Director Morgan Waldroup is about to cut the ribbon on the newly remodeled Petroleum Valley Youth Center along with director Dan Markel and camp counselors Baedan Lory, Starla Roberts, Brooke Moore and camper Teagan Bell. Shane Potter/Butler Eagle

CHICORA — Danny Markel didn’t spearhead upgrades to the Petroleum Valley Youth Center summer camp for himself.

Markel’s experience with muscular dystrophy helps him in his leadership as a director for the youth center, a role in which he’s served for five years.

“It wasn’t for me,” he said. “It was for other people. And I wanted it to be a safe place for people with disabilities. Since I’m disabled, I thought I would be a good spokesperson for that.

“I really just want to make the world a more accessible place,” Markel said. “It is about making all kids have fun in life, and be able to have the same opportunities and enjoy nature.”

These upgrades include a wheelchair-accessible restroom with a shower. They also include stone paths that provide entry to an arbor near the parking lot and a deck that offers staggering vistas surrounding it.

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