4-H Center Partners with Special Love to Honor Tom Baker with a Memorial Dedication to Him of a New Terrace

In 2018, Tom Baker, an artist and the inspiration behind Camp Fantastic, passed away. “That was when we began talking about how we needed to do something to honor the man and his impact on this community and so many people,” remarked David Smith, senior director of Special Love, at the memorial unveiling on Saturday. Smith clearly remembers forty-one years ago when Tom and Shiela approached the 4-H Center about possibly developing a camp for young people battling cancer. “It’s not a mystery why we chose this spot,” Smith added. Tom was very fond of the view overlooking Harmony Hollow. 4-H Educational and Conference Center executive director Katie Tennant marveled at the blessing of seeing so many people who benefited from Camp Fantastic working at the 4-H Center today. She said that keeping that dream and vision going is an awesome experience.

A picture of Tom Baker, founder of Special Love and Camp Fantastic, is displayed on Saturday, June 15, at a memorial dedication of a new terrace at the Northern Virginia 4-H Center in his honor. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh.

A poem that was very near and dear to Tom and is read every year, at the end of every Special Love staff orientation, at the start of camp, “Risk” by William Henry Ward, was read aloud by Kathy Russell, also affiliated with Special Love, for the benefit of those in attendance at the memorial unveiling. “To laugh is to risk appearing a fool, to weep is to risk appearing sentimental, to reach out to another is to risk involvement, to expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self, to place your ideas and dreams before a crowd is to risk their loss, to love is to risk not being loved in return, to live is to risk dying, to hope is to risk despair, to try is to risk failure. However, risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he can’t learn, feel, change, grow, or live. Only a person who takes risks is free. The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, and the realist adjusts the sails.”

David Smith (L) is affiliated with Special Love and Katie Tennant (R), the Northern Virginia 4-H Educational and Conference Center executive director.

Several young people who have benefited from Camp Fantastic unveil a dedicatory plaque to Special Love founder Tom Baker at the opening of a memorial terrace in his memory.

“Because we have a full medical team, we can have the sickest children here,” executive director of Special Love, Jan Bresch, told the Royal Examiner. After the program, the guests at the memorial terrace unveiling were welcomed to a reception with food.