Camp John Marc a Family Legacy

Programs get children with chronic illnesses, special needs outdoors

Started in 1991, Camp John Marc partners with area pediatric hospitals to serve children, teens, and families with chronic illnesses and other special needs.

“We run 11 weeklong summer camps and 29 weekend camps,” executive director Kevin Randles said. “Every week and every weekend is for its own chronic illness or major physical challenge — oncology, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell, spina bifida, across the board.”

There is no cost to the campers or their families, and the medical teams from the hospitals accompany them to camp. 

Highland Park residents Marc and Jan Myers donated their ranch land for the camp in memory of their son, John Marc, who sadly succumbed to cancer. 

They noticed how well John Marc recovered from treatments in the nature-filled rural area and wanted to help other youngsters with chronic medical conditions.

What started with 160 acres has grown in the ensuing years into a 235-acre camp serving 3,000 campers annually.

“We ride horses, do the zip line, swimming, fishing, sports and games, arts and crafts – just a very traditional camp,” Randles said.

Based on risk, the camp took a two-year pause during the pandemic, making do with virtual programming. 

“But you can’t substitute the in-person building of personal relationships,” Randles said. “We were ecstatic to reopen in 2022.” 

With in-person camps resumed, attendance is growing again, he said. “2023 is feeling more and more typical, building upon the success of last year and getting back to pre-pandemic status.” 

Campers range in age from 6 to 16. 

“Every Tuesday night is cookout night,” Randles said, smiling. “We take the cabins out in groups and cook chicken fajitas and vegetables on a campfire with hand-cranked ice cream. It’s a lot of fun.”

Jan and Marc Myers continue to be involved, and all three of their surviving children serve on the board. 

It costs $585 per week per camper, with $390 subsidized by the camp and the remainder by sponsoring organizations and the partnering hospitals – Children’s Health, Scottish Rite, Parkland in Dallas, and Cook Children’s in Fort Worth.

The annual Campership Drive began recently. 

“Anybody can donate or volunteer,” Randles said. “Our full-time team is about 10 people, then 60 to 80 volunteer counselors per week, and the medical staff comes down.”

Many former campers return as camp counselors, bringing things full circle. 

“In the 35 years we’ve been open, we’ve had 15 or 16 pairs of counselors get married,” he added, stressing the family-like nature of the organization. 

“A lot of the counselors are pre-med, child life specialists, social workers, pre-PA, pre-nursing,” Randles added. “It’s a great way to see the therapeutic benefits of camping for the medical population outside of a clinical setting.”

“We love providing therapeutic experiences for the campers. It’s a week or a weekend where the focus is not on their illness. It’s a very normalizing childhood experience.”