After more than three years of development, design and fundraising, Flying Horse Farms in Mount Gilead is ready for its debut.

A groundbreaking ceremony is set from 2-4 p.m. June 13 at Flying Horse Farms, 5260 State Route 95, Mt. Gilead (approximately 30 minutes north of I-270).

When completed, Flying Horse Farms will be a summer camp for children with serious illnesses, as well as an off-season camp for their families, serving nearly 1,200 children annually. It is currently a provisional member of the Association of Hole in the Wall Camps, the world’s largest family of camps for children with serious illnesses, founded by Paul Newman.

The event features the official "breaking ground" at 3 p.m. by Flying Horse campers, preceded by a brief program and tour of the nearly 200-acre, $20 million camp.

Speakers include Jenni and David Belford, Flying Horse Farms Founders (Columbus residents); Emily Lewis, Flying Horse Away camper and her dad, John Lewis (Cleveland residents); Mark Bivenour, CEO, Flying Horse Farms; Patrick Smith, Camp Director, Flying Horse Farms; Mike Porter, Mayor of Mt. Gilead; and Sarah Reed, associate chaplain, Nationwide Children's Hospital

Nearly 16,000 children in Ohio in the disease groups Flying Horse Farms will serve, suffer from serious illnesses that also prevent them from having a normal camp experience. Flying Horse Farms aims to provide these children with the opportunity to just "be kids again" through a traditional camp program but with a fully-staffed medical facility to assure both campers and parents that their health needs will be monitored and met during their week at camp. The disease groups to be served include cancer, heart disease/surgery, sickle cell and related disorders, hemophilia and related blood disorders, gastrointestinal disease, severe asthma, and arthritis.

For more information on the camp, including its summer camp season, visit www.flyinghorsefarms.org.