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Community leaders tour Young Life facility in Jasper
Camp provides area youth with summer fun
Young Life pic 2
Young Life members scale the tower at Sharp Top Cove, a large Young Life camping facility located in Pickens County that serves as a meeting place for Dawson County Young Life members, as well as club members from across the country. "The camp is used pretty much year round," said Bill Burt, former chairman of the Dawson County Young Life Committee. - photo by Adam C. Stapleton

Former chairman and committee member of the Dawson County branch of Young Life Bill Burt led community leaders on a tour of the organization’s Sharp Top Cove facility in Pickens County, July 22.

 

The large campground brimmed with the laughter of youths as Dawson County Attorney Joey Homans, Appalachian Community Bank Regional President Greg Gordon and local retiree and Young Life supporter Terrell Dyes walked the facility’s grounds.

 

“We’re touring the facility and showing these men what Young Life is all about,” said Burt, who along with the Dawson County Young Life Committee’s current Chairman Paul Hallock, led the tour.

 

Young Life is a youth club designed to introduce high school aged children to the Christian gospel in a positive and relatable way.

 

The group has been in Dawson County for nearly seven years now and with large scale summer campsites such as the facility at Sharp Top Cove, has been very successful in showing area club members and members from across the country, the virtues of a life lived through Christ.

 

“One of my favorite quotes is from the Young Life founder, Jim Rayburn, he said Young Life is about Jesus Christ, that’s all it’s about,” said Burt, as he took tour members to each of the campsite’s many outdoor activities; including water slides, ziplines, bike trails and climbing towers.

 

“They have a lot of fun, but it’s fun with a purpose,” Burt said of the children who visit Sharp Top Cove throughout the year.

 

“They come from all over the country. We have 10 weeks of a weeklong summer camp, with on average of 350 to 400 kids from different clubs. Over a period of weeks they’ll (Sharp Top Cove staff) touch at around 3,500 to 4,000 kids.”

 

Burt said Young Life has at least 15 facilities such as Sharp Top Cove located throughout the United States.

 

“This is my first exposure to this area of Young Life,” said Dyes. “It’s a phenomenal camp for young people, the concept is a very good one and certainly the objective is ideal.”

 

For more information on Young Life, visit them on the Web at www.younglife.org or call the Dawson County branch of Young Life at (706) 265-6510.

E-mail Adam C. Stapleton at adam@dawsonnews.com.