Camp fund donations provide special time

Julie Doyle, Las Vegas The writer is a board member of the Potosi Pines Camp, a beneficiary of the Las Vegas Sun Camp Fund.

Friday, Sept. 4, 2009 | 2:02 a.m.

A giant thank you to all who have contributed to the Las Vegas Sun Camp Fund.

This is the most awesome program in Clark County, because so many children benefit from your gifts.

I have been involved in camping in Southern Nevada for years and have seen kids come to camp on camperships, but this year I have been in the middle of the program. I have had the opportunity to contact families to tell them that they were recipients of money to attend camp, and received their gratitude and excitement even though I was just the bearer of good news.

This operation works because of generous givers and an efficient administrative system that allows the program’s benefits to flow smoothly to those in need.

Camping can make a difference in kids’ lives. On Monday mornings when I ride the bus with the kids, they are nervous, hanging on to their sisters or brothers or just feeling scared and alone. This is such a new experience for many; they have never even seen the mountains just outside our city. (Of course, there are often a few seasoned campers on the bus encouraging the new ones.)

The bus ride home at the end of the week is completely different. They are singing at the top of their lungs, laughing, sharing funny stories, and very sad to leave their new friends.

Standing in the parking lot, several parents have shared with me how their own camping experiences in such places as California or Michigan provided them the best summer of their childhood. Your gift will provide memories for these kids for their whole lives. For many kids, they will want to be like the experienced campers on the bus; they want the opportunity to go to camp next summer to encourage those who are afraid of being away from home.