Camper testimonials and endorsements/letters of support from Parents, Teachers and others.
Camper Testimonials
Working at a camp is not like any other job, the demands are greater and the rewards immeasurable. This speech was given by Camp T councelor Sarah at our closing summer concert. Sarah is great at articulating things that cannot be easily said.
This summer, I could have gotten a job at McDonald’s and asked “Do you want fries with that?” 1270 times a day. Instead I came to Camp T and got to say “Use your cane” 1270 times a day.
I could have spent my summer delivering papers or stocking shelves.
Instead I came to Camp T and got to look for shoes and canes, plunge toilets, carry water, tip canoes, and sing for both my mail and my meals.
I could have spent my summer listening to Muzak renditions of Yanni and Celine Dion.
Instead I came to Camp T and was privileged to listen to pianos, guitars, dulcimers, violins, and enthusiastic voices.
If I had never come to Camp T, I wouldn’t know about Tom the Toad, One Meatball, the announcement song, deck ball, Earth ball, blue racers, or canoe tipping.
I would never have met Katie or Anna or Ann or Cindy or Sunny or Jackie or Jessica or Matt or JJ or Phil or Jenny or… well, you get the idea.
I would have never found so many ways to challenge myself, my beliefs, my standards, my ideals, my heart, my life.
I would have felt as though I was a slave to the man instead of a free spirit in the woods.
In truth, I probably would have been bored to tears. I would have been working, but there would have been no heart behind it.
Instead I found a place where everyone gets an equal chance, a fresh start, and a billion opportunities to do new and exciting things. I saw amazing events happen. I made friends and I made music. I learned a million things every day.
What I knew about blindness would have fit in a thimble. I knew that blindness meant white cane, but I didn’t know blindness meant funny, adventure, excitement, common experiences, laughing, smiles, getting dunked, riding bikes, sighted guide, Braille books, endless cups of milk, making art and making mischief. I didn’t know it meant friends. I didn’t know it meant best friends. I didn’t know that a place that values no sight was going to give me the most opportunities to open my eyes and see.
It seems so odd to think that today I will get in my car and drive away and this chapter in my life will be over. I’ve got scabs and pictures and post cards and letters and staff shirts to prove I was here, but the biggest part of my time at Camp T will be carried in my heart. I will smell cedar boards, taste watermelon, hear a guitar, and I will remember. Someone will mention Teddy Grahams or snakes or the word “organic” (as in the “O” of LOC), and I will have to laugh.
And I will always remember. I will hold it all in my heart until I come back again. Thank you for giving me anything but an ordinary summer. Thank you for proving to me that anything is possible, that no matter what obstacles you face, you will always succeed if you try and you refuse to let anything stop you. Refuse to quit, refuse to stop until you’ve got what you want.
Come to the edge, they said.
I can’t, I said, I’ll fall.
Come to the edge, they said.
Come and see the view.
I can’t, I said, I’ll fall.
Come to the edge, they said.
And I came to the edge.
And they pushed me.
And I flew. -Sarah
I Love Camp T
: By Kevin
Camp Tuhsmeheta is an excellent camp that is solely geared toward blind or visually impaired children. I, myself, have gone to Camp T. several times. Each time I go there, whether it is for a family gathering or socialization get-together, or if it is for camp in the summer, I have been absolutely blown away about something.
Now I will reflect particularly on the first time I went to Camp Tuhsmeheta in the summer, which was also my very first time away from my family. I remember I didn't want my parents to leave because I was crying and very sad. They left anyway, and I can remember how great the counselors were (and still are), for they helped me feel better about being away from home. Now, even though it's still hard being away from home, I simply can not wait to go up to camp.
I have a great time up at Camp T. One thing I wouldn't be able to live without up there is the amazing food. Whether it's fruit or pasta, or just the milk, I always come home raving about the food.
I just want to say thank you to all of the great counselors and other staff at Camp Tuhsmeheta, along with the kind-hearted volunteers and donors, for their support. If it weren't for these great people, I wouldn't have had the excellent experiences and the knowledge that I have gained by going to Camp Tuhsmeheta.
