Saturday was water fun day at the week-long Camp Rising Sun based out of Camp Henry Pratt. Kids were running, laughing and playing on a slip and slide, a dunking booth, and the camp had brought in an inflatable water slide, where there was a 10-person line waiting all afternoon.
Walking around, you”d never guess that Camp Rising Sun is a camp for kids with cancer.
“Our goal is to give the children that regular summer camp experience that they might not be able to have elsewhere. Here they can just be normal kids. They”re not different,” said camp director Allison Kizer. “It”s just a regular summer camp.”
Camp Rising Sun, which is in its 23rd year, is a nonprofit organization that is paid for by donations and volunteers. The camp is completely free for kids 6-16 years old, and those children with cancer can bring a sibling or friend with them to share in the camp experience.
“The volunteers don”t know who”s who,” said Kizer, who has been involved with the camp since 2003. “The fact that some of these kids have or have had cancer is a side note. We don”t tell people, and we don”t talk about it. It”s not a focus. The focus of this is that they”re at summer camp.”
And Rising Sun is definitely operated like a summer camp. This year”s 48 participating children stay overnight, and during the day they have packed schedules involving archery, fishing, cooking classes, riflery, arts and crafts, a rock wall and zip line, jet skis, canoeing, horseback riding and biking, just to name a few. They also have talent shows, a dance, game night and scavenger hunts.
“This year we added a day to camp, but didn”t add any activities,” said Kizer, who says the campers are at no lack for activities. “Some kids can”t do everything, but there is something for everybody.”
Matt Hutchenson, a 13-year old camper, who”s confined to a wheelchair isn”t able to swim or use the jet-skis, but he can ride the horses, and his favorite, fish. “I caught nine fish one day, and six the next!” bragged Hutchenson.
”Just another kid”
Jessi Stanford, 22, of West Point is a counselor at Rising Sun this year. She has been coming to camp since she was 11 years old after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. “I came out here and just fell in love with the place. You”re going to be treated like a normal kid whether you look differently or not, and it gives you the peacefulness of just knowing that you”re just another kid out here. No one is going to treat you differently because you”ve been sick.”
Fellow counselor Jason Kirkland, 34, comes all the way from Los Angeles every year with his brother, to be counselors. He attended camp with his twin brother, who had cancer, when they were younger and were at the very first camp in 1988 . “I feel like this is the least I can do to give back, after all Camp Rising Sun has done for me. Whether you”re a patient or a sibling, Camp Rising Sun is a place where you can just get away from everything, to get away from the sickness and the trials your family is going through. It”s just a chance to be a kid. Nobody sees you as a sick child or as a sibling of a sick child. You”re just a kid. The staff and volunteers here are completely centered around providing a safe and fun atmosphere. For me it”s just a way to give back. You know, honestly, I think I”ve had more fun as a volunteer, than I ever had as a camper. It”s just a very heartwarming experience to come back and bond with these kids.”
A rewarding experience
Siggy Weeks, night camp director has been involved with the camp since 1990 and says it”s a very rewarding experience.
“It”s always worth it when you see the smile on their faces and they”re giving you the hugs when they say goodbye, and another when they see you again the following year,” she said. “I get even more blessed than the parents and the campers are. It”s an amazing experience.”
All of the camper activities are provided by volunteers from the local community. One such volunteer is Darren Coggins, 36, who is the Game Warden for Lowndes County of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks.
Coggins runs a riflery course for the campers where he teaches them to shoot rifles and bb guns and gun safety.
“We teach them how to shoot, how to handle guns and how to be safe with them. For some kids, it”s the first time they ever handle a gun. We want them to be comfortable with it and not be scared of it. We try to teach them that as long as you”re safe with it, it”s nothing to be scared of.”
Week-long escape
Coggins, who battled stage four colon cancer, is glad to be able to help make the Rising Sun campers have a normal camping experience. But, like the other counselors and volunteers, he doesn”t talk to them about cancer. “I feel like camp is kinda their escape from their disease, and just a time for them to have fun and be normal kids,” said Coggins. “I don”t bring (cancer) up to them, I just let them have fun and do what they want to do.”
“Not that the campers want to talk about anything with jet skis around. “Heather Graves, 14, and Laurel Collins, 16, say the jet skis are their favorite thing at camp. “It”s really fun and we can just get away,” said Collins. Graves, who has been going to camp for two years added. “I really like just coming here and getting to spend time with people I don”t normally get to see … and the jet skis.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
