Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:
Each year, Culver’s of Lake Zurich along with the Lake Zurich Fire Department and students at Isaac Fox School, help collect money for a special and unforgettable one-week camp experience for children and teenagers who have experienced injuries from burns. This year the group collected $1,631.30 for the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance.
Through the generosity of donors, supporters and volunteers, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance offers this camping opportunity at no cost to campers, including lodging, meals, activities, and transportation to and from camp, YMCA Camp Duncan in Ingleside. Campers participate in a variety of adult-supervised, group, age-appropriate activities that provide fun and challenging opportunities for positive outcomes with other burn survivors.
The goal of Camp “I Am Me” is to provide a nonjudgmental atmosphere in which children and adolescents have the opportunity to build their self-esteem while establishing lifelong friendships and positive memories. The camp provides young burn survivors an opportunity to effectively talk to other survivors about their injuries to help them in their approach to life.
In addition to YMCA counselors, the camp is staffed by volunteers including many doctors, nurses, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, fire service personnel, teachers, and other professionals. They participates in various professional development and orientation sessions designed to prepare attendees to deal with the specific needs of burn survivors as well as to build a cohesive team. This large group of volunteers results in a nearly 1:1 counselor-to-camper ratio.
For more information, visit www.ifsa.org/programs/camp.
