By: Kenny Beck, Anchor, WXII 12 News
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Friday, Feb. 2, would have been Greensboro police Sgt. Dale Nix’s 51st birthday. But instead of celebrating, his loved ones, colleagues, and the many families he helped during his lengthy career in law enforcement are discussing ways to honor his life’s work and continue his legacy, after he was shot and killed while confronting a group suspected of stealing from a Colfax convenience store late last year.
For the last six years of his life, Nix oversaw the city’s Family Victims Unit, which investigates abuse cases for the Guilford County Family Justice Center. For one week each August, the FJC transforms YMCA Camp Weaver into something known as Camp HOPE, which is an overnight camp designed specifically for children who have experienced trauma. Through activities like swimming, horseback riding, a ropes course, and rock wall, the children learn trust, build confidence, and ideally change their destinies.
Catherine Johnson is the FJC director and was a close friend of Nix’s.
“He was known to be a top referrer for Camp HOPE, getting as many kids in and if a family had a barrier, like they didn’t have transportation or they didn’t think they could get the paperwork done on time, he and his unit were a-number one to make sure it happened because he never wanted a child to be left behind,” Johnson said.
Sgt. Nix made a point of interacting with the campers and he wasn’t the only member of the Greensboro PD who saw value in the program.
“Society has painted such a bad picture towards police officers, especially young people of color, unfortunately,” said Det. Haven Nickelson. “It’s good for young people to know that not all police officers are like the ones you see on the news. The majority of us love you, we want to serve you and we want to help you out the best way we can.”
Another big part of Camp HOPE is the counselors. This summer will be Alan Davenport’s third as a staff member. He lives in Greensboro now and is taking online college classes, but he grew up in inner-city Indianapolis, Indiana and says he also experienced trauma in his youth, so it’s easy for him to relate.
“I remember one time we had a fire, a campfire, and I had to give an award out to one of the campers and I just broke down crying because while I was up there, I just saw myself in him,” Davenport said.
The August 2024 camp will be the eighth at Camp HOPE but the first one mourning Nix’s death.
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“You know, Sgt. Nix used to say this all the time. He’d say, ‘We cannot rest on our laurels here at the Family Justice Center. We’ve got to not only do what were doing, but we have to do something more.’ And I’ve heard that in my head over and over again — we can’t rest on our laurels,” Johnson said.
“Of course, we wish he was here, but we know we have someone looking down on us,” Detective Nickelson said. “We’ve got to find a way to remember him and one of the best ways to do it is helping these victims who come to this camp just to see a brighter day.”
“I can promise you, there’s always somebody at the FJC who can find that little extra grit to motivate you when you’re feeling down and that’s the same thing we’re asking of these kids,” Johnson said.
Through its first seven years of existence, Camp HOPE has changed a number of lives.
Kian Kelleher is a third grader at Claxton Elementary School in Greensboro.
He will turn nine years old next month, attended camp last summer and plans to be back this August. He says he made a lot of friends, played a lot of basketball, and learned how to “be kind, be respectful, and be helpful.”
His mother, Shamara Kelleher, says she noticed both immediate and long-lasting changes in her son, after he was initially apprehensive about being away from her for an entire week.
“His attitude and his behavior and his willingness to listen and do more (had all improved)” she said.
Questyn Hinton is a different kind of Camp HOPE success story. When she was younger, she was a camper. Now, she’s a local high school student and a Camp HOPE counselor.
“I think for me at the time, the only one I thought who could understand me was my little brother since he’d been through the same thing. But with the people there (at camp) it was nice because people had been through the same thing or they’d been through different things and it was interesting to bond over that,” Hinton said. “The support that I got, knowing that someone was there for me, I wanted to give that to other kids that were like me and just to let them know that even though you feel alone, it’s like — we can be alone together.”
A number of Camp HOPE families have reached out to the FJC to express their sorrow at Nix’s death. Sherri Williamson’s teenage son, Camden, has been coming to camp since he was seven years old.
“He had an immediate calming effect on everyone around him. The kids, Camden, even, I mean, I felt it and I just thought he was another one of the angels that was sent to be with us at Camp HOPE,” Williamson said.
At one point during Nix’s funeral in January, FJC client services coordinator Sonya Desai spoke directly to his grieving son, saying, “I know you and your dad talked about being counselors at Camp HOPE. Will, you will be there. I cannot think of a better way for you to honor your dad’s legacy than working with youth who have been impacted by trauma and abuse. You will make a fine counselor.”
In a statement to WXII, the Nix family reaffirmed their commitment, writing, “Dale loved everything about Camp HOPE and what it stands for. He talked about it often with our family. He always said it was like a restart, a new beginning, especially for children. Bringing kids together through Camp HOPE shows them they are not alone, and it gives them love, support, and strength to believe in themselves and others. Our family will remain committed to the FJC and Camp HOPE, both things that meant so much to Dale.”
“In the past couple of weeks since this tragedy has happened, if there’s one thing I’ve seen, it’s the power of being together,” said Hannah Mould, FJC child trauma specialist coordinator. “Research tells us that the number one, best factor of fighting childhood trauma, helping children recover from trauma, is a caring adult in their life. And so, the more caring adults we can provide for children, the better.”
Johnson said if she could say anything to Nix, it would be that, “we got it from here.” She would love to see Camp HOPE grow, serve more children, and strengthen mentorship relationships throughout the year.
“We will continue to do whatever we can to make a difference in our community, change children’s lives, change families’ lives and as a result, our lives are changed as well,” Johnson said.
Public donations pay for all Camp HOPE camper fees, which can be as much as $900 per attendee. Guilford County’s official website has information on how to donate, and how to volunteer.
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