Zac Brown's Camp Southern Ground Meets Kids' Special Needs

Posted Apr 24th 2012 9:00AM by Melinda Newman
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Zac Brown may be best known for his musical contributions, but he could add entrepreneur to his title. "There are 12 companies that I run, with a lot of help of other people," Zac tells The Boot.

Of the dozen different entities, the one foremost in Zac's mind is Camp Southern Ground, a non-profit camp south of Atlanta for, as Zac describes it, kids who are "mainstream, underprivileged and with developmental disorders."

"We'll have an organic farm there, straight farm-to-table," says the singer and band leader, who is also an accomplished chef. "The kids will be able to eat what they pull up from out the ground that day. It's a big project, a big undertaking."

Southern Ground intends to start accepting campers in 2014, but between now and then, the organization is seeking financial assistance from a variety of sources. The camp is registered as a 501c3 corporation, which means it can take donations. "We need as much help as we can get. We need corporate sponsors, individuals," Zac says.

The musician has dreamed of running a camp ever since he was a camp counselor when he was 14. "I realized the difference it can make in a kid's life," he says.

With this many companies, Zac has become an excellent multi-tasker, but being a dad remains his favorite role. When asked if he sees more children coming, the father of four girls says, "We'll see. Not right now. My wife's been unpregnant for a year now."

That's the longest she's been "unpregnant" since the couple has been married. Stating the obvious, Zac adds, "I like my wife a lot."

The Zac Brown Band will be in Oklahoma City for a concert on April 26. Keep track of the group's tour schedule here.

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