Written By: Heather Hunter, Synergize, Marketing and Communications Coordinator
This April, Synergize is investing in families. The professional group supports a nonprofit each month by raising funds at a Synergize 4:30 Meetup. This month, the money will assist DADCAMP’s programming and growth through 2021.
Founded in 2006, DADCAMP is the brainchild of Kokomo residents Jason Braun and Doug Mygrant. Both active members of Oakbrook church, they noticed that they were having a tough time reaching men in their ministry. “My energy has always been focused on making men stronger fathers and husbands,” explained Braun, now DADCAMP’s executive director. “I’ve seen that the strategies the church has used just don’t work as well with guys. It doesn’t seem to be speaking their language.”
Although men aren’t always open to conversations about faith, Braun and Mygrant knew they liked to spend time with their kids. “We’ve never met a man that said, ‘I want to be a bad dad’,” said Braun. “And we thought, what if we leveraged that core desire to not only build the relationship they had with their children, but help them invest in themselves?”
That question sparked DADCAMP, which began under the umbrella of Oakbrook church, on 60 acres of land called “The Valley”. By building life-changing experiences for fathers and children, DADCAMP aims to create something bigger than a weekend campout or a set of bonding activities. Their goal is to build stronger families, by building stronger fathers.
“The more dads we reach, the stronger our community gets. I believe that when a dad is engaged in the life of his family, families win. And if we look across the board, we can almost eradicate the social ills of this country if we have healthy families,” Braun explained. “Every man that does DADCAMP leaves a little bit better.”
Now 15 years old, DADCAMP spans four states and twelve countries. Though their international reach was limited through the pandemic, they look forward to helping dads worldwide as restrictions lift. However, the year was far from a disaster.
In a leap of faith, DADCAMP planned twelve weekends for their fall 2020 season. “We thought, ‘is anyone going to register? How can we help them feel safe?’” said Braun. “And we ended up getting 93% of our registration done in one week in May.” Following CDC guidelines, DADCAMP was able to proceed with every weekend scheduled.
Excited with their progress in the Midwest, DADCAMP is planning for more growth. Part of the organization’s vision is that every dad will be five hours or less from a DADCAMP location. To make it happen, they need people and groups like Synergize to raise funds for new camps. “The registration fees don’t cover the cost of reaching into other countries and states, or the advancement of the mission and vision,” Braun explained. “We’d have to double the cost of DADCAMP if we didn’t have outside funding.”
Those near Kokomo can volunteer to run activities or serve food at DADCAMP events in The Valley. Another way to contribute, Braun says, is by attending. DADCAMP’s registration week for 2021 is at the end of April, immediately following the 4:30 Meetup. Synergize hopes the event will raise awareness leading to new DADCAMP attendees.
Founded by Arron Stanton in 2020, Synergize creates lifelong friendships that lead to world-changing impact. It emphasizes the importance of synergy; the idea that two people can make a bigger change through teamwork than either could alone. “We always say that we’re better together, and Synergize’s mission really speaks to that ideal,” Braun said. “We need community to fulfill the purpose we’re put here to fulfill.”
About DADCAMP: DADCAMP is a global movement that is changing the world, one dad at a time. We won’t stop until we see a world where EVERY family has a great dad – and we believe YOU have what it takes to be one. DADCAMP is for dads (or any father figure) and their kids. We challenge Dads to grow as fathers and to give Dads a place to strengthen their relationship with their children. For more information, visit www.dadcamp.org.
About Synergize: Synergize is a family of business and community leaders united by a commitment to reject transactional relationships. Their members, who value authentic friendship and community impact, live by the motto, “Relationships Over Everything.” Their only rule? No Jerks! To join the Synergize movement, visit www.synergizeindy.com.