Nearly 20 kids from Salina headed to Camp Wood YMCA this week, many of them attending at no cost thanks to scholarship support and community generosity.

According to the YMCA, for the campers, the trip means a week of adventure, friendship, and personal growth. For those who helped make it possible, it is a reminder of the lasting impact a camp experience can have on a child’s life.

On Sunday morning, families gathered at the Salina Family YMCA as campers boarded a bus bound for Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale in the Flint Hills of Kansas. Before departure, longtime YMCA member Bill Medina was there to wish the campers well and share a story that illustrates why opportunities like this matter so much.

Camp Wood YMCA has been serving youth and families for more than 100 years. Located on more than 800 acres of scenic tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills. Its philosophy encourages young people to “Be You, Be Adventurous, and Belong,” while helping them build confidence, character, and meaningful relationships.

For Medina, those values were more than a slogan.

“When I was 10 years old, our family moved to Salina,” Medina recalled. “Life was difficult. My father was serving in Vietnam, and like many military families at the time, we faced uncertainty and challenges. I was struggling and often getting into trouble.”

A referral to Camp Wood changed the course of his life.

“We didn’t have any money at that time, but there was a program to help kids go to camp and I got to go,” he said. “It was a life-changing experience for me.”

Decades later, Medina has never forgotten what that opportunity meant.

“It wasn’t until almost 40 years later that I was able to give back to the Y,” he said. “This is a wonderful family organization that unites kids and their parents in activities that build memories that last a lifetime.”

His story highlights an often-unseen impact of scholarship programs and youth development initiatives. While a week at camp may seem like a simple summer experience, supporters say it can help children discover confidence, develop resiliency, form friendships, and gain a sense of belonging that carries into adulthood.

For the Salina Family YMCA, sending nearly 20 local youth to camp this summer represents more than a successful program, it represents an investment in the future. The campers boarding the bus Sunday morning may return home with stories about hiking trails, campfires, new friendships, and outdoor adventures. But if Medina’s experience is any indication, some may also return with lessons and memories that influence the rest of their lives.