Iowa ranch gives kids glimpse of a better future

Northwestern Financial Review, Mar 15-Mar 31, 2003 by Dullum, Justin

For a child who has grown up without love, one week at camp can make a world of difference. An Iowa banker and his family know this first hand and are committed to getting Wildwood Hills Ranch off the ground. It seems to be working. In two summers, the ranch has given 700 at-risk youth a glimpse into a better way of life.

"There are a lot of kids falling through the cracks these days," said Joe Slavens, president, Northwest Bank and Trust, Davenport, Iowa. "It's not just kids in urban areas either. There are at-risk children in the smallest communities."

Slavens's wife, Ann, was an at-risk child, he said. She has been a driving force to get Slavens and his bank involved in the camp's success.

"My wife's mother had passed away and her father was more or less absent. About 30 years ago, she was sponsored to go to a camp and has very fond memories. She looks back on it as a very important time in her life. She learned that somebody actually cared about her."

The camp was conceived three years ago after its founder, Iowa businessman Mike Whalen, paid a visit to a boys' ranch in Wisconsin, lured by the opportunity to meet one of his boyhood idols.

Whalen, who is founder and president of Heart of America Restaurants & Inns, has developed 22 restaurants and hotels in seven metropolitan areas of five Midwestern states. Appleton, Wis., is one of the places Whalen conducts business. A well-established boys' ranch in that area would frequently call Whalen's Appleton restaurant with requests for catering help. Whalen always obliged, continually demonstrating his commitment.

As a token of appreciation, the camp's manager called Whalen, inviting him to the camp to meet one of it longtime supporters - legendary Green Bay Packers' quarterback Bart Starr.

"The camp director tells me, 'Hey, you've given us all this support but you've never been to the camp. Bart Starr wants to meet you'," said Whalen. "As a kid I used to run around in the backyard saying 'Bart Starr, back to pass.'"

Whalen was impressed by the camp and decided to start one in Iowa. "I've been accused of being a fast working entrepreneur. Well, this deal went through really fast," said Whalen, who quickly raised $350,000 in donations to start a non-profit agency.

Whalen had previously worked with Slavens and Northwest Bank when developing restaurants and hotels. Whalen again found a willing partner in the bank when it came time to finance the purchase of a 400-acre ranch 20 miles south of Des Moines. Whalen's new non-profit purchased the land in April of 2001 and two months later, the camp opened its doors to Iowa youth.

Slavens has taken on the role of camp ambassador to the banking industry. He introduced the camp to the Iowa Bankers Association, which is helping to spread the word. Slavens hopes his colleagues will offer the $400 dollars needed to sponsor one child for a week at camp. "I want to make sure people know this is a statewide camp. This isn't just for Des Moines. If you sponsor a child, we can make sure that child is someone from the sponsor's community," Slavens said.

The idyllic ranch has all the tools it needs to give kids a memorable experience - a lake, 25 horses, rolling hills, swimming pools, canoes -- all the stuff that makes a camp a camp. The camp is also made available for conferences, the proceeds of which go to operate the ranch's "Wild About the Child" children's network.

"The idea is to get the kids in an environment where they can have fun, but also where we can talk to them about character and integrity and the fact that they can make choices that will put them on the path to success," said Whalen. "There are a lot of single parent kids, but I was shocked to find out how many no-parent kids there are. They live with their siblings or their grandparents and foster homes. It's amazing how many kids come to camp for a week with nothing but the clothes on their back."

Sponsors are free to write a check and leave it at that, but they are encouraged to become more involved -- like Joe and Ann Slavens.

"She plans to take the kids we sponsor out shopping before they go to camp - for basic necessities like toothbrushes. Unfortunately, there is no lack of kids that need this kind of attention," Slavens said.