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On Friday,
July 17, my son and I participated with other volunteers at the end of the 5th session >s camp activities at the Lions Camp in Kerrville.
This was my first trip to Camp. It was very satisfying to see the joy on the faces of the
campers, the friends the children had made and the physical layout of the camp itself. The
watermelon party began with the Lions slicing and preparing the watermelons for the
campers arrival.
That evening we went back to the camp for the evening awards ceremony. I learned the
last year a camper could participate is 16 years of age. Three of the children had
attained the milestone and were honored with great fanfare. As each award was given out
there was no shortage of cheering for each camper by their fellow campers, counselors,
gathered family and Lions.
As this was our first trip to Kerrville and with no preconceived ideas it was wonderful
to see each child, no matter what handicap, was on a level playing field with everyone
else. We will look forward to subsequent trips.
To Everyone at the Lions Camp
My son just returned from a week at the camp and I want to thank each of you for your
devotion to these kids. He could not’t quit talking about everything he did and the
counselors and friends. Many of these children have few places where they are totally
accepted and not considered "different" or even "odd".
Thank you for providing such a warm and friendly place. From the moment I met the
counselors, I knew my son would have a good experience - and he did. Thank you from my son
and all the other children and families. You are truly doing the work of God.
To Lions Camp Staff:
Thank you all for making this summer so special for my son. This was his first time
away from home and I was really worried, but he had wonderful stories to tell and was
really proud that he was able to do so much without Mommy.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I enjoyed visiting the Texas Lions Camp.
While revisiting many enjoyable memories, I realized I had been away far too long.
The Texas Lions Camp has always been very special not only to myself, but for my
brother as well. Every camper was made to feel that he or she was very special and unique
in his or her own way. So much was learned by my brother and I while attending the Lions
Camp.
Upon returning home, I got out my scrapbook and went down memory lane again. My first
camp session was in August 1955. I was six years old. The camp had five units then. The
tribe names of the units were Lipan Apache, Iroquois of which were boys units. Ojibwa,
Navajo and Sioux were girls units. I was Ojibwa. I received the most improved swimming
award that session. I learned to swim at TLC. I had been taking swimming lessons at home.
Two weeks at TLC, I was swimming! I returned home and my swimming instructor was so
excited that I had learned to swim in two weeks! I believe my brother learned to swim
there as well.
Dear Friends:
Just a small note to tell you Thank You for making this summer so special for
our daughter. This was her first summer at camp and I wanted to thank all the counselors
for their kindness and thoughtfulness in taking care of my daughter and showing her a good
time! Thanks also to all the staff members of the camp because without all of you this
would never have been possible.
On behalf of our entire family, I want you to know how much we all appreciate the
opportunity to experience Texas Lions Camp! Our three children attended Session 5 and
thoroughly enjoyed their week. They loved the activities, meeting new friends, and getting
acquainted with the staff and counselors.
Our children have a genetic disease, which causes progressive loss of muscle control,
immune system deficiencies and a high incidence of cancer. Most children are in
wheelchairs by age 7 and usually do not live past their teens, yet they maintain above
average intelligence levels. Our children have a more moderate case and all still are
walking - sometimes with assistance.
As parents of three children with A-T, it is not often that we feel as comfortable as
we did the day we drove away from Texas Lions Camp after registering our children. We knew
that 40 years of time, effort and resources have made this camp a wonderful experience for
handicapped children.
Another great moment was when my daughter told us that for the first time she relaxed
around her friends at the camp and didn’t worry about her imbalance. At school, she
concentrates very hard at keeping her balance and worries about what others will think if
she falls or stumbles. Lions Camp was a "safe place" where she could be herself!
Our boys enjoyed the shooting gallery and my youngest wants to frame his empty shells!
They also enjoyed the swimming, horseback riding and other activities. Unfortunately, my
oldest son (16) had his first and last experience at Lions Camp this year. We only wish we
had known about the camp sooner!
My daughter attended the first session of camp. This was her first time attending
the Lions Camp. She had a wonderful time. Her counselor made sure her first experience was
a rewarding one. The bus service from Houston was well organized and prompt. The Lions
Club should be commended for such a well run project.
Thank you for the opportunities given our special children.
Dear Texas Lions Camp,
I had to write to express my sincere thanks to you for the wonderful time my daughter
had at camp this year. This was my daughter’s third year to come to camp and I think
she enjoyed it more this year than in years past. She is thirteen and being around other
girls her age was a real treat for her.
Having a child like my daughter has presented more than its share of problems, one of
which is something we, non-disabled, often take for granted...having and making friends.
The children in our neighborhood never bang our door down for my daughter to come out and
play. There are not’t invitations to sleep-overs and many things which are geared for
children my daughter’s age simply aren’t things in which she can participate.