--Kevin
As you can tell by his exquisite writing Kevin has a real flare for literature.
In June of 2006 Kevin won a $3000 savings bond and a Pac Mate after coming in first in his grade level at a National Braille Reading competition. He also won $25 and came in fourth place for reading over 4500 pages in 2 months during last winter. Yet another of Kevin’s many talents is spelling. He took first place in the VI spelling bee that took place in Kalamazoo last spring.
Camp T: My Favorite Place To Be
By Chelsea
What can I say about Camp T? Camp T is a great place for kids like me to hang out and have fun. Most of us don’t get to see each other a lot so it gives us time to catch up as well. We do lots of fun things at camp. We go down to the waterfront and swim almost every day. We play fun games like Encore and Name That Tune. We make crafts to take home to show our parents. We also have funny scavenger hunts. Every time I walk into White Pine I can hear one of my friends singing, laughing, playing the piano or beating the drums. It’s a lot of fun up at camp. It’s a great place to make friends. It’s what I look forward to every summer.
When I go to camp I get all excited and tingly inside. It’s a very good feeling! I always feel like jumping up and down with excitement to see my friends. When the last camp is over I always feel like I want to cry because I had such a good time and I know that I won’t see most of my friends for another year, except for a few that I talk on the phone or online with. I believe that camp T is the best place to be.
Camp T feels like my second home because I go there about six weeks per year. This is my third year at Camp T. The first time I came I was only three years old and I went to family camp. Then I came in 2005 for three camps. This year I went to four camps in a row; I only got to go home for a day or two, then I’d go right back to have more adventures.
When I go to camp I learn new things that I will need to know when I need to move out of the house. I have learned many new skills and I’ve made great new friends at the same time. Before Camp T, I didn’t think that was even possible. Camp T proved me wrong. I’ve met many new friends at Camp T and I intend to keep them forever. It’s really cool to be with kids that you know have gone through the same problems that you go through. For example, if you’ve been picked on at school or if you don’t have many friends. When you come to Camp T there is a very high possibility that you’ll find someone who has gone through the same situation. Camp T is a great experience for everyone who goes there. Even for the staff and for the directors. That is a good thing. Camp T has great counselors, awesome directors, a really cool nurse, and a spectacular cook who makes the best food in the world. At camp T everyone is friends with everyone and I like that.
Camp T always tries to encourage kids to keep a positive attitude and to not rely on the people around you all the time. They want us to rely on ourselves and do things for ourselves. I think that this is a good thing because if we don’t learn things now when we are young we won’t know what to do when we are moved on our own and are old and gray. The wonderful staff at camp T teaches us not to be afraid and to always try our best. They tell us it is ok to ask for help, just not all of the time. They want us to know that we are never alone. There is always someone in the world just like you. I think that Camp T sends out a lot of love and positive messages.
Camp T means a lot to me. When I come to camp I feel like I live a whole different life than I do at school. At Camp T I belong. At school sometimes people pretend to be something they’re not. But here at Camp T you can just be yourself. At camp T everyone seems so alive, ready to be together and ready to have fun. When I come to camp friends and counselors, who are the greatest counselors you’ll ever meet always greet me. No one ever wants to leave when it’s time to go. I can’t wait to go back next summer and I would like very much to work at Camp T in a year when I am sixteen.
In other seasons when I am not at camp I miss everyone a lot. But fortunately now I get to see them at different times of the year, like in October I can go to Harvest Fest and in February I can go to Snow Much Fun.
If I told you how much more Camp T means to me this would be a ten page paper. So I am not going to do that, it is too much for me to type. So I will just tell you that Camp T is a great place. At camp T you don’t have to pretend to be something you are not. You can just be yourself. Camp T can teach you to be confident, to not be afraid and to believe in yourself. At Camp T you’ll find friends, funny stories and a lot of happy memories.
That’s why my friends and I think that Camp T is the best place to be!
Chelsea
A Camp T Camper