In the summer of 1994, Michigan
native Chris Klavon volunteered his time as a counselor for
a special camp in Minnesota. The camp was a place where children, who had
suffered from burns, were free from the common stares they received on a daily
basis.
But the children were not the only ones that received
those awkward glances. Chris did too. There was a common bond between Chris and
the children. Both were learning to cope with the aftermath of of being burned
while simultaneously learning to live life to the fullest.
And while this camp experience was a wonderful one
for Chris, he also felt a sense of emptiness. He felt empty because there was no
camp like that for children in Michigan.
By December of that year, Chris had
assembled a group of individuals to explore the possibilities of starting a
special burn camp in Michigan. Within months of that first meeting, a camp site
had been identified. Burn centers, firefighters and private citizens from across
the state had donated time and money.
After countless hours of hard work
and planning,
Great Lakes Burn Camp (GLBC)
became a reality on August 13, 1995.
Forty-five children attended that first summer. It was a celebration of happiness, healing, hope and
life.
As Great Lakes Burn Camp plans for its
ninth summer,
we are proud to have served over 800 burn injured children.
The staff, consisting mainly of unpaid volunteers,
hail from all over the United
States.
And in addition to its annual Summer Camps,
GLBC has hosted six winter retreats.
The future of GLBC shines bright. We
continue to have fresh ideas and new volunteers join our family each year. And
with the help of so many wonderful people, the children who attend GLBC receive
the best camp experience possible.
We hope that GLBC will always be a
place where kids will find solace and acceptance. A place where everyone is
beautiful inside and out!
