For today’s Saturday Snapshot I thought I would share with you where I have been this past week.  I am on a Camp Board for a Camp called Camp Benedict.  This camp is an educational camp for those infected and affected by AIDS.  The camp is a family camp, which means we have men, women, and children at camp, and we have people who have obtained AIDS through many different ways:

Sex

Needles

Blood transfusions (before they tested blood back in the 80’s)

and yes, children born with AIDS

My connection to this camp and cause stems back 5 years, and you can read about it here.  During the year we have a large event and a bike ride to raise money to provide camp for free to those who attend.  The camp is the only one like it in a 6 state range.

Anyhoo… here are some of the pics from this past week:

This year was the 20th year of Camp Benedict!

Camp Benedict is an education camp and throughout the week there will be different speakers covering topics like- stigma, health, medications, laws, men’s groups and women’s groups.

We bring in experts on different topics and from different agencies to help answer questions.

While the adults are in classes, the kids have their own things going on with Camp K staff. They also have their own classes where they learn about AIDS and about how to be supportive of their parent, aunt, uncle, grandparent, etc…

The camp provided meals and snacks.

Of course camp is not all work and study – it is after all… camp. 🙂 From lunch time (noon) to 5:30 (dinner time) is free time and the camp provides water sports, horse back riding, massage, Reiki, pontoon rides, and a trip to the Dairy Queen. Or – you can do as I did… sit in the warm sun read a bit and take a nap 🙂

On the first day of camp we all wrote down words associated with what we thought when we first heard about AIDS. We put those words in a box and on the last evening of camp we burned those words.

On the last night we have a closing ceremony and then we have KARAOKE and a dance for all the campers. It was so fun to watch the little kids!

Our DJ this year was fantastic and she really provided fun things that involved all ages

Friendships are built in that week of camp. Jason has been to camp three times. It’s always great to see old friends and make new ones too!

It is tradition at camp that on the last day as the bus leaves the camp K staff builds a pyramid to wave off the campers.

The close of Camp Benedict 2014.

So why am I a part of this camp?  I LOVE what it is doing.  I love Connie Statz, the woman who bravely 20 years ago had an idea for a way to support others with AIDS and she ran with her vision and this that I just showed you – is the AMAZING result.  I love working with this board of people all striving to encourage, support, and teach.  And I love the campers, I enjoy getting to know people throughout the week, listening to their stories and knowing that I am helping to provide a good take-away from them hanging out at this beautiful camp.

Thanks everyone who serves on the Camp Benedict Board and Friends of Camp Benedict.  Thanks to the camp staff, and of course to all the campers who travel from all over to have a week at a beautiful camp and hopefully leave with a great experience.

If you would like to support Camp Benedict, here is a link to my support page where I raise funds for the bike ride in August which goes directly to the camp.

Be sure to check out other Saturday Snaphot posts ans see what everyone else is taking pictures of this week 😀