Camp Erin - Los Angeles: Part Two
As I promised in an earlier blog, I will fill you in on all that happens at a Camp Erin! After the children decorate their forever flags they are then given cabin time to unpack and meet their new cabin buddies! Next is the opening Ceremony! This happens at every single Camp Erin around the world! You can also view an opening ceremony by watching the HBO documentary “one Last Hug”. It is available on HBO GO and most recently won an Emmy!
The opening ceremony starts with the story of Camp Erin and why the Moyers decided to create the camps! Camp Erin is named in memory of Erin Metcalf of Woodinville, Washington, a remarkable young woman who developed liver cancer at the age of 15. Karen and Jamie Moyer met Erin through Make-A-Wish. Erin had a compassionate heart and when she was hospitalized she often expressed concern for the other children there as well as their siblings, who sometimes received little attention.
In 2000, when Erin died at the age of 17, Jamie and Karen Moyer wished to honor Erin's memory and her caring spirit. Acknowledging her love of children and her desire to help others, the Moyers felt that a grief camp for children would be an appropriate tribute. The first Camp Erin was established in Everett, Washington in 2002 helping 42 grieving children.
Each child is then asked to stand up in front of the entire camp and say the name of their person who died and how they died. The campers then tape of photo of their lost loved one to the memory board. The memory board stays in the dining room for the rest of the weekend. It is a very emotional ceremony for some, while its also very empowering. Many of the children are meeting other kids who have had a parent die of the same thing for the first time in their lives. (You will notice that is a re-occurring theme among my platform.
To lighten up the camp atmosphere after such an emotional experience, we throw a dance party! The kids had such a blast! We had a DJ who passed out candy and Hello Kitty Sunglasses! He even pulled me up in front of the kids and made me do some strange dance! I had never heard of it but the kids all knew it already and had a great laugh at how uncoordinated I was! After the dance, its back to the cabin to get some sleep before another big day at Camp! I can’t wait to share more with you in a future post!
Ignite your spark,
Samantha Riddle
Miss International 2014
Congratulations to Our House Grief Support Center and The Moyer Foundation on winning an Emmy!
The opening ceremony starts with the story of Camp Erin and why the Moyers decided to create the camps! Camp Erin is named in memory of Erin Metcalf of Woodinville, Washington, a remarkable young woman who developed liver cancer at the age of 15. Karen and Jamie Moyer met Erin through Make-A-Wish. Erin had a compassionate heart and when she was hospitalized she often expressed concern for the other children there as well as their siblings, who sometimes received little attention.
In 2000, when Erin died at the age of 17, Jamie and Karen Moyer wished to honor Erin's memory and her caring spirit. Acknowledging her love of children and her desire to help others, the Moyers felt that a grief camp for children would be an appropriate tribute. The first Camp Erin was established in Everett, Washington in 2002 helping 42 grieving children.
Each child is then asked to stand up in front of the entire camp and say the name of their person who died and how they died. The campers then tape of photo of their lost loved one to the memory board. The memory board stays in the dining room for the rest of the weekend. It is a very emotional ceremony for some, while its also very empowering. Many of the children are meeting other kids who have had a parent die of the same thing for the first time in their lives. (You will notice that is a re-occurring theme among my platform.
Photos of lost loved ones- Photo Credit- Philly.com
To lighten up the camp atmosphere after such an emotional experience, we throw a dance party! The kids had such a blast! We had a DJ who passed out candy and Hello Kitty Sunglasses! He even pulled me up in front of the kids and made me do some strange dance! I had never heard of it but the kids all knew it already and had a great laugh at how uncoordinated I was! After the dance, its back to the cabin to get some sleep before another big day at Camp! I can’t wait to share more with you in a future post!
Ignite your spark,
Samantha Riddle
Miss International 2014
Comments
Post a Comment