This was sent to me after one cleaned up his concentrates from dredging last
month at K River outside of Antlers, Oklahoma.

Keith

This years annual visit to the Texas Lions Camp for Handicap Children on June 8th-10th was our 14th year of working with the wonderful and excited campers and their councelors as always and so many smiling faces of happy children with a handful of foreign coins there was. We saw over 130 kids this year and like every year was able to teach them the joys of treasure hunting with new metal detectors that Garrett donated to the Camp three years ago. After our visit the councelors take over teaching the many new campers that come during the summer. Some 2000 campers are expected this summer and it is an activity that the campers look forward to. Remember many of these councelors are foreign students and that take what they have learned home with them in other parts of the world, so there is no end to how many benefit from our annual visits to the Camp.

This was a program that Nolan Underwood (Camp Activity Director--now deceased) and I started 14 years ago and it would not be possible without all of you in clubs that support this effort by donating your foreign coins you found or purchased--we never forget that! Behind the scenes with very little praise, is those that take the time each year to travel and be there to help with our annual visits, you know who you are. It cost them in many ways, but one look of the big smiles on kids faces and it is all worth it. These folks should be announce before your club for their efforts.

Has it dawned on each of you that visit to the Camp does in fact make a difference in so many of these children's lives. The letters I receive describe it best like this sample:

Dear Mr. Wills,

Your time you took to work with my daughter and teach her to metal detector for coins has changed her life. We had to buy her a detector and she started hunting our yard from her wheelchair right away, now we take her to the park several times a week so she can use that detector there too. She has even started knocking doors in the neighborhood to gain permission to hunt other neighbor's yards as well.

Before your visit to the camp this summer, she only set in front of her computer at home and would not go outside. My husband and I give thanks to you and yours everyday.

God Bless you everyone. The Tates.

Words are not enough, but thank you everyone and please remember to save those foreign coins for the kids--it is the ONLY way the program will continue for these campers.

Sincerely, Keith Wills

It is WWATS honor to announce Wayne (Nuggetbrain) Peterson of Durango, Co. as a State Director. Wayne is a longtime gold prospector and member of the GPAA and PLP. He has been deeply involved with land access rights, recreational prospecting, and has been right beside many of us defending our legal right to enjoy our hobby. Wayne will be and asset to us all and brings to the table many years of experience and dedication. I hope you welcome Wayne as much as we do here at WWATS. If you need to contact Wayne you can at his email: nuggetbrain1@msn.com

Thank you very much, Keith Wills, president

For some 13 to 14 years now we have annually help the many handicap children learn the pastime of metal detecting for treasure. Even with their problems, we can show them how they can still have an outdoor hobby they can do and enjoy. This year's dates are: June 9th & 10th, 2010, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8:00 AM. On the 8th a number of us will arrive to install new batteries and set up table and etc. to get ready for the 200 kids we'll work with for the next two days.

Before I go any further, let me say this: "Everyone is Invited to Come and Help Us" If you can only help one day that is great too. The Lions Camp for Handicap Children in Kerrville, TX. really enjoys us donating our time and knowledge to these kids and one look at the faces of these kids and you know they are extremely happy to see us as well. Not only will the kids learn how to enjoy metal detecting for treasures, but they will discover that there is a outdoor hobby the can enjoy even if they are in a wheelchair, deaf or blind. These children are our future and them learning the hobby could someday change it for us all.

Lastly, we need helpers/workers and we "need Foreign Coins"  to hide for the kids. This has become an activity for all campers that visit the camp each year, thus the very reason why we also teach all the counselors as we are teaching the kids, so they can continue the activity with the foreign coins we leave with them and the dozen detectors that was donated to the camp. Each child will go home with a handful of foreign coins they found with the use of a metal detector. Please help this activity for these kids stay alive by donating your foreign coins, or you can buy them by the pound at coins shops fairly cheap.

If you need any more information or wish to donate foreign coins, please contact me.

Thanks so much, Keith Wills
                         1495 FM 49
                         Gilmer, TX. 75644
                         903-734-7773
                         kwills@etex.net

Thank you very much, Keith Wills
If you care about the future of our hobby, check out www.wwats.org

Your invited to bring your family to the largest treasure show in the USA. Over 20 years the Texas Treasure Show has been shown around the state where visitors can enjoy displays of all kinds of "Found Treasures" and meet the folks that found them. You will enjoy FREE seminars by the professionals, Free Kids Hunt on Sunday and a very large Open Pay Hunt with lots of prizes also on Sunday. Come and experience a lot of fun and learn. Don't forget Saturdays Open Banquet with guest speaker Captain Carl Fismer and his experiences as a professional diver of shipwrecks.  Hope to see ya there.

View the Flyer

Thank you very much, Keith Wills