(KERR COUNTY, TEXAS) — A summer camp in central Texas designed for children with disabilities that had severe damage following the deadly flooding that hit the region was unexpectedly able to open on time this summer, thanks, in part, to the help from two men and hundreds of volunteers.
CAMP’s, the Children’s Association for Maximum Potential, camp saw its riverfront and grounds destroyed, while its main facilities on higher ground were thankfully not drastically impacted, facilities director Ken Kaiser told ABC News.
The two men, Rusty Bourland and Cord Shiflet, didn’t know each other, but they met by chance as both were motivated to help others following the floods that started on July 4. There are at least 134 deaths attributed to the flooding, a majority in Kerr County. And 101 people are still missing. In some of the most affected areas, more than 20 inches of rain fell in a matter of hours. The Guadalupe River rose 26 feet in less than an hour.
Bourland, who owns a landscaping business in Austin, Texas, and Shiflet, an Austin real estate agent and content creator, showed up to work in Center Point, Texas and began talking about the sites that needed the most help.
Both had heard whispers about a place called CAMP, but had no idea where it was or why it was so special.
“The place is amazing and it just makes me so emotional talking about it,” Shiflet, holding back tears, told ABC News.
Shiflet said he remembers the first time he walked into the summer camp.
“I just knew that when I asked people to help, they would show up. They’d come out in spades to help with stuff or to volunteer,” he said.
And that’s exactly what happened, they said.
On the first day, the two arrived at the camp on July 9, hoping to have 100 people, but were surprised when over 275 showed up. On day two, more than 300 attended. By day three, more than 500 came to help, and by day four, they believed there were over 1,000 volunteers.
Their mission was to clean up the debris and make the place ready to open just nine days after the floods hit. Giant trees were uprooted, lots of equipment, benches and picnic tables were washed down the river. So much was gone.
Victims were found in the area, officials said, so their mission moved slowly and methodically out of respect for people who were impacted.
“Our priority was to clear pathways leading to the waterfront. Easier said than done,” Bourland said. “Thirty people would stand around the excavators to watch and make and sure there wasn’t victims in those piles.”The skid steer would come in and move a pile, with more people looking to make sure there were no victims. “Then, if all was clear, that step was a burn pile,” Bourland said.
Shiflet utilized his social media platforms to garner donations and attract people from all over the country to help. Bourland, who had been called on in the past to help with clean-up projects after Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Bill, coordinated the cleanup. He knew how to work the equipment that would be needed for the debris, where to get it and how to manage teams of people.
The emotionally and physically draining days paid off, they said.
“So much has gone on recently with politics and everyone being nasty to each other. And that’s the way it’s felt lately,” Shiflet said. “This felt so good to see everyone coming out for one purpose. Minnesota, Arizona, Florida, Alabama and even Mexico. There were so many good people that reached out and came in from all over the country. It was heartwarming to feel and see that.”
On Sunday, July 13, CAMP welcomed campers back, Susan Osborne CAMP’s CEO told ABC News.
“You know, I think that our campers just love what we do. They enjoy to go out fishing and canoeing and swimming and horseback riding and all the things that we provide,” Osborne said. “I was a little hesitant. I think when we first contacted parents, I thought maybe we might have some mass cancellations, but as we were communicating a lot with our parents, we wanted to let them know that we were okay and that everybody was safe.”
After more than a week of volunteering, Shiflet and Bourland went home to their families. A project that should have taken months to finish, was completed in four days and left the pair with a desire to do more, they said.
“I left this project a changed person,” Shiflet said. “ I just realized what’s important in the world and what I’ve been doing. Forget all the other stuff and focus on this. I need to be there for my community and do more.”
“I had no idea we’d be rebuilding anything. I was just going down there as a volunteer to help,” Bourland said. “Honestly, it was the most unbelievable amount of emotions that came over me – Other than the day I married my wife.”
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