwesta in Stewartsville.

Friendship. That word is often overlooked and sometimes underused. However, friendship is the key component for Camp Quality of Northwest Missouri. The camp allows children that are battling cancer to cut loose for a week and just enjoy being a kid.

“It’s fun to get to know different kids,” camper Rhett said. “I like to learn about what they like and what they enjoy to do.”

This is Rhett’s second year at Camp Quality and he enjoys being able to meet new people and create lasting friendships. While Rhett is battling cancer, you could never tell by the attitude that he had during camp. Rhett’s companion, Dakota, was right by Rhett’s side and said he has learned a lot from working with Rhett.

“There are so many things in life that we complain about,” Dakota said. “We don’t like waiting at red lights or waiting in line, but you have these kids that could be complaining about everything, but they aren’t. It makes you take a step back and wonder why you complain about things.”

The duo enjoyed an afternoon in the sun Tuesday and played a little bit of volleyball. Even though Rhett said that Dakota doesn’t let him win, he enjoys having Dakota around to hang out with.

“It’s fun and he’s nice to me,” Rhett said. “He helps me get up if I’m taking my shoes off or anything. He’s by my side.”

Dakota and Rhett are just one example of the lives that Camp Quality touches every year. This is the Camp Quality’s 30th year and co-executive director Gabe Bailey said that this is not just a camp.

“We are not a camp,” Bailey said. “Camp Quality is a misnomer. We are a year-round event and a year-round program that provides support.”

Bailey has been a part of Camp Quality for 27 years and he started out as a companion and still occasionally sees his first companion’s family.

“I was a part of my first camper’s family and still today, I will see an aunt or uncle,” Bailey said. “Its pretty amazing stuff. Some of these people bond to the families and remain an intricate part of that family for years.”

Several companions and volunteers have been a part of Camp Quality for years and sometimes-former campers turn into companions. That scenario is true for Arianne Bredlow. She was a camper at Camp Quality from 1996 until 2008 and now serves as the activities coordinator for the program. Along with being the activities coordinator, she was a companion for three years and doesn’t know what she would do without Camp Quality.

“They are my second family,” said Bredlow, who resides in Ravenwood and is a senior at Northwest Missouri State University. “I have known most of these people since I was 5 years old and you create a bond with these people at camp or outside of camp. You greet them with hugs. We are a family.”

During her time as a camper, Bredlow was thankful for her companions and the staff that was by her side for the week of camp and year-round. She decided that becoming a companion would be a great experience for her and other campers.

“Camp gave me so much when I was a camper and I just wanted to give that back,” Bredlow said. “I want to give back to another camper because I had wonderful companions and I wanted to give that companionship to another child.”

One of the important aspects of being a companion is being there for the child as well as the child’s family. Since Bredlow had already been a camper, she was able to provide comfort to children’s families, who were concerned about sending their children away to camp for a week.

“It’s a great feeling giving back to a child, I love it,” Bredlow said. “You create a special bond with that kid, especially if you were a camper. You can talk about what you went through and you aren’t just there for the child, but also the parents.”

During the week and around the year, Bredlow plans events for Camp Quality and makes sure that the events are enjoyable for the children. Bredlow said that just being able to provide something like Camp Quality could change someone’s life.

“It develops a sense of hope,” Bredlow said. “These kids get to come here and be kids. There are some restrictions, but we make sure it’s a safe environment for them. The children can just be themselves.”

The family atmosphere that Bailey and Bredlow spoke so highly of has touched so many lives at Camp Quality. One person that has been touched by the support is Natalie. She has been a camper for 13 years and has enjoyed the many different aspects the camp provides children. Natalie loves to play on the inflatable volleyball court and loves swimming at the camp pool and going over to Cameron to swim during the week.

“It’s been really fun and a great experience,” Natalie said. “I just enjoy coming back every year and hanging out with my friends.”

Camp Quality has provided children hope and safe haven from the outside world. The children that attend the week long camp have the opportunity to forget about any problems they have. The camp gives the children a reason to forget the bad and embrace the family atmosphere.

“This place is an amazing place with amazing people,” Natalie said. “I just have to come back.”

The program has been able to help hundreds of children over the past 30 years and while it helps children, the volunteers also receive a few lessons of their own.

Jan Moutray, of Barnard, has been a part of Camp Quality for the last 30 years and has been on site for 27 years. She is one of the camp’s photographers and has the opportunity to help and watch so many children enjoy themselves.

“You kind of forget that they’re sick until you see them go to the nurse,” Moutray said. “You hear about what they go through and it makes you think about everything. These kids are my heroes.”

Karen Giesken, of Maryville, is another volunteer that is serving as a dorm parent and has been involved for 24 years. Most people may think that the companions have a bigger impact on the children, but it’s the children who sometimes have a bigger impact on the companions.

“Just seeing the relationships being built is great,” Giesken said. “It’s indescribable, watching them make friends and enjoy themselves. It’s a family that never ends.

The camp portion of Camp Quality may be just a week long, but the lasting impact that a camp at Camp Farwesta in Stewartsville, Missouri can’t be measured.

“I get goose bumps when I see all the children laughing and having fun,” Bredlow said. “Just seeing them create these friendships is a great feeling.”