Kim Morris/St. Joseph News-Press

Camp Quality’s high-speed zip line is no match for 7-year-old Cade who says the best things at camp are: ‘The big slide and snow cones.’ More than 100 children, ages 4 through 17, are attending the weeklong activities camp near Stewartsville, Mo., making the Northwest Missouri camp the largest as well as the oldest camp dedicated to children battling cancer.

Harold Jones has taken his train from southeast Nebraska to Northwest Missouri’s Camp Quality 18 summers in a row.

He’s also taken the train to many other Camp Quality sites since that 1990 Northwest Missouri camp.

Children with cancer attend the weeklong annual camps.

What makes Mr. Jones return year after year?

The 72-year-old’s eyes filled with tears when asked that question.

“A little boy,” he quietly answered.

James was his name. He was 9.

“He wouldn’t go to bed at night until I took him for one last ride on the train,” Mr. Jones said as he gazed at his yellow and green train earlier this week at Camp Farwesta in Stewartsville, Mo. — the site of the Northwest Missouri camp.

James died a few months after camp ended that summer 18 years ago. Mr. Jones and James’ parents still exchange Christmas gifts.

The excitement the train brought James keeps Mr. Jones, from Crete, Neb., coming back. He wants to continue giving that same thrill to all the other children with cancer.

His train, a one-third scale Burlington Northern model, was just one of many details that brought about 100 campers happiness this week.

Local donations fund the camp. The camp costs about $1,500 per camper. This year’s costs neared $150,000. About 100 volunteers and several staff members helped with the camp.

The Northwest Missouri camp was the nation’s first Camp Quality camp. It began in 1986, and 15 camps now exist.

Staff and volunteers have a camp goal: Have so much fun that these kids and everyone forgets about cancer.

Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before a camp prom that included limos and a chocolate fountain, the campgrounds were transformed into a carnival full of laughter and smiles.

Seven-year-old Cade (the camp doesn’t release children’s last names) screeched with excitement as he rode a zip-line at camp.

And then he was off, running from place to place, packing in as much as possible.

His favorite part of camp?

The big slide and snow cones, he said.

Nancy Hull can be reached at

nancyhull@npgco.com.