CityView Magazine - Fayetteville, NC
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/35097
IN THE HEART OF DIXIE A Christian camp is a positive retreat for local kids | By Stephanie Brigman Nestled in the Sandhills of Eastern North Carolina, Camp Dixie’s lakeside setting and summer camp are bound to leave fond camp memories for children. Camp Dixie offers daycamp for younger campers or the full overnight camp experience broken into age groups for older children. A 48 | July/August • 2011 nticipation runs high, as campers and parents line the road for a mile outside of the gates at Camp Dixie. Whether they are newcomers or camp veterans, these kids can already feel the excitement of the week ahead. Summer days filled with playing games, creating lifelong friendships, exploring opportunities and learning more about the Gospel not only opens new possibilities for campers, but inspires them as well. Alexandria Wiggs first attended the camp when she was in the sixth grade and for the next five years, Wiggs looked forward to that one week during the summer when she could leave the stress of life at the camp gate and enjoy the fun, positive atmosphere of Camp Dixie. “[Before] that one week every summer at that amazing place, we all had pretty rough and stressful school years,” Wiggs said. “But by the time Camp Dixie came around, it would feel like a cup of cool water — so refreshing. Something you really needed after being so emotionally, physically and spiritually worn down from the stress that everyday life brings. Nothing will ever match the feeling in my stomach when I drove through those gates. I instantly felt like I was home.” Founded in 1967 as a non-profit Advent Christian camp and conference center, Camp Dixie is open only to private organizations and has provided space for church retreats, conferences, non-profit organization training sessions and private summer camps hosted by various churches. Located on Highway 87, the camp’s large acreage and natural