22
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
|
March/April 2019
LEADERSHIP
SUPPORTING WOUNDED VETS
Picture this: 70 acres of beach-style adventure camp with
rope courses, lakeside trails, and physical fitness activities
ranging from swimming and wakeboarding to archery and
putt-putt. So cool! But, what's even better is this adventure
wonderland is designed specifically to welcome everyone
-- wounded veterans, families of the fallen and adults and
children with disabilities or special needs.
Camp Grom is a dream that came to life through the
fundraising efforts of The Virginia Gentlemen Foundation.
The Foundation is a collective group of business owners and
individuals with clout in the community who decided to pool
their resources to help families affected by disabilities in the
Virginia Beach area. Jason Fawcett, regional manager for
Elizabeth River Landscape Management, a Davey company,
is a member of the Foundation.
The group's efforts really ramped up in 2007 when a brother
of one of the members was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's
The landscaping seen in some of these photos was part of Elizabeth
River's donation to the Camp Grom project.
Ways Elizabeth River,
a Davey company,
Contributed
• 30 days of work
• Monetary donation
• Staff volunteered for
annual JT Walk &
Beach Party
• Strong fundraising
presence
disease, or ALS. Since then, the group has raised over
$100 million, partnered with local hospitals, built a handicap
accessible playground and now, Camp Grom.
"All of this is a reminder of what good can come out of
something so bad," Fawcett said. "When we started talking
about Camp Grom I knew this was a project that I wanted
Elizabeth River to contribute to. The nature of it provided
the perfect opportunity for us to step up and contribute
our expertise."
Elizabeth River Landscape Management donated about
30 days of work to the initial landscape care for the camp.
"It was a privilege to be involved in the planning of Camp
Grom, and I am proud of our contribution to this incredibly
meaningful project for our community," Fawcett said.
The camp opened to the public in June of 2018.
