On Tuesday, February 22nd at 1 p.m., the McClaughertys, CAMP leadership and its Board of Directors will unveil the new monument—a huge boulder embossed with “Children’s Association for Maximum Potential” and its colorful logo, in honor of their son Neal who enjoyed ten years there, as a Camper. CAMP’s summer camp is located in Centerpoint TX, in the Texas Hill Country.
Neal’s life story is eloquently captured in the book “Neal: Champion,” written by Larry & Kathy McClaugherty “and 21 of Neal’s closest friends” including Hope de Lemos, a former CAMP Director and daughter of a CAMP Co-Founder, who says she “became absolutely smitten with a young man with an infectious smile and charming disposition….Neal was an extraordinary testimony to intelligence and wit. He knew how to command a room, and without fail, was one of the biggest flirts known around our little slide of heaven.” Neal’s short bio is below.
Larry said this to me about CAMP: “Quite simply, the culture at CAMP is love. Being at CAMP is like a religious experience. It gets in your blood and changes you; you measure things differently. It changes how you see kids….and life.”
Just as Neal spread joy while at CAMP, so have his parents. Besides this incredible welcome monument (which is such a fitting tribute to Neal who welcomed everyone with his huge infectious smile), Larry and Kathy have been involved at CAMP for years:
- coordinated the CAMP golf tournament for 11 years at Tapatio Springs,
- engaged pharmacist friend Trang Le in Pearland who helped provide over-the-counter medications and whose daughter attended CAMP several summers as a counselor
- established summer rotation with Pharmacy students who did rotations with Larry, starting with U of Houston and growing to UT and Texas Tech. Two former students still work at CAMP: Genee Nguyen Santiago, Pharm. D. (who has brought students) and Sara Wisecup Kubes, Pharm.D., Clinical Assistant Professor at UT Health San Antonio (who also brings students)
- served for a number of years on CAMP Board
- has annually supported CAMP through all memorials and giving at the yearly Gala
- recognized by the United Way in San Antonio as the Volunteer Family of the Year (even though they lived in Friendswood TX at the time but traveled six hours to bring Neal to CAMP)
- honored in 2012 with the CAMP Heroes Award for their unwavering support of CAMP