Pictured from left are Ricky Walker and Karen Garrett of ANCHOR, and Sheryl Agee, impact officer and team leader at The Harvest Foundation.
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ANCHOR Commission will use a $10,000 Pick Up the Pace! grant from The Harvest Foundation to expand the capacity of the Lee Ford Camp recreational facility, located in Ridgeway.
As part of this planned expansion, ANCHOR will be able to serve an additional 16 campers in the Lee Ford’s bunkhouse area. Other repairs and upgrades include the deck area, replacing entry and screen doors to the bunkhouse, and repairs to the driveways and parking areas.
“Lee Ford Camp is a unique venue that has a long history of serving our entire community,” said Sheryl Agee, impact officer and team leader at The Harvest Foundation. “We are proud to be one of the partners at the table to assist ANCHOR with the expansion and renovation project at the camp, and we applaud them for their ongoing success in developing partnerships that result in positive change for our community.”
Lee Ford Camp is a service provided by ANCHOR Commission that is open to all members of the community and surrounding area. More than 1,300 individuals used the camp last year, youth being 80 percent of those individuals. Lee Ford was reserved 53 times throughout the year for events by Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops, JROTC regional meets, and smaller events like family reunions, birthday parties and holiday events.
“The Harvest Foundation has recognized that Lee Ford Camp has a lot of potential as a recreational facility for our area, and this grant will allow us to expand the capabilities of this great community asset,” said Ricky Walker, director for ANCHOR Commission. “This grant from Harvest allowed ANCHOR to also receive an additional challenge grant from the Martinsville Kiwanis Club, who has always been a strong patron of Lee Ford Camp. Our partnership with the Martinsville Sheriff’s Office, who also has been a strong supporter of ANCHOR, is providing most of the labor for this project. These partnerships enabled us to more than double the original Harvest Foundation PUP grant in additional monetary and in-kind donations.”
Lee Ford Camp was deeded to ANCHOR Commission in 1999 by the Martinsville Kiwanis Club and has been in use since the early 1950s. It was created by a donation of land from Heck and Mattie Ford in memory of their son, Lee Ford, who died serving his country in WWII.
The 17-acre camp has a 1.5-acre lake for fishing (catch and release) and other supervised water activities, several picnic areas with tables, and a large lodge that can accommodate up to 50 people. It also includes two bunkhouses, a small cabin, and a climbing/rappelling tower as well as six primitive camping sites.
The Harvest Foundation’s Pick Up the Pace! grants program is a competitive, small grants program designed to engage people and organizations in sparking innovative ideas, collaborations and change in Martinsville and Henry County. These six-month grants for up to $10,000 are available for application year-round. To find out more, visit www. theharvestfoundation.org or call (276) 632-3329.
