Remember that beaded lanyard you made last summer, probably with the help of your counselor (or fearless Craft Guy Joey?)Those have gone to good use!
The Erin's Dream Lanyard Project is going strong. While we don't have a total count of the number of lanyards produced by CFA in the summer of 2011, we can estimate that it was well over five hundred— which is incredible! Tons of them sold in the camp store to parents and families who stopped by on closing day. I spoke to one mom who had bought six to give to her friends at work. Since the message of Erin's project was fastened to every lanyard made here at CFA, the tenacity and love that their namesake possessed in her short eleven years on earth has been multiplied over and over.. Thanks in part to all of you guys, campers!
As we get close to the holidays —most of us here at CFA are celebrating Christmas, but we know there's plenty of other holidays to remember this season— start brainstorming ways you can put your energy, creativity, or talent into helping others. After our third annual Youth Empowerment Retreat, I find myself realizing again just how great a resource our camp family is. Take a look at these charities that were founded by people well under the age of 20. Consider donating to these charities this winter— or, even greater, consider starting a charity of your own. All of these organizations started very small and very locally, and were started by kids who saw a need. Is there a cause that really moves you? Your CFA family can help! Get in touch with us if you need help getting started.
The Ladybug Foundation was created by a girl of 8, named Hannah, who saw a homeless man eating out of a dumpster. She was determined that no human should have to go to such measures to find a meal, so she started a change drive that has since grown to reach all of Canada and parts of the US.Free the Children was the dream of a 12-year-old boy back in 1995. It has since grown to a massive, global organization that works to eliminate child labor from the world.
Alex's Lemonade Stand was created by a 4-year-old cancer patient, Alexandra, in her front yard. Alex was a childhood cancer patient, much like Erin, whose lanyards we made this summer at camp. Though Alex has sadly passed away because of the disease she rallied to fight, the organization she founded has now raised over $50,000,000 (that's fifty million bucks!) for childhood cancer research. That's amazing.
Check out those organizations over your winter break and brainstorm what you could do to better your community, country, and planet!
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world.
— Anne Frank
