From Overflow to Opportunity

The idea for Cleveland was born out of a good problem: Mount Berry was full.

“In 2014, we created a one-week experience at Mount Berry in borrowed cabins just to meet the demand,” said Jimmy Simpson, who helped launch the Cleveland location. “We sold out immediately and realized—this isn’t just a short-term fix. We need to expand.”

David “Speedy” Trejo, Director of WinShape Camps for Boys, remembers it the same way:

“Some of the younger kids didn’t really like staying for 12 days. So we piloted a one-week camp here at Berry… and parents loved it. Enrollment kept growing, and we knew we had to find another home for it.”

What Makes Cleveland… Cleveland?

“From the beginning, Cleveland has had a culture all its own.”

Unlike the system at Mount Berry, where you graduate into a new Pack as you age up, boys at Cleveland are inducted into a Squad their first summer—and stay in that same Squad each year they return, all the way through the Legacy Years Program.

Speedy said, “For a lot of kids, they like that because they get to see their friends and fellow cabin mates that keep on coming back… they get to deepen those relationships… And I love the camaraderie that they have, and the fighting spirit that one squad has versus the other squads.”

That spirit comes to life during the week through squad-based competition.

“Ultimately, they’re doing different activities throughout the week, and they’re building up points because everybody wants to hold up the Squad Cup at the end of the Closing Program,” Speedy explained.

A Hazy Start (Literally)

Of course, not everything went smoothly in year one. Jimmy & Speedy both recalled a moment during the first-ever Squad Induction Ceremony.

“We had a fog machine, and our Events Coordinator got a little excited with it,” Jimmy laughed. “He filled the entire gym in this haze to create a unique environment for the Campers. What we didn’t realize was how sensitive the smoke detectors were going to be. Not only did he set off all the smoke alarms… the fire department showed up in full gear. On our very first day of Camp in a new location.”

Moments That Stick

Each summer is packed with defining moments—some loud and filled with laughter, others quiet and sacred. Both Jimmy and Speedy shared stories that remind them of what God has done and is doing through Camp.

Jimmy Simpson recalls one moment in particular:

“We had a camper whose dad passed away right before the summer. His check-in day was on Father’s Day. His mom really struggled with whether or not to still send him to camp.”

The Cleveland team readied his counselor and Squad Leader—but what they didn’t know was how God had already gone before them and prepared the way.

Jimmy explained: “What we didn’t realize—but what the Lord knew—was that his counselor had also lost his father very unexpectedly, a few years prior. As the camper opened up, his counselor was able to share how the Lord had brought him through his own grief. They were able to process together.”

Jimmy remembers the moment the Camper’s mom picked him up:

“She was expecting to find her son in tears. Instead, she found a little boy who had processed with his counselor, and now had hope. She wrote to us and said she knew the Lord had brought them together ‘for such a time as that.’”

“It’s one of those stories that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Because this is why we do what we do.”

10 Years Later…

What’s changed the most?

“The impact,” Jimmy said. “I remember going to Opening Ceremony that 2nd summer and saw little siblings wearing shirts that said ‘Future Camper.’ Families were starting to plan their summer around Cleveland.”

Speedy reflected on the long-term fruit:

“Some of the guys that served as Summer Staff that very first year are now sending their sons to Cleveland… And that just blows my mind.”

Cleveland in 3 Words

We asked each of them to sum up Cleveland in just three words.

Speedy – Fun.  Community.  Impact. 

Jimmy – Fun.  Unique.  Life-changing.

Ten Years In—And God Is Still at Work

As we celebrate 10 summers of WinShape Camps for Boys at Cleveland, one truth remains: God is still using this place to transform lives. Whether you’re a Camper, Summer Staff, or parent, Camp has a way of marking your story.

“What I love about that is the culture they’ve built—the camaraderie,” said Speedy. “A lot of the guys who work on staff are still close friends. I love finding out someone’s getting married and half their wedding party is made up of their fellow teammates from camp. That’s the kind of history we’re building. And we’re seeing a lot of spiritual growth, too.”

Jimmy summed it up this way:

“I think what I love the most about WinShape Camps for Boys at Cleveland is honestly, it’s the culture. The way that as you do life with all of these guys, you realize it’s not just a haphazard group of people thrown together just to do camp. It’s a group of guys the Lord has orchestrated—for a purpose—and that purpose is to impact lives.”

“What we often forget is that we’re being impacted, too. It’s easy to just think this is for the Campers—and camp is definitely for the Campers—but camp is also for us. It’s for the counselors, the full-time staff, the parents… I don’t think anyone can walk away from a summer at Cleveland and not say that they were changed for the better.”