By Emily Rivers | Project Leader
Anthony is proud to be one of the first attendees of the teen retreat back in 2003, before it had even been named Camp Trailblazers. At first attended at 13 years old, and was a camper every year after until he was 18 and no longer eligible as camper.
He has recently volunteered as a camp counsellor and he is glad that over the years, although the location has changed a few times, the focus remains the same. Camp Trailblazers is a chance for campers to meet other kids with facial differences and share their experiences living with a facial difference. Anthony sees it as a chance to show yourself and others that you are not alone. Looking back on the impact Camp Trailblazers has had on him, Anthony says it helped him be more open and more comfortable talking about his facial difference.
"Camp Trailblazers is a great way to meet new people, get a break from school and parents, and experience new things. Not only that, but you gain confidence and coping skills for living life with a facial difference.A lot of kids that look different experience bullying so Camp Trailblazers is an important place for them to feel accepted for who they are."
Whenever Anthony looks back on his experiences at Camp Trailblazers he always starts to smile and often begins to laugh when he remembers a funny story.
"It’s hard to separate the memories from over the years: a cold dip in the lake, someone facing fears on the rock wall; late night conversations, campfires; camp food (good and bad) and all of the inside jokes."
Anthony has stayed in contact with many campers over the years and talks about the ‘old gang’, he still looks forward to seeing them at various AboutFace events.
Anthony was one of the original ‘Trailblazers’. He has been a part of a great legacy and is excited to hear that we at AboutFace are focusing on rejuvenating our programs and services including Camp Trailblazers in 2018.
"Camp Trailblazers has been such an important part of my life, and I want every kid with a facial difference to experience it!"
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