That’s why I am so thankful for the Texas Lions Camp. For two weeks, my daughter can
be "normal" and participate in things her non-disabled peers do. Nobody tells
her she can’t do it, or won’t let her play simply because she is different. She
is not treated differently than anybody else.
At camp, she is expected to do her share of the work, as well as have her share of the
fun. I was leery at first, because my daughter had never been made to be so
self-sufficient before, but she came through like a champ and I have given her more
responsibilities because of her achievements at camp.
Too often, we forget to count our blessings and thank God for the gifts He gives us,
but I did want to be sure and let ALL of you who make TLC the special place it is that
THIS mother is very thankful to you!! If there is anything I can do for YOU, please let me
know. Thank you and keep up the great work!!
Dear Texas Lions Camp,
Thank you for letting me come to camp. I had a great time. I wish I could stay all
summer. I made lots of friends and saw many friends from last summer.
For ten years, your camp was something my son enjoyed and looked forward to.
Because of your camp, he became more comfortable with himself and what he could
accomplish. Please accept our thanks for all you did.
Our club was visited by one of the campers from Hemphill today. She was still excited
about the experience she had at the camp this summer. She told us about the activities she
was able to participate in and the special awards she won for what she did. You people are
impacting lives in positive ways you never dreamed of.
These young campers come home with a whole new perspective on life. They get to see
other young people with special needs and their self confidence and self esteem is
sooooooooooooooo improved. I know you know all this takes place at the camp, but I really
had no idea the impact that camp could make on these youngsters. I do hope I can come out
next year to bring a load (and to meet you and thank you personally).
The camper=s mother was with her at the
meeting to interpret for her and even she was excited about the camp. I with you could
have heard her talking about her feelings of leaving her daughter for the first time with
people she didn=t know and how she was treated
in such a manner that she knew that leaving her daughter was the right thing to do. So you
see, this mother was taken to a new level in her life. Mom was particularly impressed with
the awards ceremony at the end of camp. She became emotional as she expressed her feelings
as she watched the ceremony.
I want to thank you and your staff for the excellent camping experience all of you have
provided the children of the state of Texas. Each of our campers were as excited when we
picked them up as they were when we took them down. We had four first time campers and two
veterans this year. I cannot count the number of times I heard them say AWhen I come next year. . .@ This is a clear indication of your success.
Dear Lions,
I just completed my 7th year at Texas Lions Camp. I just wanted to write and tell you
thank you for making Texas Lions Camp possible for kids like me. I have had so much fun
the past seven years at Lions Camp. You have made some of my dreams come true. My first
year I came I didn=t think I would be able to
swim and run, but with the help of the counselors and Lions you made my dreams come true
and I wanted to tell you thank you so very much!
Dear Colleagues at the Texas Lions Camp:
The students and faculty of Austin Community College Vocational Nurse Program want to
thank you for the opportunity to experience your clinical setting this past summer
session. Without your guidance and time, our maternal-child health experiences and
knowledge would have been very diminished. We appreciate your patience, your kindness, and
your input.
Thank
you so much for all that you did to make last week’s
diabetes camp such a success. My son, Drew Galloway, had a
great time. He talked all the way home to Houston about all
that neat stuff he got to do. He is even teaching me sign
language! I can’t believe all he learned in just one week.
I was
impressed with the medical care he received. I knew he was
in good hands the whole time. We were incredibly
impressed with camp itself. It is first class all the way.
My children have been to various camps all over Texas and
Oklahoma, but none has come close to your wonderful
facility.
Thanks
for making this wonderful opportunity available to our son &
family.
I am writing to let you know my son attended the Texas Lions Camp for diabetics. He
really did not want to go in the beginning but we told him he would have a great time but
we still had difficulty convincing him to go. When we arrived at the camp, we were greeted
with lots of love and smiles. He instantly felt better and at ease. He was afraid of being
away from home for the first time and away from Mom & Dad. But he quickly got over
that feeling and before we left he was glad he had come.
My son has been a diabetic since January 1998, so all of this was quite new to him. My
husband lost his job back in 1997 so things have been a little rough and I used all my
vacation time taking my son to Houston to see his doctor. We have not been able to take a
vacation for about two years and this camp was wonderful and the best vacation he ever
had. It also allowed me time to relax. My son also learned a lot about his medical needs.
My son and I wanted to thank you so very much for the love and kindness that the Lions
Club have shown our family. And to let you know what a wonderful time he had and what a
positive influence the camp had on him. Thank you.
Gentlemen:
Enclosed is a letter from our son who recently attended your camp in Kerrville for
diabetic children. We can=t thank you enough for
letting him participate in this wonderful camp. He was so ready to go off on his own this
year and you gave him the only opportunity that he could possibly have had.
Since he was diagnosed last summer, one of the hardest things we deal with is trying
not to be over protective and let him do all the things his friends are doing. It=s hard just sending him off to a friend=s house over night when the parents are not real
comfortable dealing with his medical needs. My son is also a Boy Scout and he is very
fortunate that we are able to attend most of the camping trips with him so that he can
participate.
