Families gathered Sunday morning at the Salina Family YMCA as campers boarded a bus bound for Camp Wood YMCA near Elmdale in the Flint Hills. Camp Wood has been serving youth and families for more than 100 years and operates on more than 800 acres of tallgrass prairie, with a philosophy focused on helping young people be you, be adventurous, and belong.
Longtime YMCA member Bill Medina was at the departure to share why the program matters. He described how, after moving to Salina at age 10 and facing difficult circumstances, he was able to go to Camp Wood through a program that helped kids attend camp. Decades later, Medina said he has never forgotten that impact and has found a way to give back to the Y.