A special ceremony was held Saturday near the conclusion of Trooper Island Camp Appreciation Day to mark the upcoming demolition of the old mess hall and infirmary at the camp that will make room for a new ultra modern dental and medical facility and a new mess hall combination building. The dental and medical facility has been made possible through a grant from Delta Dental of Kentucky and will provide free dental and medical screenings to the youngsters who attend camp at Trooper Island each summer. Funding for the adjacent mess hall is being made possible through a host of fund-raising efforts held annually by Trooper Island Camp.

Trooper Island Camp is located in the far southwest corner of Clinton County on Dale Hollow Lake, and is operated by the Kentucky State Police, providing a free week-long camping experience to over 700 Kentucky boys and girls each summer from across Kentucky. The campers, who are at-risk and underpriviledged, spend the week enjoying a host of activities alongside Kentucky State Police Troopers and staff at the camp.

Participating in Saturday’s ground breaking ceremony in the above photo are, from left to right; Jonathan Grate (Deputy Secretary of Kentucky Safety and Justice), Rodney Brewer (former Kentucky State Police Commissioner), Tammy York-Day (Chief Operating Officer for Delta Dental Kentucky), Rob Winsett (Trooper Island Board of Directors), David Reeves (Albany Redi-Mix), Richard Sanders (Kentucky State Police Commissioner), Allen Smith (Trooper Island Board of Directors), Al Gibson (Trooper Island Board of Directors) and KSP Trooper Jonathan Biven (Trooper Island Camp Director).

Photo by Delora Reeves