Campground "Family" Raises Money For Wounded Warriors

A big auction was held at Indian Lakes Campground on August 11.

(Batesville, Ind.) – A group of happy campers are sharing the good feeling by making a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

A silent auction was held at Indian Lakes Campground, located along State Road 46 near Batesville, this past Saturday. About 800 campers came from across the tri-state and points beyond to join in the bidding on 300 baskets containing various gifts.

Greg and Vickey Gaskins, of Harrison, are regular campers at Indian Lakes since 1983. Vickey says the fundraiser among the “little family” of camping enthusiasts started seven years ago to help another camper’s relative battling cancer.

“We take care of each other on the weekends, and on Monday we go back home and do our jobs,” Vickey says.

Eventually, the relative no longer needed the money. But the Indian Lakes campers decided to keep the annual fundraiser going. A couple years ago, they settled on the Wounded Warrior Project as the recipient of the money.

“We all have somebody we can think of in the military. They are the ones out there sacrificing and losing arms and legs and their lives so that we can have fun and go camping,” says Vickey.

This year, the Indian Lakes campers raised $30,838 for the Wounded Warrior Project. In five years, they have raised and donated more than $107,000 to the organization.

“Pretty good for a little campground,” she observes.