Second Kelly Annon Walk-and-Roll-A-Thon to support KAMP Dovetail

Kelly Jo Annon spent more than 40 years tied to KAMP Dovetail, first as a camper, then as a volunteer and later as a staff member, and that long connection gave Saturday’s second annual Kelly Annon Walk-and-Roll-A-Thon its purpose. The fundraiser was held at the Dovetail Activity Area at Rocky Fork Lake State Park, with registration beginning at 9 a.m., and all proceeds were set to support KAMP Dovetail 2026.

The event was built around more than remembrance. Participants were asked to walk or roll a five-mile route, bring pledge sheets and recruit sponsors, while T-shirts, refreshments and awards added to the day’s draw. KAMP Dovetail said awards were to go to the top five individuals who secured the most pledges, turning the memorial into a direct fundraising push for a camp that relies on community support.

KAMP Dovetail describes itself as a one-week, volunteer-run summer camp for children with special needs in southern Ohio. Its 2026 camp week is scheduled to begin Monday, June 22, and the organization says it has operated in that volunteer-run format for more than 30 years. SATH, the nonprofit hosting the walk-and-roll-a-thon, says KAMP Dovetail is its largest event for children and that the camp serves children with disabilities in Highland and surrounding counties of Ohio.

The memorial event page says Annon loved KAMP Dovetail and helped with many fundraisers to keep the camp available for children with special needs. That history explains why her name now anchors an annual event rather than a one-time tribute. Annon died Sept. 29, 2024, at age 46, and the inaugural walk-and-roll-a-thon was held May 10, 2025, making this year’s gathering the second in the series.

For Adams County families and others across the region, the stakes were practical as much as personal. KAMP, short for Kids And Motivated People, offers a summer week that gives children with special needs a chance to attend camp in a setting built for them. The fundraiser at 9800 North Shore Dr. in Hillsboro connected that mission to a local legacy, asking the community to help carry Annon’s goal forward for another year of camp.