Enhancing the lives of adults with developmental disabilities through recreation, socialization and life skills education.
CampBlueSkies.org
SPRING 2017
Camp Blue Skies helps volunteer find his purpose Message from founder Dick Sesler While our mission is to enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities, volunteers often tell us camp transforms their lives, too. Jim Guimond of Charlotte is one shining example. Jim is a personal friend who started volunteering from the beginning and has become one of our biggest supporters. In addition to serving as a cabin counselor, he developed the Balance Your Body program to help improve our campers’ health and flexibility. He's also raised money to help make sure everyone who wants to go to camp can. Jim’s Camp Blue Skies experience, combined with volunteering with Special Olympics and his church, inspired him to pursue a dream. In November 2016, in partnership with four other folks, Jim helped open Kinetic Heights, an indoor, obstacle-based challenge and fitness center, in Charlotte. Kinetic Heights’ goal is to build and empower healthy families, individuals, and organizations, including Camp Blue Skies. Keep an eye out for news about events we’ll be hosting there. Members of the Camp Blue Skies family who attended the grand opening of Kinetic Heights in November (from left): Justin Hoyle, Brent Sesler, Brandon Burrows, Jim Guimond, Kinetic Heights Fitness Director and Outreach Coordinator, and Bob Bowler of Camp SOAR and a Camp Blue Skies board member.
Partnership provides session for adults with Williams syndrome Music and traditional recreational activities: “Expect lots of jam sessions!” More than 40 campers are expected to attend our new session for adults with Williams syndrome March 20-24 at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, GA. The partnership was a natural fit, said Terry Monkaba, Executive Director of Williams Syndrome Association (WSA). "Camp Blue Skies’ personal knowledge and experience with Williams syndrome (WS) through founder Dick Sesler and his family make them a perfect fit for a partnership with the WSA. “We’ll continue to offer our general sessions, but the team and the board agreed we should explore this opportunity,” explained Sesler. “The campers are coming from around the
country including California, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Ohio and, in a first for us, a camper is coming from Dubai!” Programming will include lots of fun involving music, along with our traditional recreational activities. “Expect lots of jam sessions,” said Sesler, who has been to many WS events and conventions with Brent. We are excited to have new partnerships with Clemson University and Mercer University College of Pharmacy. Students from those schools will volunteer as counselors and pharmacists respectively.
Camp Blue Skies Foundation 2820 Selwyn Ave., Box 767 Charlotte, NC 28209
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