lol
Pattie wanted the camp to be "George Jetson meets NASCAR,"
and designers pretty much nailed that theme.
Adam's crewmen officially open Camp
By Lee Montgomery, Turner Sports Interactive
(nascar.com)
N.C. Governor: 'Adam would be extremely proud'
RANDLEMAN, N.C. -- Finally, four years and $23 million
later, the Victory Junction Gang Camp was ready to open.
All the dignitaries were here, from North Carolina Gov.
Mike Easley to NASCAR president Mike Helton to singer Sara
Evans to four-time champion Jeff Gordon to actor Paul Newman.
The Petty family, of course, was center stage, from Richard
and Lynda Petty to Kyle and Pattie Petty and Austin and
Montgomery Lee Petty - Adam's siblings.
The camp was on display, from its brightly colored buildings
to its HorsePower Garage to the racecar-shaped Adam's
Race Shop.
All that was left was to cut the ribbon. The founding
members gathered around a special show car with 8-year-old
camper Haleigh Epperson. Kyle Petty grabbed the microphone
and addressed the crowd gathered inside the Race Track.
But the ribbon-cutting wouldn't be done by Kyle or Pattie
Petty, the driving forces behind the camp. Nor would
it be done by anyone with NASCAR. Or Newman. Or a
prospective camper.
No, after a lengthy discussion, Petty decided there could
be only one group of people to have that honor. Petty
held back tears as he then called up "all the guys who
worked for Adam on his Busch team when he was racing
at New Hampshire" on that fateful day in 2000 when Adam
Petty lost his life.
Slowly, crew members walked to the car. The crowd applauded
earnestly, and more than a few tears were shed. Petty
handed the scissors to Stephen Patseavouras, whom Petty
hired to look after Adam and his team.
Finally, the camp was open.
"We want you to take a little of Adam's smile with you,"
Kyle Petty said. "We want you all to be a part of
Adam's team."
Campers will start arriving here Sunday, as the first group
of 125 kids with chronic illnesses or life-threatening
diseases get to go to camp. The idea is simple: let all
kids go to camp, no matter what.
After Adam died, Kyle and Pattie came up with the Victory
Junction idea, but that was only the start. Millions of
dollars needed to be raised, and people needed to get
involved. The first driver to step up was Bobby Labonte,
and the second was Dale Jarrett, Petty said.
Later, several NASCAR drivers got involved, and both Pettys
made a special effort to thank Tony Stewart, whose
foundation pledged $1 million to the camp last year.
NASCAR itself also got involved, as did several corporations.
On Tuesday, the invitation-only grand opening honored all
the people and businesses who helped build the camp and
fund its operation.
There was one building, however, that's not quite done.
Adam's Race Shop, shaped like Adam's No. 45 car, is an
interactive building that will teach campers about NASCAR
through hands-on exhibits - including a race simulator.
Austin and Montgomery Lee Petty will help finish sponsorship
of the shop with a golf tournament at Pinehurst No. 2, the
two announced Tuesday night. And that announcement was
the most poignant of them all.
Montgomery Lee, the Petty's 18-year-old daughter, began to
cry when talking about the shop.
"I know how important it was for Adam to have the best race
shop," Montgomery Lee said. "Now he has the best."
Noting the rain drops falling on the camp, Montgomery Lee
said they were Adam's tears falling from heaven because
"he wishes he was here."
The rain also caused Kyle Petty to joke about his long
hair, saying he was going to quickly go through his
speech about the camp "because I don't know about y'all,
but this weather is killing my hair."
The rain later stopped, allowing a full view of the
75-acre campground, built on land donated by Richard
and Lynda Petty.
There's the Goody's Body Shop (hospital), the Fuel Stop
(dining hall), a gymnasium, a Fab Shop (a beauty shop where
you go to "get fabulous," Pattie said), an arts and crafts
building, a boathouse, a dock and fishing pavilion, a Soap
Box Racer (laundry hall), an Aquatic Center, housing for
campers and staff and other buildings.
Pattie wanted the camp to be "George Jetson meets NASCAR,"
and designers pretty much nailed that theme.
Victory Junction has designated eight disease-specific
week-long sessions, with kids with hemophilia and juvenile
rheumatoid arthritis in the first group.
The camp will be ready to accept them with open arms ...
fresh paint ... and plenty of smiles.
"Adam would be extremely proud," Gov. Easley said.
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