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Kayaking
at Wooden
Acres Camp

Summer Fun

Wooden Acres fundraises to send
Flint kids to camp for a respite.

Danny Schwartz | Special to the Jewish News

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n early March, Wooden Acres Camp
three weeks and about 10 kids a week,”
Director Harvey Finkelberg sat down Finkelberg said. It costs $500 for one
with his family and discussed how
child, a much-reduced fee from the
they could help during the tragic Flint
usual $1,000 a week. All funds go
water crisis. They created a fundraiser
directly to camp fees. They will continue
that will send 10 children from the Boys to fundraise until they reach the goal
& Girls Club of Greater Flint to their
of 10 children a week for six weeks or
camp for each of six weeklong sessions,
by July 19, which is the start of second
60 children in total.
session.
The children will report
The kids will be integrated
to Shining Star Camp
directly into cabins with tradi-
in Lexington, a part of
tional campers and participate
Wooden Acres that is a
in all the activities, from water
separate nonprofit entity
front to boating/skiing pro-
that serves children who
grams, to sports and fine arts, to
are underprivileged or have
music and drama. Participants
special needs. Finkelberg of
will be in grades 2-7.
Linda and Harvey
Huntington Woods knew
Finkelberg said many of his
he wanted to take action the Finkelberg
Jewish values came into play
first time he heard about the
when organizing this fundraiser.
water crisis.
“At our camp, we do programs on
“What dawned on me is that every
tzedakah and mitzvahs with our kids,”
day there is a crisis somewhere in the
he said.
world and everybody looks at it and
“One year, we had a reunion at Yad
says, ‘That’s too bad, I wish I could
Ezra, so we do these things all the time
help,’” he said. “Then we move on with
at our camp. Especially on Friday night
our regular day and we wait for the next and Saturday, we talk about what you
crisis to come up.
can do to help other people, what types
“We thought this is the one we could
of things as children have they done to
actually do something about at camp,
help other people throughout the year.”
and our kids, who have taken part in a
Tauzzari Robinson, CEO of the Boys
variety of programs in helping others,
& Girls Club of Greater Flint, is excited
really will be directly involved in this
about the opportunity.
one now.”
“I think every kid should be able to
Finkelberg used multiple platforms to attend an overnight camp of this stature
gain support.
and do these activities,” Robinson said.
“We ended up sending a letter to all
“And these kids probably wouldn’t be
of our families and friends at Wooden
able to access this type of opportunity
Acres who have been with us over the
otherwise, so this is huge.”
last 14 years we’ve operated, and then
The water crisis is affecting these kids
my children sent all their friends letters
firsthand. It has affected their drink-
as well,” he said.
ing water, cooking, bathing and more.
CrowdRise, a fundraising organization Robinson believes this program will be a
in Detroit, added a page on its website
great escape for the Flint children.
for the effort. People can charge their
“I think it will be a great learning
donations through CrowdRise or send
experience for them to come to a camp
a check directly to Shining Star (www.
with all of these facilities,” Finkelberg
woodenacres.com).
said. “It will also be a great learning
Since April 1, the campaign has raised experience for our kids to experience
more than $15,000 through CrowdRise
what it’s like to be with kids who are not
and direct donations in just more than a as privileged as our children are.”
month. Over 150 people have donated.
To donate, visit bit.ly/1YpSyL4.
“Right now, we will be able to serve

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May 26 • 2016

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