We won=t say that it wasn=t a very long two weeks that he was at the Lions Camp
(we did our share of worrying), but we knew in our hearts that he was in the best possible
care while he was there. He was so ready to spread his wings this summer and go out on his
own; and because of the opportunity you gave him, he was able to do just that. We have
definitely seen him grow up through this experience.
We were so impressed by the counselors and medical personnel at the camp when we
checked in. We could tell by the efficiency of the process that all 200+ children were
going to be very well cared for and were going to have a great time. Dr. Ponder and his
staff were extremely helpful and the counselors were so energetic and enthusiastic. We
left the camp that day knowing they couldn=t
help but have a great, positive experience.
We also had the opportunity to participate in Parents=
Day. Being fairly new at all of this, we felt the program was very informative. It covered
a lot of the things that we were told in the hospital upon diagnosis and it was really
great to hear it all again and feel like we really did learn a lot over the past year. Of
course, in the hospital it was all such a blur and a shock. Dr. Ponder and all of his
staff did a great job.
When we returned to camp to pick him up, the staff was still enthusiastic as
when we left them. You could tell by the excitement, cheering, and singing that everyone
had a wonderful two weeks. My son talked for hours filling us in on all the details. It
had been everything we had hoped for him.
The Texas Lions run a terrific camp and help an awful lot of children who may not get
such an opportunity otherwise. Having volunteered ourselves through Scouts, sports, school
and other activities, we know it takes a lot of dedication and effort from all the
volunteer staff and members of the Lions Clubs to make a camp like this a success. Thank
you for all your efforts to support the Camp and we hope it will serve this area for many
years to come. We feel truly blessed that our son was able to be a part of it.
Dear Texas Lions Camp,
Last year was my first year in the Diabetic Session. I=m writing you this letter to thank you for letting me
come to your camp. You have excellent dieticians. Good food, might I add! Very, very, very
good food. Your counselors were/and are very good. They made me feel right at home.
You have the coolest courses. Adventure Programming is a very good course. The
activities were great, especially your night activities. Every activity was great.
Overall, I had a wonderful time. I=ve never
had so much fun and learned so much about my disease. Hopefully, I=ll go next year if I can. Well, thanks for
everything.
Gentlemen:
Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to come to your diabetes camp. I had a
great time.
My favorite part of camp was meeting new friends. I really enjoyed the activities like
archery, shooting, blowguns, and canoeing in the pool.
It was fun to be part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new pool too. I sure hope
we get to be in your new video.
I thought the classes on diabetes were good too. Since I already do a lot of my own
care, I really enjoyed helping the other kids in my group who were not quite as far along
in their own management. It was a great review of all the things they taught me in the
hospital a year ago and I learned about eating right and staying in a good routine.
The camp staff was really GREAT! The counselors and med staff were a lot of fun
and enthusiastic. They kept us pumped the whole time we were there. Shaggy was in my cabin
and he was FANTASTIC!!
I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in your camp. I look forward to
being able to attend again in the next year or so.
Thank you for making my daughter=s summer. It
meant so much!
Dear Sirs:
Please accept this check as a small token of our appreciation to the Lions Club and to
you for sponsoring our daughter to diabetic camp. We are sorry this is her last year. She
really loves going to camp. I can=t find the
words to tell you how much that camp has helped her. Thank you and all the Lions Camp
members so much.
Mr. Mabry,
Please accept my most heartfelt thanks for the truly outstanding job that the Lions of
Texas have done in providing the summer camp experience for diabetic children. My daughter
was diagnosed as diabetic on 21 October of 1997. Until the camp this year, she was
somewhat despondent and definitely felt isolated from her peers by her disease. The Lions
Club Summer Camp has opened her eyes to the fact that hundreds of children just like her
are out there and she is not alone in dealing with diabetes. This was the first time that
she had been away and Aon her own@ for more than 24 hours since she was diagnosed.
Although we=ve attended parties and group
sessions for diabetic children, these several hour occasions can not come close to the
long term exposure and experience of summer camp. To say that she has formed friendships
through Lions Club summer camp that will last a lifetime may well be an understatement. I
almost had to Arip@ her away from the bunkhouse last weekend. The
learning opportunities and activities available at the camp are exceptional. Without the
Lions Club members dedication and commitment as well as the support of the medical staff,
it would be difficult if not impossible to have such a dramatic impact in such a short
time.
My wife and I had heard nothing but praise about the Lions Club Camp but we were
naturally worried about our daughter=s well
being while away at camp. After having experienced first hand, the Camp staff and met many
of the Lions Club members at Parent=s Day, I can
now say that my daughter spent summer camp with family and friends.
We shall always appreciate the opportunity that has been give to our daughter. Please
convey our most sincere gratitude to all the Lions Club Members who make this camp
possible. |
