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LETTERS FROM PARENTS

Dear Mr. Pucher and Staff at Lions Camp Badger:

Shane and I would like to thank you and your staff for all your hard work and effort put forth while Sam was at camp. Over all, we feel that it was a very positive experience for all of us. Even though Sam did not make the whole six weeks, three weeks was great for her very first time being away from home and Mom and Dad. In her thirteen years she has only been away from us for 2 nights, and that was with family.

No one knows more how stubborn and difficult Sam can be at times. But even after three weeks, we have seen great improvements in her speech. We are also seeing great strides with her personal care needs. She is trying harder to do more for herself than ever.

Please extend our deepest gratitude to your entire staff. We appreciate and understand all their hard work. We hope that we will have the opportunity to do Lions Camp Badger again next year. With sincere thanks and appreciation,

Shane & Mary Carver

This letter first appeared in the October 2001 Lions Camp Badger newsletter.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation!

My mom is writing this letter for me, so I can share my feelings about going to the Empire State Speech and Hearing Camp sponsored by the Lions Clubs.

Going to camp is the best thing I do! I look forward to it all year long. I enjoy time there very much and when I leave I start look forward to when I can go back.

I want to tell you about some of the things that I do at camp. I learn at camp. We do reading, writing, and work on all of our communication skills. This is very important to me because I have a lot of good ideas I want to share with my family and friends.

I have made many of my best friends at camp. We have such a good time. I miss them and can't wait to see them again. It is nice to have friends. At camp my friends and I do many things. We go on outings, play games, and learn about sharing and being good friends. Swimming is one of my favorite sports. I have a job at camp. I like to work. I am a helper in the kitchen. They have good food at camp.

When I am away I miss my Mom, but I know that I learn to do many things on my own. I am more independent. My Mom does not worry about me at camp because she knows that I am safe. There are many good counselors at camp. Mr. Pucher wrote me a letter at Christmas and sent me a picture. It was better than if I saw Santa Claus. It made my Christmas!

I want to thank the Lions Clubs for all the work they do for kids with special needs like me. Camp means the world to me. We need more organizations that know how much important programs like camp mean to me and friends like me. We don't have all the opportunities that many other kids do, but we have the same dreams that they do. My family and I hope that the Lions Clubs realize all of the lives that they touch through their generosity.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart,

Ryan Thomas Pepper

This first appeared in the May 2002 Lions Camp Badger newsletter.

Ryan graduated in August 2003.

Hello!

I am writing as a parent of a student who has attended Lions Camp Badger for several years. (Eight years, I think!) My son looks forward to camp all year. He talks about it and says, "I go there again?!". Matthew just blossoms at camp. It is an awesome opportunity for him to grow (mentally and physically), make new friends, socialize, learn personal care and hygiene, and have wonderful experiences with school and social activities! He has

more opportunities and experiences at camp then I could ever provide for him at home. Matt has great fun making new friends and teaming new skills while enhancing existing skills. He has had a positive experience every year he has attended Lions Camp Badger, and I hope he will be able to continue to attend until he "ages out"!

I fought long and hard for him to be there this year, as his school district wanted to put him in their 3 1/2 hour a day, 5 day a week summer program. There was just no comparison!! I will continue to advocate for my son to keep Lions Camp Badger as his summer school placement! I wish more parents knew about it and more children would have the opportunity to attend!! I sincerely applaud all the teachers and staff involved!!

THANK YOU ALL!!!

Most sincerely,

Celeste Smith Summer 2004

I really want to express to you how thrilled we were with Ashley's summer experience at Lions Camp Badger. She surprised us so much! Ashley will never be the same. She came back home with so much to talk (sign) about. She was so proud of the things that she was able to accomplish. The fact that she was responsible for herself was in her eyes such an achievement, and rightly so. This has really empowered her. She now knows that she can do many things for herself and she has lost much of her fear/shyness that she expressed in the past. I can't tell you how proud we are of her and how happy we are that we made the decision to place her last summer at Lions Camp Badger. It truly was the very best thing we could have done for her. This experience has certainly started to pave the way towards independence for her.

We want to thank you for helping us to help Ashley. You reassured us, encouraged us, and showed us that Ashley can be helped to feel proud of herself, be a part of a group and to make friendships with students and counselors alike. We were kept informed and we were able to communicate with you and with Ashley and her other teachers and the clinic. This made us feel so comfortable with her placement. I definitely must mention the wonderful staff of teachers and counselors; a professional staff of very competent and caring people. We were so impressed with the caliber of the people that work at Lions Camp Badger.

Ashley had a fantastic summer experience. We are all looking forward to this coming summer.

Fran Rogers Ashley graduated in 2003

Keith has been attending Lions Camp Badger for the past 7 years, and it is the highlight of his year. He has grown so much through his experiences at camp. The staff is not only highly skilled, but the love and care that is shown to all the children is beyond belief. The education is first rate and the activities seem to get better with each year.

