Camp ILA Family Retreat
August 14-16, 2009 marked the 4th Annual Camp ILA (Imagine Life without Arthritis) Family Retreat. This annual weekend retreat provides families that have children with juvenile arthritis the opportunity to meet and interact with other families, while also learning new skills and participating in camp activities. This year we had a total of 22 families and 95 participants that enjoyed a Survivor! themed weekend full of kayaking, arts and crafts, outdoor cooking, hiking, singing camp songs, and much more. As one parent said, “This was an incredible experience and opportunity to bring families together.”
Dr. Kaleo Ede from Phoenix Children’s Hospital gave a lecture on the effects of Juvenile Arthritis on the Immune System. This provided a forum for parents to learn more in depth about the workings of Juvenile Arthritis and bond with other parents.
All the hungry stomachs were filled at Camp ILA by the wonderful help from our 27 Board Members, also known as our fabulous Kitchen Crew! These hard working volunteers cooked up a storm, serving chicken, french fries, grilling hamburgers, cutting up fruit, and feeding all our families. We also had 17 members from the Corona del Sol Key Club that helped run the activities and made Camp ILA flow smoothly. Our big thanks goes out to Pete and Alison Fischer, who lead Outdoor Cooking and Arts and Crafts. We want to thank them for all their enthusiasm and energy!
We would especially like to thank UPS; this weekend would not have been possible without their generous support. UPS provided a grant for $8,000 for our families to attend at little or no cost. Health and medication costs for treating juvenile arthritis can overwhelm a family, and the chance to find encouragement and friendship with other families that are going through the same intense medical adventure is invaluable. Another parent noted, “My favorite part of Camp ILA was being with other families who are having the same experience.”
Programs like Camp ILA, offer support and education for families and children dealing with a chronic disease. These programs would not be possible without generous funding from the community and donors. If you would like to support our JA Programs, please sign up and fundraise for our chapter-wide event, our Jingle Bell Run/Walk that will take place on December 5, 2009 in Prescott, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Please click HERE for more information.
Finally, we would like to thank all the families that attended Camp ILA:
The Allen Family, The Basu Family, The Boscarino Family, The Casamassa Family, The Dahlberg Family, The Daly Family, The Dirks Family, The Eaton Family, The Herber Family, The Huish Family, The Hutchinson Family, The Jordan Family, The Killgore Family, The Marinello Family, The McRae Family, The Munday Family, The Musselman Family, The Partida Family, The Rice Family, The Snyder Family, The Waugaman Family
