CAMP RAY OF HOPE ROCKS
July 3 – July 9, 2011
Camp Ray of Hope celebrated our sixth consecutive year of camping experience for children with Hemophilia in Romania -rock style. The theme Rock and Roll featured the one and only King of Rock, Elvis Presley. We can attest that Elvis is indeed alive and we saw him with our own eyes!
We started camp this year on a cold and rainy day but if the weather did not cooperate with us we warmed up the atmosphere by kicking off the first day of camp with an all day 4th of July celebration. We decorated the camp in red, white, and blue. Everyone made hats and carried a small American flag. We even had our own Statue of Liberty. We ate hamburgers and hot dogs, French fries, and for desert apple pie and Coke. Our American parade in the small village attracted everyone’s attention and inquiries like, “What is going on?” prompted the children to respond, “Today is America’s birthday!” Later on in the evening we distributed sparklers and the atmosphere truly became a celebratory one.
In the following days the weather improved and the children were able to do what they came to camp for: swimming, soccer, basketball, archery, and boating.
For arts and crafts the boys made Elvis costumes and the girls made poodle skirts. We received donated Elvis wigs and glasses for the boys and cat eye glasses for girls. We truly looked ’50’s style.
The Rock and Roll theme carried out throughout the week. We woke up and rounded up to Rock Around the Clock. We learned about the life of Elvis and carried out cabin chats at night with questions like: “What would you do if you had Elvis’s money?” We were all impressed at the children’s answers. They all wanted to give most of the money away to other suffering children.
We celebrated our participants with a birthday party for all who were born in the month of July. The birthday celebrants had to eat their ice cream which was lowered on a string from the second story balcony while tormenters made it difficult for them to reach it.
Our field trip this year took us to a salt mine with a lunch stop at a pizza parlor. The mine was so large and the main room so big it included a bowling alley, a game room, a small soccer field, a lake with boats, and a large Ferris wheel. The kids totally enjoyed this trip.
The highlight of the camp was a two hour classical and pop music concert performed by a piano quartet affiliated with the Symphony Orchestra in Cluj. The quartet also accompanied our campers in recording the song Together which has become the camp anthem.
Our Talent Show featured Elvis with other guest appearances, the likes of Alice Cooper and Michael Jackson.
Once again this year we had the pleasure of welcoming our own Andrew Clements, Specialist Hemophilia Physiotherapist from Leicester Royal Infirmary in England, also appearing as Alice Cooper and the Chicken Man. Andrew gave a very informative presentation on Hemophilia and taught the children different techniques to target their specific joint problems.
This year Camp Ray of Hope rocked. Take a look at the pictures and be amazed!
Elvis
Together
S.T.A.R. Children is joining Shaklee Corp. in an effort to help raise funds for our projects. All monies derived from sales through starchildrenrelieforg.myshaklee.com will benefit S.T.A.R. Children Relief.