Pattie Petty, wife of former NASCAR driver Kyle Petty, is so serious about making sure the Victory Junction Midwest camp planned for Wyandotte County becomes a reality, she has moved to Kansas City. Victory Junction Midwest, a year-round facility for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses, was to open by the end of 2011, but it ran into some unexpected problems last year. First, the original piece of property – on 71 acres at 8205 Riverview in Kansas City, Kan. – was deemed unsuitable for a hospital after soil samples were examined during excavation. Also, Mike Lepore, the camp’s original president, left last summer for another job in Chicago, which put the project behind in its fund-raising efforts. The Pettys have identified another 70-to-80-acre location for the $35 million camp closer to Kansas Speedway and the Village West retail area than the original site. A benefactor will help buy the property, and once the core drilling and other preliminary studies are complete, they hope to announce the location in the next two weeks.(Kansas City Star)(3-6-2011)
