Local Community Bands Together to Send Campers with Muscular Dystrophy to Camp Promise

Last year we told you all about a great group of people coming together to help send kids and adults with muscular dystrophy to summer camp.  Normally, summer camps are too strenuous and aren’t built around the unique needs of these great campers, but Camp Promise East in Hebron, CT is anything but ordinary.  They have created a summer camp experience that becomes the highlight of each camper’s summer experience.  Here’s a bit of what campers do from The Jett Foundation site:

For younger campers, camp is a time to enjoy arts ‘n crafts, scavenger hunts, swimming, visiting animals, and other age-appropriate activities while enjoying the company of other campers who have similar physical needs. The week allows these campers to become comfortable around people in wheelchairs and other medical equipment, eventually easing the transition to using these devices. Inevitably, curious younger campers ask questions about the older campers’ conditions and sometimes their own. Our counselors are not only trained to handle these questions appropriately, but also look to parents for guidance in case these questions arise during the week.

 Older campers enjoy programming that caters to their needs. This includes later curfews, later wake-up times, exclusive pool hours, our Transitions Program, age-appropriate movies, and more. And, when we do have camp-wide activities like Casino Night, we make sure older campers get a little something extra out of the events. Theme Days challenge campers and volunteers to be creative and show off their best ideas. Forget Crazy Hair Day and Twin Day, campers of all ages enjoy dressing up with our unique themes like As Seen on TV, Inanimate Object Day, and Safari Day. As one parent put it, “Even packing for Camp Promise is fun.”

Providing this week long experience isn’t cheap (campers go for free) or easy to put together at all.  That’s why (like that Geico commercial) Fairfield County is taking steps to make sure that pigs will fly.  Yes, with restaurants, markets, schools, and all of us working together, we can make the seemingly impossible happen.  All you need to do is buy a Flying Pig for $1 from February 14 until March 15 at any of these locations:

• Stamford High School – Stamford, CT
• UConn – Stamford, CT
• Summer Street Deli and Pizza – Stamford, CT
• Westhill High School – Stamford, CT
• Trinity Catholic High School – Stamford, CT
• Palmer’s Supermarket – Darien, CT
• Greenwich High School – Greenwich, CT
• Garden Catering – Fairfield, Old Greenwich and Stamford, CT

James Lacerenza and some of the Flying Pigs at UConn Stamford…but we need to see a TON more! Let’s make it happen!

The sales will culminate on 3/15 with the official “Stamford Against Dystrophy Day,” created by Mayor Pavia in honor of James Lacerenza’s quest to help end muscular dystrophy.   On that day you’ll need to head out to Garden Catering in Stamford where 10% of all their sales will be split between Camp Promise East and TDI.  In addition to their excellent nuggets, fries, and cones, they’ll also have corned beef and cabbage for all your Irish food lovers!

Southport Brewing Company (like last year) is also helping out with their “Help Line” microbrew April through June.  We’ll have more on that later with stories from some of the campers and staff members to share.  Let’s help make this year even more successful than last year by going over the $26,323 that was raised in 2012!

When you buy a Flying Pig, take a pic of yourself with it and tweet it to us or post it on our FB wall.  We’ll retweet and share your pic!

Please share this article and do your part to ensure that pigs do fly.

-Dan and Kristien