Henderson, Tennessee – (June 7, 2024) – Mid-South Youth Camp (MSYC) celebrated the legacy of former camp counselor Mykal Moss Daniels with the unveiling of Mykal’s Sonshine Circle, a new pavilion. The ribbon-cutting ceremony held in late May brought together friends and loved ones to honor Mykal’s memory and reflect on the lasting benefits the pavilion will bring to future generations of campers.
Brad Montague, director of Mid-South Youth Camp, opened the ceremony with a message of hope for the future of the camp and its new special space.
“There’s a lot we can’t control about what happens for children and families outside of camp,” Montague said. “And yet when they’re here, it’s our hope, it’s our prayer, it’s our work, that everything that happens here points them towards peace and possibility, hope and joy. Camp is a time for them to take away all other burdens they have and experience the blessing of being in God’s light and to fall in love with what that feels like. Today we get to celebrate something that is going to help more and more people feel that.”
The new camp structure is a 10-sided pavilion with a concrete base, electricity for lighting and fans, and eight swings around the sides. Counselors and campers plan to use the space for many purposes: Bible studies, devotionals, camp games and activities, and hanging out with friends. “Kids are going to love this place!” Montague predicted.
The project was conceived and organized by friends and family of Mykal Moss Daniels, a former MSYC camper and counselor whose life was cut short at the age of 40 by a car accident in 2015. Mykal was also an alumna of Freed-Hardeman University, class of 1996. She is fondly remembered as a wonderful wife, daughter, mother, and friend.
“Mykal’s smile and brown eyes lit up every space she inhabited,” MSYC Board President Mylie McKissack shared. “When she walked into a room, the atmosphere automatically turned into joy and laughter. She was a ray of sunshine to all who were around her.”
Loved ones chose to name the pavilion Mykal’s Sonshine Circle to honor her reputation as a “ray of sunshine” and the way her life always “shined ” her love of Jesus.
The day’s ceremony also included comments and memories by MSYC Associate Director Gayle McDonald; Mykal’s close friends, Thor and Lindsay Melson; Mykal’s husband at the time of her passing, Brandon Daniels, who has since remarried; and Mykal’s mother, Belinda Moss, all of whom were instrumental in giving and raising money for the pavilion. Additional funds were also raised through a special challenge issued by the Freed-Hardeman University Day of Giving campaign.
“Participating in the project to honor Mykal was a way to pay tribute to her while fostering happy childhood memories for today’s campers,” Lindsay Melson said. “I have a great love for Mid-South Youth Camp and Mykal. She was a ray of sunshine, and I admire the love she gave to everyone around her.”
The mission of Freed-Hardeman University is to help students develop their God-given talents for His glory by empowering them with an education that integrates Christian faith, scholarship, and service. With locations in Henderson and Memphis, FHU offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, and doctoral degrees.