FRESH AIR FUND
Camp Ooch’s solution for kids dealing with cancer is fun and nothing but,
ROUSSEAU, ONT.— What happens when you arrive late at Camp Oochigeas?
If you’re Faith Vincent, you and your stuffies — a hippo named James and an unnamed raccoon and bear — wind up on the bottom bunk. No big deal for the 13-year-old, who is over the moon to be back for her fifth year at the camp for kids with, or affected by, childhood cancer. Some campers are newly diagnosed and on active treatment, while others have been in remission for years.
At Ooch, as camp is affectionately known, there’s round-the-clock care from medical staff including onsite chemotherapy. The only thing that’s on a camper’s to-do list is to have an optimum amount of fun.
Faith certainly hasn’t let cancer stand in her way of having the time of her life at Ooch where she loves reuniting with her camp friends who’ve shared a cabin for years as well as meeting new kids.
Faith signs up for all the activities such as archery, outdoor adventure and the challenging ropes course with its supersized swing that gets hiked up by ropes and when you let go — Woo Hoo!
“I was on the swing with another person, and we held hands and screamed,” she says, admitting her first fling in the air was really scary. The only drama at Ooch is on stage in the theatre program where Faith, who’s going into Grade 9 at Pierre Elliott Trudeau High School in Markham, is a star.
Arts and crafts is also fun and Faith is a real pro when it comes to making boondoggles — colourful plastic braided bracelets she wears because they remind her of good times at Ooch.
So does the beaded dream catcher that still hangs on her door. Faith made it one year from a jar lid.
But the teen admits she wasn’t gung ho about going to camp the first time. Her parents had to convince her.
Little did she know she’d adore the people and the place and that she wouldn’t want to leave.
Aside from the overnight camp in Muskoka, Ooch also runs day camps at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto and three regional centres in southern Ontario as well as Ooch Downtown.
A water bug by nature, Faith can’t get enough of activities such as canoeing, kayaking and even the daily Polar Bear Dip in the lake at the crack of dawn. “It’s cold, very cold.” These days Faith is all about learning to play the ukulele.
She and the other kids are taking lessons as part of the new music program at Ooch. During a recent visit, the kids were rocking it with “Riptide” by Vance Joy. Faith has mastered “Count on Me” by Bruno Mars and is proud of her musical prowess thus far.
Camp has a way of helping kids learn skills and boost confidence.
Camp is also an opportunity for social healing.
“When people get sick, they often lose their sense of identity,” says Marg Wyley, manager of residential programs, adding illness can be isolating. “There are no sick kids at Ooch.”
When she’s old enough, Faith intends to be on summer staff at Ooch and emulate her role models such as Jenny Edmonds, who is a first-time volunteer and loving it.
“I love the inclusivity and positive atmosphere at Ooch,” says Jenny, 21. “Everyone is so supportive.”
For her, it’s the children that make a difference. “They’re so inspiring. And camp has given me a great appreciation of people’s inner strengths.” If you have been touched by the Fresh Air Fund or have a story to tell, e-mail lferenc@thestar.ca or phone 416-8694309.