Work, Health & Love
This June, we celebrated the work of 4 incredible teens who earned their WoHeLo Awards with Camp Fire Central Puget Sound. We invite you to read about their accomplishments in our WoHeLo Award blog series!
Youth who stay in Camp Fire’s Group Program through high school have the opportunity to earn their WoHeLo (Work, Health, and Love) Award which is the highest honor that a Camp Fire youth can attain.
It takes an incredible amount of hard work and years of dedication. Youth are required to complete three major projects that they design and implement under the guidance of their volunteer group leader. They must also complete the New Horizon curriculum and learn the national and local history of Camp Fire.
Participants who complete the requirements for the WoHeLo Award demonstrate leadership, self-confidence, respect for others, organizational skills and a desire and ability to make a difference in the world.
Service through Community Outreach
A Group Program participant since 2003, Kayla Butler covered an incredible amount of ground in her three advocacy projects. Seeing a need in the community, she organized and led several hula shows at local retirement homes and centers, delighting many area seniors. Hula is a big part of Kayla’s life. She has danced with her group and a family band, and has also played both the taiko and flute on occasion. Kayla organized and performed in more than 20 shows over the last three years, bringing in accompanying music from teen musicians and other hula dancers to join her.
As she wanted to ensure that Camp Fire groups continue in her church, she started a new group and then trained parents to become group leaders. Her final advocacy saw her starting a competing Math Club at her high school thus encouraging kids to get more involved in mathematics. Impressively, Kayla accomplished all of this as a Garfield High School junior!
Kayla writes, “Camp Fire has been an integral part of my life for the past eleven years. I really appreciate the opportunities it presented me to learn life skills and do meaningful service projects. I was also able to take leadership roles and get things done (which is often much harder than everyone thinks it is). Overall, Camp Fire has helped me to be a better person and prepared me for life as an adult.
I have so many people to thank for helping me achieve the WoHeLo award. First of all, Janelle, my first WoHeLo advisor who was able to convince me that striving to attain the WoHeLo award was a good idea. And my later advisors: Mary and Melissa. I would also like to thank May and my mom, Lisa, who helped me and my fellow WoHeLo Awardee Samantha by driving us everywhere, helping us prepare everything, and most importantly, constantly reminding us not to procrastinate!
I would also like to thank the temple members and Camp Fire kids who supported me in my Reflection Projects and advocacies. I really appreciate your help and enjoyed working with all of you!”
Congratulations Kayla, we are so proud of your wonderful accomplishments in Camp Fire!
Read our next WoHeLo Award story about Tara here!
Help all of our Camp Fire kids reach their full potential!