Wednesday, August 31, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
15
Local organizations team up for kids
This summer, while Camp
Eagle Cap (CEC) volunteers
were making preparations
to lead a group of local chil-
dren on a grand adventure,
the Heartwarmers were mak-
ing blankets to help ensure
the kids’ camp experience was
warm and fuzzy.
Their shared efforts gave
10 kids the trip of a lifetime.
After taking horsemanship
classes provided by Crystal
Peaks Youth Ranch, the kids
rode on horseback for five
hours way up high into the
heady country of the Wallowa
Mountains, where they
enjoyed six days of camp fol-
lowed by two days of activi-
ties at Wallowa Lake. They
fished, hiked, treasure-hunted,
sang, painted with watercol-
ors, drove go-carts and played
on the lake.
Around a bonfire at the
end of Day One, leaders pre-
sented each camper with
their own blanket, hand-
made by the Sisters branch
of Heartwarmers. The
Heartwarmers is a nonprofit
organization whose volun-
teers make and donate fleece
blankets for at-risk children
and adult cancer patients.
CEC is a nonprofit youth
camp begun last year by
Sisters resident Chester
Freeman to benefit vulnerable
children. Freeman networks
with local agencies to identify
eligible students, usually 10
to 12 years old, for a no-cost
week of camp. Campers typi-
cally have had unstable child-
hoods for whatever reason,
or have experienced trauma.
CEC board member Garth
Tosello said, “They are com-
ing from some challenging
family situations and need
hope in their lives.”
At camp, leaders com-
municate positive values and
non-judgmental love. With
each day, this year’s camp-
ers became braver and more
confident. They voiced their
excitement about conquer-
ing fears and making new
friends. Leaders and mentors
remarked that the experience
was transformational for them
as well.
Twenty volunteers from
Sisters Country accompa-
nied the children, including
Freeman and his wife, Kalia;
Jill and Benny Benhower;
LuAnn Bishop; Winfield
Durham; Kit and Garth
Tosello; and Cheri and Don
Wilson. Damon Frutos acted
as camp medic. Youth mentors
included Sisters High School
students Lydia Newman and
Chelsea Tosello, as well as
recent graduate Ross Grant.
Because of his own unsta-
ble childhood, Freeman has
long dreamed of launching
this type of camp. He recalls
how, at the age of 7, he was
left alone at home for 10 days
with nothing to eat but crack-
ers and mustard.
“When I was 15,” said
Freeman, “I was blessed with
the opportunity to be a camp
counselor for sixth-graders. I
spent time showing them the
simple things of life, the true
things. The simplest things
are those God created for us. I
was able to help quiet children
open up and become friends
with others in their class. This
has stayed with me through-
out my life and has always
made me want to do more.”
Last summer, Freeman’s
dream came to life. He and
Kalia assembled a board
of directors, raised funds,
recruited volunteers and
developed curriculum; the
first-ever Camp Eagle Cap
took wing.
The foster parent of one of
this year’s campers said their
child’s adventure was “more
than he could have ever expe-
rienced at a traditional camp.
And, in fact, he would not
have been able to even go to
one of those.”
Another child’s grandpar-
ent said, “It was the best thing
that ever happened to her. She
cries happy tears every time
we talk about camp.”
Several of the campers
photo by kit tosello
Blankets from heartwarmers enhanced the camp experience.
expressed hope that when
they are old enough, they
can return as youth mentors.
Freeman says that when that
happens, another part of his
dream will be realized. He
encouraged the kids to live
responsibly, so they may be
invited back as counselors in
a few short years.
With two successful
camps in the rearview mir-
ror, Freeman is now “thinking
C
ahead and dreaming of help-
ing more kids and following
up with the ones we have
shared God’s love with.” He’s
raising funds in the hope that
CEC can offer two camps
next summer, so that twice as
many kids will enjoy a life-
changing adventure. For more
information, to donate, or to
nominate a child for camp,
visit www.campeaglecap.
com.
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