By Betsy Finklea
It’s about more than just basketball. The DJ Rowell Foundation Rockem Experience Camp is about teaching kids life lessons learned from sports such as discipline and acting as a team player, inspiring young people to achieve their dreams, showing them positive role models, and so much more.
Approximately 250 children are enjoying the experience this week in Marion at the Shannon Wilkerson Gym. The foundation’s namesake, DJ Rowell, is hands-on with camp playing basketball with the kids and participating as a camp leader.
The camp is completely free to kids. Breakfast and lunch is provided. Kids get a camp bag, arm band, and t-shirt. All of the adults who make the camp possible are volunteers. The camp lasts from 8:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. each day, and the kids are full of excitement and energy.
His passion to help young people inspired him to start the camp. “When I launched the Rockem Experience nine years ago through the DJ Rowell Foundation, I was simply following a pull — a passion to pour into young people the life lessons that once shaped me. Lessons grounded in love, faith, and most of all, purpose,” said Rowell.
“Every one of us is searching for that thing that wakes us up in the morning — something that drives us and gives meaning to our days. I didn’t start with a five-year plan. I started with a heart to serve, to plant a seed, and to remind kids that their dreams matter and their purpose is real,” he continued.
“What I didn’t expect was how much would grow from that one seed. Year after year, the Rockem Experience has evolved — not just as a camp, but as a movement of growth, connection, and legacy. Today, over 1,500 young lives have come through this experience, and each one has been a part of something rooted in community, upliftment, and the power of believing in who you are becoming,” Rowell said.
“I’ll leave you with this famous quote, ‘If you want to go fast go alone, or you want to go far go together!’,” Rowell said. It’s his heart for youth and his desire for inspiring others and for helping the community that will push him to continue to do great things.
The public can witness some of the things that have happened at camp this week this Friday at 4:00 p.m. when they host a Community Day. There will be food trucks serving hot dogs and pizza, All-Star games featuring the kids who went to camp this week, and a charity game at 7:00 p.m. which will feature some alumni. Don’t miss the opportunity to come out for this fun event.
Note: We’ll have more on DJ Rowell in the coming weeks as we talk about the upcoming release of his film, “The Love Doctor,” so stay tuned.
PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Johnnie Daniels/The Dillon County News, LLC
