What a great view from the Pacific Tower!
We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day for our 23rd Annual Leadership Breakfast, held on May 17, 2016 in the historic Pacific Tower! The blue skies allowed great views of downtown Seattle, the Puget Sound, and the surrounding mountains. Our 125 guests were able to take in the views while listening to our phenomenal speakers, enjoying a gourmet breakfast provided by FareStart. Thank you to our hard working staff and volunteers for making this event possible!
Board President Chuck Rullman opened our morning by sharing about his experience at our Dad Kid Weekend and the future attendance of his children at our Carkeek Day Camp. Executive Director Rick Taylor shared with our guests some of the exciting growth Camp Fire has experience over the past year along with our upcoming new programs and initiatives. As Rick shared in his remarks, this is an exciting time for Camp Fire!
We are so grateful for all of our donors and sponsors who made a gift to support our Leadership Breakfast – thank you! With your generosity we were able to raise $33,375! YOU are making our Camp Fire vision a reality, especially for those who need our help the most – the families who cannot afford Camp Fire programs, the thousands of children we do not yet have the capacity to serve, and all the kids and families who benefit from treasured Camp Fire experiences and camps.
It’s not too late to make a difference! Donate Now!
Julia and Annika’s Camp Fire Journey
A highlight of our morning was hearing from Camp Fire Teen Leaders Julia Kim and Annika Smith speak about their personal growth through our programs! These incredible teens have been Camp Fire and Camp Sealth participants for over five years and had many great stories, experiences and lessons to share. We are excited to share with you their remarks below along with a video of their most recent participation in Camp Fire during the 2016 Spring Break Service Road Trip! Thank you Julia, Annika, and family for joining us today!
Julia
Julia and Annika
“I am so excited to be with you today to talk about what I have learned by participating in Camp Fire’s Teen Leadership Programs. As Mr. Rullman mentioned, Annika & I have been Camp Fire and Camp Sealth participants for more than 5 years.
Participating in these programs has really opened my eyes to countless opportunities. I now see so many ways to help others, including my peers and campers, reach their full potential while also learning and improving upon my own leadership skills. I have made lasting friends and many memories and I am so grateful to have Camp Fire be such a huge part of my life.
Camp Fire has enabled me to use my free time to help my community through service projects while building my leadership skills and spend time with some amazing people including my friend Annika. On the recent Spring Break Road Trip, I learned about numerous programs and organizations and how they work. From helping cleaning the facilities that house homeless dogs and cats, to packaging food and diapers in boxes to give to families in need each organization had a different way in helping their community. I learned so much about how I can make a difference!
My favorite part of the trip, aside from taking part in each service project, had to have been the detours we took. Whether it be stopping at a grocery store to get food for dinner, or driving out of our way to watch the beautiful sunset at a lighthouse, are memories that I will cherish. Another major take away from the trip included volunteering at the South Pacific County Humane Society. This was an incredible experience, as we got the chance to help out the organization in a more behind-the-scenes kind of way. Knowing that we were able to assist in important tasks like cleaning the meeting rooms, planting in the gardens, or other necessary tasks to keep the organization running was an amazing feeling as it helped the Humane Society tremendously.
Thanks to Camp Fire, I look forward to taking on new opportunities to learn more about ways to help our community and advancing my leadership skills. I plan on continuing through the leadership programs at Camp Sealth. I hope to eventually become a full-time staff KA/Rover or Junior Counselor and then become a General Counselor, spending my summer days doing what I love!
Camp Fire has impacted my life greatly and has changed my outlook on many different things. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!”
Annika
Julia and Annika on the Spring Break Service Trip!
“In the past six years that I have spent at Camp Sealth, I have made so many lifelong camp friends, shared many memories, and have been able to grow in my leadership. Camp Sealth has given me the chance to express myself and develop my personality in a comfortable and fun environment. I started as a shy and timid 9 year-old, experiencing summer camp for the first time. As I kept returning, my aspirations began to change. I wanted so badly to be like one of the spontaneous and outgoing counselors at Camp Sealth. I became more and more involved in the different teen programs Camp Fire offered and I’m so fortunate that I could break out of my shell and practice the skills needed to become a role model for the campers.
After attending the Spring Break Road Trip, I felt like I learned and experienced so much in the span of 5 days! From figuring out how to cook dinner for 9 on a Coleman stove to learning about the different non-profit organizations to bonding with my fellow road trippers – every experience was new and exciting and provided me with challenges to overcome!
My favorite organization we worked with was Coastal Harvest located in Hoquiam. I helped work on an assembly line, packing large boxes of food for homeless individuals and families, which gets delivered monthly via their mobile truck. This experience was very humbling and it felt so gratifying getting to pack 154 boxes of food that would directly benefit people in need!
I am excited for my future at Camp Fire! I hope to become a KA/Rover or Junior Counselor and eventually become a general counselor at Camp Sealth. The Camp Fire organization overall has influenced my life in so many ways; and I’m eternally grateful that I stepped off the Boata dock in 2009. I never would’ve thought that a summer camp on Vashon would turn into my second home, but I’m so very glad it did.
Speaking of our futures, that’s where you come in! Thank you so much for coming today – by simply attending this breakfast you show that you care about kids like Julia and myself!”
YOU Can Make a Difference!
Your support helps ensure that Camp Fire can continue to teach critical life skills, help youth thrive and give them the opportunity to make new friends! Your support also helps Camp Fire fund new programs such as the Spring Break Road Trip, Teen Leadership Summit, Teen Takeover, and many more. Thank you again to our supporters and sponsors of the 2016 Leadership Breakfast! If you missed us, it’s not too late to make a difference.