DAVIS– From May 23 – 25, CrossTimbers will host Camp Perfect Wings 2024. This amazing camp is held once per year and is designed especially for special needs children and adults ages 8 and up. Campers will get to experience morning and evening worship, guided activities such as music, crafts, target sports, motorcycle rides, carriage rides, a cookout and more.
“Camp Perfect Wings gives these kids and adults a place to come and have fun,” said CrossTimbers Program Director Sarah Hagar. “They get to spend time with friends doing things they enjoy.”
This year, Camp Perfect Wings welcomes Pastor David Anderson, Louisiana Baptists Children’s Ministry Strategist, as the speaker.
Our friends and family members that have special needs, all they want to do is experience life like everyone else does,” Anderson said. “Camp Perfect Wings gives them that time every year to help them focus on God and for us to focus on them. It gives them a setting that is accepting of them.”
At the camp, there are two types of attendees: Campers and Buddies. Campers are children and adults 8 years and older who have intellectual or developmental disabilities.
Campers will enjoy games, activities and Bible time designed with their special needs in mind. A responsible adult or teen, designated as a Buddy, may accompany up to three campers. In some cases, the friendships forged at Camp Perfect Wings can last long after the camp ended.
One year, a camper named Peter formed a special bond with his Buddy, Tyler. Tyler was a student and football player from Deer Creek High School. Tyler’s teacher had requested some of the football players attend the camp as Buddies and he was paired with Peter.
The two went everywhere together and connected so well that Tyler ended up visiting Peter even after the camp had ended. Unfortunately, a few years later Peter passed away from a disease, and Tyler spoke at Peter’s funeral, showing how strong their friendship was.
Peter was just so full of life and loved everyone,” Anderson said. “They formed a true friendship that lasted long after the camp. Because of that, we now have a Superman Award named after Peter and Tyler for those who go above and beyond.”
This year’s theme for Camp Perfect Wings is “Made New”, based on 2 Corinthians 5:17. Anderson will be speaking about who the campers really are and how they are not defined by their special needs.
“They aren’t defined by their special needs,” Anderson said. “Who they are in Christ is what defines them and what Christ has designed them to be.”
Camp Perfect Wings is supported by gifts through the Cooperative Pro- gram. For more information, visit oklahomabaptists.org/childhood/ camp-perfect-wings.