CAMP's History

Children’s Association for Maximum Potential (CAMP) began in 1979 when a group of US Air Force pediatricians, Dr. Chris Plauche Johnson, Dr. Fred McCurdy, and Dr. Robert de Lemos, along with other health professionals, brought 32 children with disabilities together for a weekend camp.

These campers were not accepted to other camps - even those for children with disabilities - due to the severity of their medical conditions or disabilities. CAMP was incorporated in 1980 and held camps at rented facilities during its first 10 years. In 1989 CAMP purchased an old church camp facility and began retrofitting and adapting it to meet the needs of its campers. Today, over 40 summers later, CAMP’s main purpose remains to help campers reach their maximum potential and has grown to serve well over 1,000 individuals with disabilities every year.