For Jason Chacko, Camp Aldersgate is more than just a camp—it’s a part of who he is.
From teenage volunteer counselor to board member and advocate, Jason Chacko’s journey with Camp Aldersgate spans decades. Now Jason reflects on the experiences that shaped his life, the lessons he’s carried into his career and why Camp Aldersgate continues to hold a special place in his heart.
During your time as a counselor, what do you feel had the biggest impact on you personally?
Camp taught me about higher highs and lower lows. The joy I felt at closing ceremonies after a fun week was matched by the devastation when we lost one of our cabinmates just two months later. It was a fleeting friendship, but one that made me appreciate the time I got with people all the more.
Can you share one of your favorite memories from your time as a counselor?
Easily my favorite memory was being a 13-year-old volunteer counselor and carrying a 17-year-old young man with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy into our adapted pool; it was his first time in a pool and his giggle at being near weightless will live in my brain rent-free forever.
When did you join the board, and what motivated you to get involved at that level?
I was fortunate to join the board in 2020 after an invitation from CEO Sonya Murphy, as we are in the same Rotary Club together. After a near 20 year hiatus, it was amazing to see how much camp had grown and how many more lives it had affected, from campers to camper families and counselors. Anyone who has been to visit the grounds or seen the campers…will understand how this can quickly become a lifelong mission.
What is it about Camp Aldersgate’s mission that continues to resonate with you today?
I strongly believe in the empowerment of children, and that includes trying new things and learning that it’s ok to grow by learning new things. Camp maintains that vision for me by removing as many barriers to exploring as possible. From their accessible facilities like the pool and zipline, to their commitment to not let family finances be a reason that children don’t get to experience camp, I believe in the camp’s mission to give everyone an opportunity to try.
Why do you think Camp Aldersgate is important — not just for campers, but for the community as a whole?
Camp Aldersgate is truly a win for everyone involved: The campers get to not only explore nature and the limits of their abilities, they also get to share stories and build friendships with kids who walk the same diagnostic path, a network, that even I’ve seen, last decades.
Families also get the chance to share their caretaking duties for a week, and while they may miss their campers, they also know that they are safe and supervised and getting a chance to spread their own wings. Counselors learn the importance of equality in the most fun environment possible; it’s not a job to make sure everyone has a chance to play.
Every single Camp Aldersgate counselor and employee I’ve ever met shares the same look of job satisfaction, and they put that positive energy into every room they walk into; even board members leave our meetings with a smile because every change, however incremental, helps another child to have more fun. And beyond the economic impact of bringing in campers and families to Little Rock who may stay in hotels or eat at local restaurants, the greater Central Arkansas area benefits from generations of kids who may not have had a chance to explore their hopes and goals otherwise, and so they may develop the courage to give back to their community through careers or out-of-the-box solutions that their unique perspective can bring.
If someone was considering supporting or getting involved with Camp Aldersgate, what would you say to encourage them?
Supporting Camp Aldersgate is the conscious realization that children thrive when they push on whatever boundaries they thought surrounded them. Different needs may require special equipment, but the hope you can give to a camper who learns to look beyond their limitations can reshape your soul. I know Camp Aldersgate will always try to keep growing to reach more kids, and I want to count myself as someone who will invest in the power of hope with my time, my talents and the financial support I can provide.
What advice would you give to current or future counselors?
It doesn’t matter if you volunteer one week, or work on staff all summer, camp will pour more into you than you give to it.
Recognize the opportunity to learn and grow yourself, take advantage of your daily breaks and go find a quiet spot in the 100-acre woods to process everything you’ve seen and felt, and let it change you. I can still feel the sun on my face through the leaves while laying on a picnic table (it’s still there, deep in the woods), where I felt everything from guilt about the things I took for granted, to shared frustration when a camper had to recognize a physical limitation, to pride in the first experiences I got to share like a camper catching their first fish. Facing those feelings in myself helped me realize what was important to me in life, and while I’m not in medicine today like I had set out to be as a pre-teen, I still bring those priorities to every meeting I take.
