Even without a lot of snow, Winter Camp was a blast! More participants attended Winter Camp this year than in the past four years. There was just enough snow for sledding, broomball and other outdoor fun.

Campers enjoyed indoor recreation as well, including two memorable events. This year, the traditional New Year’s Eve eve dance on December 30 featured a professional DJ. Jeremy Wheeler, a past summer and winter camp staff member, served up the tunes along with a light show.

Shannon climbs the wall with the help of staff Anya Gretchka and Kristin Kocmick

This was the first winter camp since the indoor climbing wall was installed in the gym. A number of participants gathered their courage and enjoyed the challenge.

Program Director Laurie “Chet” Tschetter described a particularly rewarding climb for everyone involved. “Shannon (pictured) uses a wheelchair and has limited body movement,” Chet said. “Staff took a lot of time to harness her and position her. She had some hesitation, but everyone encouraged her. It took a lot of time to make sure she could do it, but the staff was so patient. Her cabin mates were cheering her on. When she got up on the wall, she was thrilled. It was great to see her excitement.”

For all 125 participants, winter camp was a great mid-winter break, full of fun, friends and new challenges.

Summer Camp Brochures Available:

It’s cold outside, so think summer! Remember the hot sun during pontoon rides and the warmth of new friends, and make plans for a sizzling summer this year.

Friendship Ventures is offering some exciting new camp options in 2007. After partnering with ANSWER (Asperger’s Network Support for the Well-being, Education & Research) family network, we have created new day and overnight camps at each site for children with Aspergers.

Camp Adventure, our camp for children with attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD), is expanding, with one week at Camp New Hope and a second week at Camp Friendship.

An exciting new state park camp session will feature cave exploration and the hiking game of geocaching at Mystery Cave State Park near Forestville.

Of course, general sessions for children and for adults will continue, along with always-favorite sessions featuring fishing, water fun, creative arts, animal study, drama, singing and dancing. There is a session to interest everyone.

Click here to see a brochure, or call and ask for your own guide to summer fun – 952-852-0101 in the Twin Cities metro or 1-800-450-8376 outstate.

Summer Staff Pledge to Return

Before she left Camp Friendship after working as a camp counselor all last summer, Laura Koppes, 21, Bloomington, promised to return this summer. Her experiences, like the one she related in a favorite memory, played a part in her decision.

“One of the last weeks of camp I was working with teenage girls,” she recalled. “We had just gotten back to the cabin from the Thursday night dance, and we were in the main room hanging out when I noticed that one of the girls wasn't there. I went back to her room and found her crying. I asked what was wrong and she finally told me that she was upset because they hadn't played the song she requested at the dance. She had the CD, so I told her we could play it in the cabin and have our own dance party. She said, ‘No thanks,’ but I took the CD anyway and told her she could join us if she wanted to. We played her song loudly on repeat, and after the first time, she came out into the main room with a huge smile on her face. ‘I can't believe you would do something so nice for me!’ she said. That song played at least 15 times before we decided it was probably time for bed. We all had so much fun singing and dancing. Every time I hear ‘Life is A Highway’ by Rascal Flatts, I remember that Thursday night and can't help but smile!”

A biology major in her junior year at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, Laura has a long-term goal to become a physician’s assistant. She considers her camp experiences to be valuable training for that career. Beyond career training, she also gained personal insights.

“I found it rewarding to see participants change in just five days,” she related. “It was especially rewarding to watch them overcome obstacles and stereotypes about their capabilities that even I had in the past - like their ability to participate in climbing or shooting a bow and arrow.”

Nicolette DeHaan, another 2006 summer staff member planning to return this summer, explained why she’ll be back. “The campers made such a lasting impact on my life and have touched my heart in so many ways,” she said. “Honestly, I cannot imagine my summer anywhere else!

Nicolette, 21, from Orange City, Iowa, is a junior at Luther College majoring in nursing. She too, finds the experience valuable. “The focus of the summer is taken off of yourself and directed to others,” she said. “This has helped me learn things about myself as well as how I relate with others.”

While it is not unusual for seasonal staff to return for several years, the summer of 2006 was unique for one factor: before it was over, at least a dozen staff indicated their plans to return in 2007.

One Returning Staff Profiled

One staff member from last summer, Carolyn Shivers, a Notre Dame student, was profiled in a Notre Dame news release. Click here to read how she was energized by her summer at camp.

Vans Donated

Stu Henderson, President and CEO of Western National Insurance Group handed over the keys of the vans to Friendship Ventures’ Ed Stracke.

Western National Insurance Group recently donated an entire fleet of vans to Friendship Ventures. The three used vans significantly impact Friendship Ventures’ ability to offer day trips for weekend respite care participants year-round as well as for participants of summer and winter camps.

“In addition to this in-kind gift, the company gave Friendship Ventures a cash gift in 2006 after attending a Friendship in Action luncheon and they supported the Circle of Friends Golf Classic as a hole sponsor,” noted Ed Stracke, president of the Friendship Foundation. “The 107 year-old insurance company prides itself in providing excellent personal service and building lifelong relationships with its clients. It’s impressive to see the same goodwill extended to their corporate giving and volunteer program as they work to make our communities a better place to live.”

To give a gift to children and adults with disabilities, Click to access our secure, on-line giving site.

Vehicle Donations -You can donate your used car, truck, camper, van, motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, jet ski, RV/Motor home, bus, boat or trailer. When you donate a vehicle, you receive a tax deduction. Even if Friendship Ventures is not able to use the vehicle for our programs, we will benefit from its cash value. Click to donate a vehicle.

Thanks to Donors

Thanks to the 150 donors who responded to our holiday card appeal in December. Together, they donated $14,810 to help fund scholarships.

Special thanks to these donors for their recent contributions to fund scholarships:

American Legion #323, Clearwater
James A. Hall designated fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation
Metro Star LLC, Minneapolis
Falcon Heights Lauderdale Lions Club
Maple Grove Lions Club
First National Bank of Osakis
Wooden Hearts, Inc., Cold Spring
Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, Bayport
Jennings Family Foundation, Owatonna
Thomson West, St. Paul
Bryan Rock Products, Inc., Shakopee
Anderson Trucking Services, Inc., St. Cloud
Arnold’s Equipment, Inc., St. Cloud
James and Marion Miller Fund of the Central Minnesota Community Foundation
Nystrom, Inc., Brooklyn Park
Bituminous Roadways, Inver Grove Heights

And thanks to donors who contributed for these special purposes:

McGregor Lions Club, for Camp New Hope
Rosemount Lions Club, for Camp New Hope
St. Paul Midway Lions Club, for Camp New Hope
Warren Foundation, St. Paul, for the Eden Wood renovation project
Hugh J. Andersen Foundation, Bayport, for the Eden Wood renovation project
Wright Hennepin Electric Coop, Rockford, for roof repairs

Thanks to all donors!

You Can Help:

To give a gift to children and adults with disabilities, Click to access our secure, on-line giving site. Your support will make all the difference in the world.

Friendship Ventures is a non-profit agency that creates unique educational, recreational and social opportunities for people of all ages with mental retardation and other developmental disabilities. We also offer conference and retreat services and professional team-building programs to the communities we serve. Friendship Ventures operates Camp Friendship near Annandale, MN, Eden Wood Center in Eden Prairie, MN and Camp New Hope near McGregor, MN.

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