Press Statement
March 1, 2019
Contact: Terry Swenson
Vice President, Communications
719-331-0178 cell
719-381-1891 office
Young Life Search for Texas Camp Leads to Camp Lonehollow
Young Life President Newt Crenshaw announced today that the
organization’s three-year search for a camp property has culminated in the
purchase of Camp Lonehollow, located 90 miles northwest of San Antonio, Texas.
Founded in Texas in 1941, Young Life is a global youth organization
known for excellent summer camp properties across the U.S. and abroad —
everywhere, it would seem, but Texas. In his letter to the Young Life Board of
Trustees, Crenshaw wrote:
In the earliest days of Young Life, Founder Jim
Rayburn, a few leaders and a small group of guys would travel to the hills of
east Texas to camp. Humble though these first outings were, they planted seeds
of adventure, humor and transformation that would become the hallmark of a
global camping program. Nearly eight decades later, what began in the hills of
east Texas has come home; Young Life has a camp in Texas!
Established in 2006, Camp Lonehollow has become the premier coed youth
development camp in Texas for young people ages 6 to 16. The camp and programs
share many of the qualities and values that are central to Young Life’s camping
program: a beautiful location, creatively imagined and well-constructed facilities,
and professional staff.
In her announcement to Camp Lonehollow families about the purchase,
owner Meg Clark wrote:
I have
spent a lot of time searching for just the right group to whom I could pass the
precious Lonehollow baton. It had to be a group that shares my commitment to
enriching the lives of children through the camping experience. My search
brought me to the highly respected Young Life organization.
As a part of the
structured agreement between Camp Lonehollow and Young Life, the new owner has
agreed to operate the current Camp Lonehollow summer camping program through
the summer of 2021. Current Lonehollow staff will remain in place and operate
the summer program with ongoing consultation and coaching from Ms. Clark and
support from the Young Life team, including new Camp Manager Stacey Noll.
Young Life is a worldwide organization for middle school,
high school and college students. Our staff and volunteers enter the world of
kids, focusing on what matters to them — fun, adventure and friendship. In doing so, we earn the
privilege of talking to them about something that we think matters most of all — the truth about God
and His love for them. Founded in 1941, Young Life has more than 5,400 staff
and over 80,000 volunteers active in more than 100 countries and reaching more
than 2.6 million kids annually. Young Life leaders bring more than 260,000 kids
each year to one of our 32 camps worldwide.