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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 20, 2007 - 11 This summer my kids went to camp F ollowing is a letter from an Oakville mother whose children are able to attend three weeks of Y Camp this summer through the support of the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. I had always felt depressed at the beginning of summer, when I was usually unemployed from teaching, to see camp brochures with glossy photos of children hiking, canoeing and jumping into a lake. I promised myself that before my children grew up, I would somehow find a betterpaying job and send them to camp. Even though I had a Masters degree and taught part-time, I had never earned ment and make new friends. I called the Oakville YMCA and left a message for Lynne Evans, Manager of Community Programs, with a plea, to help me find a way to send my kids to camp before their childhood ended. Lynne called me back and patiently listened to me explain my financial struggle as a single parent and give her a long speech trying to justify why the YMCA should choose to support my kids with financial assistance. I finally stopped speaking and took a breath. Lynn's response was friendly and caring, even though I continued to justify my situation with unnecessary elaborations, covering up my embarrassment in asking for assistance. Lynn offered assistance that covered more than 60 per cent of the entire fees for three weeks of camp for all of my children. When the assistance was confirmed and I told my kids they were enrolled in camp, they were excited, asking me questions about what camps they were in and looking over the glossy brochures that had I always envied. The first day of camp arrived and my usually reticent son was up before the whole house awoke, his backpack ready and lunch made, insisting that we leave before he missed the bus. He only believed he was really going to camp when I dropped him off and said goodbye as he walked away with the camp leader, a happy smile on his face. I asked my kids to comment on what they liked about camp, and my younger daughter, in the New Frontiers Camp replied, "Making friends and going out to new places." Now in the leadership Training Camp, my older daughter comments on her experience, "It's a great place to find new friends, you get to learn lots of new songs and how to do things. It's a bit like school, you learn how to do stuff." My son made a new friend in the first week of camp and changed camps the second week along with his friend. The best part is when the kids are in camp the computer and the television are turned off and when they come home at night they are tired out from an exciting day of activities, just like the kids in those glossy camp brochures. This year, my kids went to camp, thanks to the generosity of the YMCA and its supporters! Catherine Mondragon -- Submitted by the YMCA of Oakville enough to save up for extras. Now on employment insurance, I was finding it difficult to make ends meet, never mind send the kids to camp. This was the year that I decided my children were, for the first time in their lives, going to camp, no matter how much money I had. I knew my oldest daughter needed to change her environ- Final Clearance Day On In-Stock & Floor Models Allegro $ 0 'S AVE ll S10m S yste central vacuum Allegro central va systems systems Performance, Quality, Easy Installation... SAVE UP TO 40% OFF We will be Closed from Saturday July 21-Sunday July 29 with Fu Purchase Proudly Manufactured in Oakville since 1997 Buy Factory Direct and Save YOUR MONEY! "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" w w w. c o b b l e s t o n e m b e r s . c a 90 Day Money-Back Guarantee COME IN AND VISIT US AT OUR NEW SHOWROOM 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 905.337.2066 1338 SPEERS ROAD, OAKVILLE, 905.825.3995 www.allegrovacuums.com Oakville's Natural Stone Supplier PERMA On The Spot! C A R P E T C L E A N I N G S P E C I A L I S T S® Since 1952 Thank you Oakville for choosing us #1 eight years in a row! Save 25% When you drop-off area rugs. · Residential & commercial carpet & upholstery cleaning · In-plant cleaning of all Bottle o oriental fine area rugs removerf spot · Free estimates. each o with FREE! rder! Contractor Referral Program Providing A Full Line of Premium Grade Stone Products For Pools . Patios . Walkways . Retaining Walls . Gardens 1446 Wallace Rd., Oakville, ON On Cornwall Road, East of Ford Drive Ph: 905-849-5557 www.boulders.ca Monday - Friday: 7am-5:30pm . Saturday: 7:30am-3pm 905-825-4256 www.onthespotcleaning.ca