Mo. camp that helped kids destroyed by tornado

RACINE, Mo. (AP) -- Last weekend's tornado wiped out a church camp where generations -- including children with cancer and in foster care -- had come to enjoy nature.

The damage from Saturday's tornado left little standing at the Ozark Camp and Retreat Center north of Racine, which has been owned by the regional Community of Christ organization since the 1940s.

"I grew up there, a lot of local people grew up there when they were kids," said Neosho resident Kenneth Simpson. "It's kind of like a part of our family is gone now."

Simpson's church in Neosho is one of about 20 Community of Christ congregations that use the campground.

The tornado destroyed all the cabins and heavily damaged the kitchen, dining hall, bathrooms and dormitories, said resident managers Sandy and Valerie Twitchell. The main outdoor pavilion sustained exterior damage and all the smaller pavilions were wiped out.

Half of the cabins had been renovated just last year, the outdoor pavilion was updated and a ribbon-cutting was held earlier this month for a swimming pool under construction.

The worst damage, however, may have been the loss of 50 percent to 75 percent of the property's trees.

"I didn't care about the buildings, but you can't regrow 100-year-old trees by next year," said Valerie Twitchell. "It will never look the same as far as the trees."

Twitchell said the church organization has halted repairs until its insurance company assesses the damage. She said church leaders plan to rebuild.

The camp was booked for the entire summer and fall except for one week in June. Now, no events will be held this year and Twitchell said it's too early to tell if the camp will be ready next year.

Many area children experienced the outdoors at the camp, sometimes for the first time in their lives.

Camp Soroptimist, a civic group, organized camps for Jasper and Newton counties' foster children for the past 23 years, mostly at the Ozark campground.

Terri Falis-Cochran, co-chairwoman of Camp Soroptimist, said the campground was "so important" to the community.

"I'm surprised every year by how many kids have never been fishing," Falis-Cochran said. "They get so excited when you show them how to bait the hook and when they catch their first fish. Some of these kids would never have the opportunity to go horseback riding otherwise or do some of the other fun things that kids should do."

Falis-Cochran said the group's camp will be held in July at Cyokamo Camp near Alba.

David Adams, director of Camp Quality of the Ozarks, was planning a summer camp in July for children with cancer at the Ozark campground and is now scrambling to find another site.

"I think it will be a little bit sad to go somewhere else," Adams said. "This camp has become a special place for all of us. We're going to miss it, but we're going to be back next year."

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Information from: The Joplin Globe, http://www.joplinglobe.com