Olivia Webb

Richmond County Daily Journal

He never imagined such an incredible response would come from his small community.

"How could I?" said Gene Shutt, Director of Camp Millstone in Ellerbe.

After getting shortchanged by the state due to recent budget constraints, Shutt's 4-H camp was left with a mountain of repairs to be made and funded. Resources were spread thin.

"At one point, (the state) was heavily considering shutting Millstone down for the summer, but (Shutt) pushed it, and we were able to get the camp open,” said Summer Director William Terry less than two weeks ago.

Millstone had already been forced to forgo its usual plans for Operation Military Kids, a week-long camp for children with parents who are in the armed forces and have been or will soon be deployed.

Retired Marine A.B. Thompson of Rockingham brought the program back to life on Monday by writing a check for the entire amount needed to run OMK this summer: $30,000.

"I didn't really think about it more than 20 minutes," said Thompson. "A lot of these kids are vulnerable; they don't understand what's going on. They don't understand why dad has to go halfway around the world to fight a war for somebody they've never even heard of."

Thompson pointed to the children of recently-deployed Hamlet National Guardsmen as examples.

"For the ones whose parents just left, the camp is a good place for them to get away from that trauma," said Thompson. "A lot of them actually get ragged on or bullied about it because the other kids don't understand. Their friends at school don't have the simplest concept of what's gong on.

"They see their daddy leaving to go over there, and nobody's waving a flag for them."

Thompson's son is in Iraq right now, and his uncle was a prisoner of war in the Philippines during World War II. The money that his uncle received after his release was part of what helped Thompson pay for the project. But he said that where the money came from is not important.

"I don't care about anybody except the 100 little kids," said Thompson, who added that he plans to be at the camp every day this summer. "You have to realize that the people of the United States are not fighting this war. The military is fighting this war. Everyone else is at Wal-Mart or going to the beach."

According to Terry, additional community support has gotten Millstone up to snuff in ways that he never thought imaginable.

"I've gotten calls from people in Richmond County who didn't even know this place existed," said Terry. "One lady called and said that she couldn't physically make it out there, but she wanted to send a donation. We can't thank the community enough. Just to see the camaraderie of the people that have been here - everyone's heart is on the same page.

A number of local individuals and businesses have donated supplies, money and services to the cause: Elektran , Rockingham Paint and Glass, Rex's Floor Covering, Chance Painting, Derek Crawford, Dr. Rembert Crawford, Wesley Williams & Son Farms, Vulcan, Angie Pressley, William and Crystal Gathings, Larry Johns, Dr. David and Katherine Arnold, Statha Osborne, J.D. Osborne, Nicholas Arnold, Drew Russell, Ben Russell, Patrick Arnold and many more anonymous donors.

A workday is scheduled for today.

Terry said the state officials that Millstone reports to were ecstatic when they heard the news.

"They said 'We didn't know ya'll could do that. We can't believe you have this happening and that happening,'" said Terry proudly.

"And we're like 'Yeah, we sure do.'"

According to Terry, spots for summer camp are available. For more information contact Millstone 4-H Camp at 652-5905 or visit www.millstone4hcamp.org.