Keith leaves camp with such such a sense of self-esteem and confidence. He is ready to start the new school year, but always feels sadness when he has to say goodbye to his friends, counselors, and teachers.

It is a challenge for children with special needs to find a place of acceptance. Lions Camp Badger is that place. A special place for special children. Thanks so much for all of your effort and support.

MaryJo Ruckel

Summer 2004

There are not enough words to describe how wonderful this camp is. My son has changed so much since his first summer at Lions Camp Badger and now tells me everyday that his friends are at camp and he needs to return. They are his family, our family ... and a definite asset to our lives. With this camp, Mark has received the abilities to grow and experience the many wonderful programs that this camp has to offer. I will never be able to thank this camp and its staff for the wonderful things you've done for me and my son.

Amy Wurth - Summer 2004

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at Lions Camp Badger for making this past summer such a wonderful experience for our daughter Brittany. The State Education Department should be proud to have such a wonderful program that the Lions organization has created for children with special needs.

Prior to Brittany's summer camp program, we experienced a child who had unsuccessfully completed her school program due to her high level of anxiety and unhappiness with herself and her program at the time. She did not feel good about herself and her self-esteem was at an all time low. She became somewhat of a recluse and refused to engage in any school or social functions. There was a little apprehension on Brittany's part about attending the summer program. But given the success she had experienced in the past with residential placements, we knew it would be a rewarding experience for her. Within the first half-hour of our arrival, Brittany's anxiety level started to decrease as she met what would turn out to be her counselors for the next six weeks. With each phone call, the excitement in her voice told us how much she was enjoying her summer program. The program was highly structured from academic time, afternoon activities, right on through the evening, which is the perfect environment for children in special education to thrive in, especially a child like Brittany who has Pervasive Developmental Disorder.

Since Brittany has been home from camp, her self-esteem is the best we have seen it in years! She lost weight at camp which improved her self-image, is wearing nice clothes, and even puts on make-up for the first time in a very long time. There has been little anxiety when going to school, which was a constant problem the past year. She seems to enjoy her school experience at the present and laughs and talks about her camp experience often. Hopefully, the positive experience from her summer program will continue to lead to a successful transition in regards to her educational day program this school year.

I would like to share a comment Brittany made on the way home from camp this summer; "Mom and Dad, I only wish camp would have been longer. I had so much fun and made a lot of nice friends." For that, I would like to thank all the administrative staff, teachers, and counselors who made Brittany's summer such a wonderful experience at Lions Camp

Sincerely, Robert & Karen Walczak Badger newsletter. Brittany graduated in August 2003.
This letter first t appeared in the Badger. October 2002

My daughter Cassandra has attended the Empire State Speech and Hearing Clinic at Lions Camp Badger for the past eight years, and they have been happy, successful years.

In the spring, once the snow has melted, Cassie starts asking when Camp will start. She looks forward to Camp with a great deal of excitement.

Camp is wonderful for Cassandra. The therapy services and educational programs are top notch. Every summer Cassandra returns home with a noticeable improvement in her skills. You cannot know how thrilling this is for our family.

Camp also offers the rest of our family an opportunity to spend a few weeks doing things that Cassandra is unable to participate in (hiking, biking, etc.).

Our thanks to the administration and staff at Lions Camp Badger for giving Cassandra a fun, productive summer. Thanks also for offering a well operated program, which gives parents confidence that their child is in a safe and loving environment.

Sincerely,

Mary Beth Jones This letter first appeared in the October 2003 Lions Camp Badger newsletter

Donna & Hannah,

I cannot tell you the change in Kellianne. She was full of fear and anxiety at the thought of not being home. Kell has made s0000 many strides in independence - all from what she learned at camp, she told me. She is dying to go back. I was more afraid of sending her than she was of going. The counselors are the best - the dedication to the children was unbelievable . They clearly love their jobs. I would recommend this camp to parents and reassure them that their children will be safe and have a blast!!!

Dana Kersey Summer 2004

Dear Rich & Donna:

Hello! We hope all is well. We are grateful to you and your staff for understanding our family situation for Areti. No words can express our feelings about the camp. Yes, there ARE words; safe, secure, relaxed, exciting, comforting (especially YAP cabin), and parents' peace of mind. Even though you have our children for only six weeks of the year, we consider you a part of our extended family. This year I was determined to finally get a chance to do something that was very important to me: going to Cypress for the first time in 17 years of marriage where my husband Sam's roots are, and going back to Greece to see my other extended family. It meant a lot, especially with Donna's and Joe O'Connor's understanding and support.

Please thank all of the Lions Clubs for without them our children would not have a place of adventure, security, and independence. Thank you once again for helping our family. We are looking forward to next year and every year as your program also expands to en"RicH" the lives of our children.

Sincerely,

The Sotirious — Fran, Sam, Christa, Dena, This letter first appeared

and of course, Areti, too! in the October 2002 Lions Camp Badger newsletter.