For Brandon Jackson, helping build a new playground at Camp Dickenson meant returning to a place he knew well.

Jackson, an APCo line mechanic based in Woodlawn, attended the camp as a child. Years later, he returned as one of 14 volunteers helping create a place where future campers can make memories of their own.

"It feels great," Jackson said. "I grew up here and actually came to this camp when I was a kid. To be able to come back and contribute to my hometown, it's pretty special to me. Not only am I proud to work for a company that gives back to my hometown, but I'm thankful to be part of that process."

The volunteer effort brought together APCo employees, Camp Dickenson staff and members of the Fisher Peak Chapter of Friends of the Blue Ridge to install a new playground designed specifically for younger campers.

For camp leaders, the addition helps fill an important need.

"We served 278 campers this summer," said Lucy Maynard, Camp Dickenson's director. "The playground is specifically targeted to give a new program for our youngest campers. It's going to be something special dedicated just for them."

In recent years, the camp has expanded opportunities for older campers with a climbing wall and zip line. The new playground creates a dedicated space for younger children while also providing an amenity that visitors to the camp's RV park can enjoy year-round.

The project was made possible through a partnership between Camp Dickenson, Friends of the Blue Ridge and APCo. According to Cary Simms, chair of the Fisher Peak Chapter, Friends of the Blue Ridge provided funding for site preparation and purchase of the playground equipment. The organization has also supported other camp improvements over the years, including a zip line, canoe ramp and repairs following Hurricane Helene.

"APCo has been a great partner to help us get some of the work done that we're just not able to do with just our volunteers," Simms said. "This is just a great benefit in the community."

Installing the playground was no small task.

John Maynard, a member of Camp Dickenson's staff and former camp director, said the project included more than 1,000 parts and came with an 88-page instruction manual. But with 14 volunteers wearing APCo's signature red shirts, the camp was able to complete in a single day what otherwise would have taken staff significantly longer.

"If we were to try to do this ourselves, it would take a long time," Maynard said. "It would take the two of us that are staff people at least a full week's worth of work."

Maynard praised the volunteers' skills and teamwork throughout the project.

"It's great to have this group because they're so knowledgeable about these types of things: putting things together, fixing things and working together," he said.

For Jackson, the day represented more than a volunteer project. It was an opportunity to give back to a place that helped shape his childhood.

And for generations of future campers, the finished playground will stand as a reminder of what can happen when community partners come together to support the places they care about.

Looking across the completed project and a sea of red shirts under a blue Virginia sky, Maynard summed it up simply: "You can't thank them enough."