OPINION: Lace Up for a Reason

Column: Camp Woodsmoke Roar and Explore 5K, June 13 2026

A Lions Club gem tucked in the hills of northern Decatur County is asking all of southeastern Indiana to come run, walk, ruck — or just show up — on June 13th.

There’s a spot in northern Decatur County that a lot of southeastern Indiana has never seen — 264 acres of rolling hardwoods, a concrete path connecting every accessible building on the property, and a decades-long promise to the people who need it most. It’s called Camp Woodsmoke, and on June 13th, it’s throwing a party it hopes you’ll run to.

The Camp Woodsmoke Roar & Explore 5K is set for Saturday, June 13, 2026, and the event is every bit as welcoming as the camp itself. There’s a traditional 5K run/walk/ruck, sure — but there’s also a Kids 400-Meter Dash, a Wheelchair 400-Meter Dash, and an All Abilities 400-Meter Dash. The organizers really mean it when they say this is a celebration of all abilities. The 400m dashes kick off at 9:00 AM, with the 5K starting at 10:00 AM.

The camp behind the event has a story worth knowing. Camp Woodsmoke is owned and operated entirely by the Lions Clubs of Indiana’s District 25-F — more than 2,000 Lions across 60-plus clubs stretching across the southeastern quadrant of the state. Not a dime of state or federal money keeps it running; it survives on donations from Lions clubs, individuals, and benevolent organizations, full stop. The whole place exists because a handful of visionaries, including former International Director Carter Everage, had the audacity to buy land and build something beautiful for people with special needs.

And beautiful it is. The 264-acre property features fully wheelchair-accessible facilities connected by concrete walkways. Groups from across the region — disability service organizations, schools, churches — use it for overnight camping, skill-building, music, and plain old fun in the woods. A few years ago, LEL Home Services and the ARC of Decatur County started hosting overnight outings there, bringing together individuals with varying disabilities for what their coordinator called “an opportunity to further friendships.” A K-9 officer visited. A local musician taught bass guitar. That’s the spirit of the place.

The Roar & Explore 5K is the camp’s big annual fundraiser, and every registration dollar goes directly back to keeping those 264 acres open and accessible. Finishers in the 5K get a t-shirt and a wooden Camp Woodsmoke medal. Participants in the 400m dashes get the medal too. Registration for the 5K is $35, the dash events are $15, and if running isn’t your thing but you still want to support, there’s a T-Shirt Only option  — while the supply lasts — because the organizers understand that sometimes you just want to show up and cheer. 

For those across southeastern Indiana who like to ruck — and the community keeps growing — this event is a natural fit. Ruck the 5K with your pack, earn your medal, and know that the weight on your back is doing double duty. Stuart Road Racing is handling timing, so the results will be legit.

Events like this don’t run themselves. The Lions of District 25-F are a volunteer organization in the truest sense, and their camp is what happens when a community decides, quietly and persistently over decades, that people with special needs deserve a beautiful place in the woods just as much as anyone else. The least the rest of us can do is lace up our shoes for a morning.

Registration is open now at runsignup.com. Questions? Reach out to Keri Johnson at lionsversailles@gmail.com.

See you on the course!

Camp Woodsmoke is located at 9219 E County Road 640 N, Greensburg, IN 47240.