Burn Institute Camp Beyond the Scars

Add Feedback

Share |

Burn Institute - Inland Empire's Camp Beyond the Scars

The Burn Institute – Inland Empire helps burn survivors in Southern California, both children and adults, through many activities and programs throughout the year. One way that they help young burn victims is through their yearly winter "Camp Beyond the Scars". This four day camp, held each year in Big Bear, California, is hosted by the Burn Institute – Inland Empire and burn survivors ages 5 through 18 are invited to attend free of charge. Gary Stansberry, the Executive Director of the Burn Institute Inland-Empire, explains, "Camp Beyond the Scars is really a safe place for burn-injured children to come and forget about their scars."

The 2009 Camp Beyond the Scars was attended by 78 children, and activities included snowboarding lessons, inter-tubing, and playing in the snow. A small carnival is also held with special games that the kids can participate in and enjoy. Stansberry says of the carnival, "The whole goal there is to help a child feel successful, participating in a game that they enjoy at their level of ability. They may not be able to grip a ball or throw a dart or some of those kinds of things, so we have modifications of typical midway games." In addition to the fun activities, the camp also offers the children support services and life skills training that are specific to their ages and stages of development.

Firefighter Volunteers

Counselors for Camp Beyond the Scars donate their time and attend the camp at their own expense. Volunteers come from every walk of life and include adult burn survivors as well as firefighters from several Southern California fire departments. Gary Stansberry says that in some cases, the firefighters are actually the first responders who helped certain children on the day that they received their injury. He explains, "One young man who was burned on 46% of his body, his counselor was actually his firefighter paramedic that prepared him for transport to the burn unit." He says that this experience is important and life-changing for both the firefighters and for the children who attend the camp.

Richard Stone, a firefighter with the Corona Fire Department, affirms this saying, "It has changed my life by showing me that any problems I may have, whatever I think they may be, they are easily overcome just by seeing how these kids overcome their problems. It's just made me a better person."

Services Offered to Civilian and Firefighter Burn Victims

Burn Institute – Inland Empire, was founded in 2002, and is an affiliate of Burn Institute –San Diego, which hosts a 7 day summer version of Camp Beyond the Scars, which children from the Inland Empire can also attend. In addition to Camp Beyond the Scars, the Burn Institute provides the community with burn prevention education and funds local burn research and treatment. Sometimes the treatment that they fund benefits firefighters who have been burned on the job. Given the time that many firefighters donate to the Burn Institute, the organization is honored to help them in their time of need. Gary Stansberry says, "It is particularly when a firefighter is injured that the Burn Institute has an opportunity to give back to the brotherhood of firefighters and their families."

Donate to the Burn Institute - Inland Empire

In order to be able to continue to offer Camp Beyond the Scars and their other community burn survivor services free of charge, this 501 (c) non-profit organization holds several fundraisers throughout the year, including baseball and hockey nights and a charity golf tournament. However, with all of the programs that they offer, they need additional funding, and Executive Director Gary Stansberry is always actively working to raise funds from the private and corporate sectors. He says, "I'm raising funds 24/7. We do that through corporate donations and private donations. Like any other non-profit organization we have to look creatively especially in these times."

For more information about the Burn Institute – Inland Empire or to make a donation, please visit www.burninstitute-ie.org.

Spirit of Courage Awards

The organization also hosts a Spirit of Courage Awards banquet which honors those who risk their lives to save others. The closing date for 2009 nominations is May 30, 2009. For further information, click here.