A Tribute to Leo Greco - Camp Courageous

In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter
supported an organization whose mission was
to “promote world peace and understanding
by creating an environment where individual
friendships can be established across
the barriers that separate people.” That
organization is known as Friendship Force
International (FFI), and there are more than
375 FFI clubs worldwide. Former Governor
Robert Ray started the Cedar Rapids/Iowa
City chapter in 1985. Area members who
brought this Japanese delegation to Camp
Courageous include Nancy and Steve
Williams, Jack and Jean Knopp, Joe and
Donna Ironside, Mike and Connie Dirks and
John Giegerich and Trish Kaiser.
Thank you to Chris and Terry Lux, very regular
volunteers and supporters of the camp. Here
they provide a check for $2,000, half for the
Train Project and half for the Lake Project.
In Memory Of Ralph and Donna Lux and
John & Billie Smith...one with a love for trains
and one with a love for fishing.
Thank you to Lowell & Judith Freeland for
the donation of the materials to build this
“speeder”. It is part of the train project and
was built by train engineer, Gerry Rohr. It
allows a person to examine the track, before
train rides daily, to blow leaves and debris
from the track and can even remove snow
from the tracks. Lowell and Judith are yearround
volunteers at Camp.
Marginal Note: For every problem there is an opportunity.
A big thank you to Jeff and Judy Miller
from Home Hardware in Davenport. From
Fruitcakes, to Leo's CDs and DVDs, they are
always there to help the camp. They are also
very good about collecting items for the camp
and the garage sale. Great friends!
(L-R) Katie Hebdon, Sharon Kouba, Mike
Reagan, and Don Kouba present Mike
Regan of the Marion Country Kitchen with a
certificate and a Tall Pine Award from Camp
Courageous for his tremendous support of
the Camp. Mike sold many of the Ketelson
Camping Club Cookbooks, along with selling
fruitcakes for the camp. Cookbooks are still
available at Camp Courageous or on the
camp's website: www.campcourageous.org.
It was an honor to receive a check from
the American Legion Foundation for the
Lake Project. Church Williams was a good
friend and helped start this Foundation.
Carol Wegner, (above) is President of the
Foundation and has done a stellar job
keeping the mission alive and well.
We are very grateful to the family of Richard
Grovert, who brought out needed supplies for
the camp and memorial money in memory
of Richard. Richard is dearly missed. The
Newhall Lions will be having a special
Pancake Breakfast in Memory Richard
Grovert with proceeds going to Camp
Courageous on November 13th.
Ruth Kinzey, president of The Kinzey Company in Salisbury,
NC received the Tall Pine Award from Camp Courageous of
Iowa at the Pineapple Gala.
Ruth Kinzey was like a one person army back in the late 70s
and early 80s when United Airlines said they would fly in jet
fresh pineapple from Hawaii to Chicago for Camp Courageous.
It then took CRST refrigerated trucks to bring them from
Chicago to Cedar Rapids. Ruth, who was employed by CRST,
took two things....Jet Fresh Pineapple from Hawaii and Camp
Courageous, both with very little name recognition and made
them house hold words. Ruth would keep Tait and Dotty
Cummins and Charlie Becker busy for months in prep of the sales. We would be
on every radio, TV, and in every newspaper in the area....all lined up by Ruth! She
provided exceptional public relations support during the three-week pineapple sale
fund raiser. Her efforts gained significant exposure for the camp’s major fund raising
event at a time when it was becoming established. Ruth is a one-of-a-kind, and even
though she now lives on the east coast, she has remained a wonderful supporter of
camp and the Gala.
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