- Founded by Lucy Mendenhall in 2020 as a pandemic project, Camp Rock has grown from nine kids to 140 campers this year, offering free activities to 25 children thanks to community donations.
- Campers, including first-timers Dayrelly Palma and Faith Crunt, have highlighted the significance of making new friends and enjoying activities like carnival games and skee ball.
- Returning counselors Claire Lickett and Grant Grace emphasize the camp's fun and importance.
A local teen's pandemic project has grown into a thriving summer camp providing free activities for dozens of children in our Central Omaha neighborhood.
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Camp Rock, founded by Lucy Mendenhall in 2020, started as a way to create fun activities for her siblings during pandemic shutdowns. What began with just nine kids has now expanded to 140 campers across three sessions.
This year marks a significant milestone for the camp as community donations have made it possible for 25 children to attend completely free of charge.
"I hate the fact that childcare is so expensive. A few of my friends were telling me that they thought I should increase our prices for camp but I was like I don't think that's what I wanna do," Mendenhall said.
The camp offers a variety of activities including carnival games, skee ball, and opportunities for children to make new friendships.
For first-time campers like Dayrelly Palma, the experience has been transformative.
"My favorite memory would be like talking and having friends, making new friends," Palma said.
Fellow camper Faith Crunt echoed those sentiments.
"My favorite memory would be making like new friends, like she said," Crunt said.
The impact extends beyond just the campers. Counselors Claire Lickett and Grant Grace, who grew up with Mendenhall, have returned every summer since the camp's inception.
"It doesn't even feel like a job with how fun it is. Like I'd do it even if I wasn't getting paid, so it's just so fun," Lickett said.
Grace believes in the camp's mission, adding, "I think every, every kid deserves to have an experience like this to go to camp."
Donations from local businesses, nonprofits, and community members in our Central Omaha neighborhood made the scholarships possible, ensuring that summer fun isn't limited by a family's financial situation.
While Mendenhall heads to college next year and is uncertain about the camp's future, she says the experience has helped shape her career plans.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
