The organizers of WinShape Camp are asking the community for contributions of time and money to help make the second edition of the summer day camp successful.

WinShape Camp is a faith-based summer day camp for children in the first- through sixth-grades established in 1985, by Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy, as a way to challenge young people physically and spiritually. The camp is part of a collection of programs for children and families under the WinShape name, which comes from Cathy’s goal to win and shape children for Christ.

Local organizers Nick Jones, owner/manager of Chick-fil-A at Vicksburg, and Brian Tribble, youth pastor at Crossway Church, which is again the site for this year’s camp, met with representatives of local businesses Thursday at Crossway Church to discuss the program. They also discussed what they can do to make the camp successful by volunteering their services or providing contributions for camp scholarships to help families afford the camp’s $199 fee.

Tribble said they anticipate having 500 children participating this year, an increase over the 310 who attended in 2014.

“The reason we do things like this (lunch meetings) is so we can go ‘here’s what we need, what can you help us do. What can you help us partner to do,’” he said.

“We’re looking for ways to partner with folks in our community to make this camp a reality,” Jones said. “It can’t happen by itself. We need your help financially, volunteer-wise, any kind of way you can help us with this camp. We need your help.

“We need financial help to support both the ones who will be here, and for scholarships to help those who can’t afford it in our community,” he said. “We need you, or your team, or your company to volunteer. We need you to be here the week of the camp to help with registration … to help the staff.”

He also asked businesses to donate materials for the program.

Tribble said there are voids in Vicksburg where there’s nothing for children or families to do. The issue, he said, is about filling the voids in the lives of children, and changing families in the community one child and one family at a time.

“(For) Kids that come to this camp, the friendliest face they may see that entire summer is the week they’re here. That is a real possibility,” he said. “There are voids that get filled (by the camp staff), and it’s only because of people like our partnering churches, our partnering businesses who come together.”