The Light Foundation, a nonprofit founded in 2001 by three-time Super Bowl Champion and former New England Patriot Matt Light and his wife Susie, welcomed 15 campers to its outdoor leadership camp – Camp Vohokase. The 8-day outing was held June 20th through June 27th, 2024, on the Foundation’s 500-plus acre facility, Chenoweth Trails in Greenville, Ohio. The theme for this year’s camp was “Make it Matter.”
Camp Vohokase, the Light Foundation’s premier outdoor leadership camp, brought together young men 
from various parts of the country. Held at Chenoweth Trails, the camp focused on being: R.E.A.L. – developing responsible, ethical, accountable leaders. Through a combination of outdoor activities and hands-on learning experiences, the Light Foundation team mentors these young men throughout their high school years, with regular weekly check-ins and support. Upon completing the 4-year program, participants graduate equipped with the skills needed to inspire leadership in their own communities. This year’s new campers hail from Plant City, Florida, continuing the tradition of drawing participants from across the United States, including Ohio, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Louisiana, Indiana, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.
This year, Camp Vohokase graduated a class of 3 Seniors: Dalton Neptun, Xavier Newell, and Isiah Nicholas; all members of the class hail from the Passamaquoddy Tribe in northern Maine. Xavier Newell received the $1,000 Tony Award scholarship, named in memory of Hershel “Tony” Wray as the outstanding member of his graduating class.
During Camp, the young men are divided into 2 equal Teams, Team East and Team West. This is to build teamwork skills and foster a sense of competition throughout the entire duration of camp. In all activities the ideas of teamwork, competition, sportsmanship, fair play, and hard work are nurtured, coached, and evaluated. All physical activities, mental tasks, camp chores, exercises, and projects are competition based and scored on a Team basis to crown a Team Champion at the end of Camp. Team East were the big winners this year, earning bragging rights over Team West and fantastic swag bags of gear, prizes, and gift cards.
The Teams were able to compete and have fun in various areas, including Dodgeball, Paintball, 
Basketball, a Relay Race, an Egg Toss Challenge, Dirt Bike Riding, Trap Shooting, a Clean Yurt Contest, a Financial Planning Exercise Presentation, and a Sling Shot Competition. Throughout all these areas, Campers were able to develop their teamwork skills and sportsmanship qualities, learning how to support their teammates, be a good team member, and work as a group while respecting their opponents.
The educational and career fucuses for this year’s camp came in many different forms and aspects. Bill Light provided the campers with his yearly one-of-kind hands-on education. This year’s project detailed the history and construction of a sling shot via videos and demonstrations. Campers were provided the skills, tools, and instruction on how to build their own sling shot. The project concluded with a sling shot skills challenge, where the campers competed with very own hand made sling shot
One of the educational opportunities for this year’s campers included financial literacy training and small groups project presentations conducted by Joey and Grace from the Twelve Points Wealth Management Team. The training covered bank accounts, paychecks, direct deposit, setting budgets, taxes, loans, debt, savings, investments, planning for college, career earnings, and retirement. The training culminated in a small group project and presentation contest. The campers received tremendous information and experience that will serve them throughout their future.
Other educational opportunities during the camp were provided by quest speakers as presentations, or as part of the fireside chats, or Sunday service. The campers received value packed talks from a wide variety of outstanding individuals that detailed their life experiences and provided words of wisdom to live by for all the campers. Ralph Brumbaugh detailed how he went from growing up in a house with no electricity or running water, to building a multimillion-dollar construction and real-estate company and what it took to get there. His life story and experiences gave campers a true playbook on what it takes to a success in life. Hayden Lewter a former Camp Vohokase graduate did a great talk with the campers covering metal health and the value and importance of the relationships they will make throughout their time at Camp Vohokase. Vice Brantley shared his career and life experiences as a Counterintelligence Officer in the Military. He gave the campers vast insight into careers in the military and what it takes in life to be a true success story. Sammy Davis, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and his wife Dixie gave an outstanding presentation and question/answer session detailing Sammy’s life. They provided a candid look into Sammy’s experience during the Vietnam War and the courageous acts that earned him the Medal of Honor. Sammy and Dixie gave a heartfelt description of Sammy’s life experiences before and after the war and blueprint of what it truly takes to win at the game of life. The campers gained great insight into what it means to be a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and the history behind the Medal in preparation for Sammy’s visit. They were honored to present him with the American Flag that proudly flew over Camp Vohokase during his time there.
On the career focus side of camp this year, the campers took 2 offsite visits. The first trip was to Hank 
Steinmetz’s Blacksmith shop. All campers received hands-on experience and training directly from Hank in the art of blacksmithing. Each camper made their very own handmade door hook, starting with a piece of raw iron, to the finished product. Hank detailed the ins and outs of the Blacksmithing profession and how he runs his business. As a bonus, Hanks’s wife did a hand thrown pottery demonstration, instructing the campers in a start to finish pottery process for several different items.
The second off-site career education visit was to Bruns Construction’s Corporate Office. The campers received presentations and information from owner Steve Bruns and his entire executive team. They detailed jobs and career opportunities available in the construction industry, the Bruns corporate structure, their company mission statement and beliefs, what they look for in potential employees, and they provided a tour of their corporate offices and facilities. The campers then had the opportunity to travel to an area job site that the Bruns Team was actively in the process of constructing. The tour included detailed information about the site, processes in action, materials being used, and a visit from the owner of site that Bruns had been hired by.
Along with the fun and comradery the campers experienced throughout the organized activities and competitions, they also had great enjoyment during their free time. They had the opportunity to fish, swim, play pond football, and rope swing during pond time. They played Corn hole, pick-up basketball, wiffle ball, did the yearly snipe hunt, and took a trip to the Greenville Community Pool. All were tremendous opportunities for campers to experience and enjoy.
The campers were also able to do some great hands-on work to benefit Camp Vohokase and the area community. The camp project for this year involved the campers breaking down, sanding, staining, and refurbishing all the benches used for Camp Vohokase and Chenoweth Trails. They did many hours of hard work on the benches and their efforts showed in the fine work they accomplished. For this year’s community project, the campers traveled to the Greenville City Park and conducted a park clean-up and restoration session. The City of Greenville was hit by a devastating tornado right before the start
of camp, with the park being one of the hardest hit areas with vast tree losses and damage to the grounds. Campers picked up limbs and debris, raked up branches, sticks, and leaves, moved and raked dirt to fill in stump removals. Their efforts were outstanding, and the results earned them a free trip to the Greenville City Pool from the Parks Department as a thank you for their fine work.
On behalf of the Light Foundation, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s Camp Vohokase Leadership Program. Your support and dedication have been instrumental in providing a transformative experience for the young men who participated. To our generous donors, your financial contributions have made it possible for us to offer this life-changing program. Your belief in our mission allows us to continue fostering leadership, responsibility, and community spirit among the next generation. To our volunteers, your time and efforts have been invaluable. Whether you assisted with planning, mentoring, or day-to-day activities, your commitment and enthusiasm have left a lasting impact on our campers. Your willingness to share your skills and experiences has inspired and empowered these young men. To our staff, your hard work and passion for making a difference have driven the success of this program. Your dedication to creating a supportive and nurturing environment has ensured that each participant could thrive and grow. Finally, to the families and friends of our campers, thank you for your unwavering support and encouragement. Your trust in the Light Foundation and the Camp Vohokase program has allowed these young men to embark on a journey of personal and leadership development. Together, we have made a significant difference in the lives of these young men, and we are excited to see the positive impact they will have in their communities. Thank you for being an essential part of the Light Foundation family and for helping us build a brighter future.
