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| Connecticut Burns Care Foundation |
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| Tucked away in the woods of Union, CT there is a camp. For those who know this camp it has become much more. To most, Burn Camp is, "the one place where no one looks at us differently, or judges us by our scars." The Children's Burn Camp is the one place where these campers can feel like they're all on level ground. This camp, designed for kids between the ages of 8 and 18 who have survived serious burns, has a larger purpose then just a week of fun. These special kids have the opportunity to do what they would otherwise never have the chance to. The foremost purpose is to build self-esteem. Arthur Luf, founder of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation and the Children's Burn Camp, explains to his counselors that a basic human goal is to belong and helping these kids find self-esteem involves helping them feel as though they belong. For some of these kids with visible scarring or physical handicaps, building self-esteem is the most difficult challenge of all. The counselors are encouraged to find ways to make each camper feel part of the cabin, the unit, and the camp. They work on building skills and focus on improvement rather than excellence. Everyone emphasizes ways for campers to contribute to each other and the camp, develop courage, and perseverance, independence and respect. The various activities at camp include, but are not limited to: a ropes course, archery, fishing, swimming, and firefighter games. For some the activities are more difficult than for others, but in such cases there are people to help. There are counselors to lend a hand in archery for a girl who has limited use of one arm, there are people ready to catch the fall while kids walk a rope course three stories high, and there are friends cheering out loud while teams are covered in mud during a football game. The Children's Burn Camp began in 1980. Funded through donations mostly made by firefighters' fundraisers, money is raised in various ways, such as golf tournaments, bingo, marathons, and dunk tanks, etc. "Groups throughout the North East make the Children's Burn Camp their charity, as well as many individuals," said Luf. For the kids, the camp is free to attend. But the people who raise money to support it gather approximately $50,000 each year to keep things running. The staff is made up of firefighters, nurses, and physical therapists, all volunteering their time to make sure these kids have the experience of a lifetime and stay safe while doing it. Currently there are kids and volunteers from all over the Western Hemisphere, and many of the kids and volunteers are returnees. Burn Camp isn't the kind of place you can leave and forget but, as many of the kids say, "it's the one thing we look forward to all year long." The Fairfield Half Marathon has been a supporter of the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation for many years. For more information about the Connecticut Burns Care Foundation check out their web site at www.ctburnsfoundation.org |
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