As a Bonner Scholar, Victor Henry, Jr. was required to work a summer job at a nonprofit organization doing community service. A series of coincidences led him to Friendship Ventures and a participant named Mike, who changed the way Victor sees a lot of things.

Victor, 19, Statesboro, Ga., is a sophomore at Berea College in Berea, Ky. When he applied to college, he also applied for and received a Bonner Scholarship, a program that ties scholarships to community service. During his freshman year, he volunteered as a mentor to a boy who he later found out had a learning disability.

As summer approached, Victor began looking for a job, hoping to find something that would give him experience helpful to his theater major. But several factors instead brought Victor to Friendship Ventures – finding other positions filled, seeing his mentoring experience as an asset, discovering an expensive airline ticket was reduced $500 to a price he could afford. “Everything just fell into place for me to come to Friendship Ventures,” Victor said, “but I didn’t know if I could work at a special needs camp.”

At first it was difficult. “I called my grandma a lot to say this is hard work, maybe it isn’t for me,” he recalled. “She’d tell me to keep trying, that I could do it.” And then Victor met Mike, an older participant who was having difficulties of his own at camp. “He didn’t want to talk,” Victor said, and Victor needed to find ways to engage Mike.

One day, Victor, Mike and the rest of their cabin group were asked to make and race a car. “They gave us things that I didn’t think would make a car – ribbon, a box, a water bottle – but by the time we finished, it looked like a car,” Victor admitted. Then came the race, which they did as a relay. “We were in first place when Mike took the car, but then he walked so slow. We were all yelling and screaming – it felt like it was a high school track meet.

“We had Mike go up to accept the certificate for our group after the race,” Victor related. “He was so happy, and he was hugging everyone. Then a minute later he started crying. I thought he had gotten hurt or something, but he said, “We won! We got this award. I’m so glad you’re my counselor.”

“I was the happiest person in the world then,” Victor said. “I felt then that I’m supposed to be here. Everyone was getting in on this googly moment. It’s one of those memories I’ll never forget.” He later called his grandma to tell her, saying “You won’t believe what happened.”

Over the summer Victor has had successes with other participants, too. There was Lawando, who could be tough to deal with, and stubborn about doing things, but he always listened to Victor. And TJ, who can walk, but wanted to use a wheelchair and needed to be persuaded to walk. His mom later approached Victor, saying, “TJ talks about you all the time.” TJ showed Victor his calendar, with Victor’s birthday marked on February 26. “TJ said, ‘I love you Victor,’ and I couldn’t stop smiling; I felt so good,” Victor said.

The experience has caused Victor to reconsider his theater major. “That one sentence, ‘I’m glad you’re my counselor,’ changed my mind,” he said. “I’m touching people’s lives. This is a hard job, but when it’s really hard, then you get rewards – it equals out. This experience is one of a kind. I feel like I was chosen to do this job.”

Victor is not sure what next summer will bring, but he wants to come back, at least for a few weeks. “Everyone says, ‘See you next year,’” he said. “I want to see them again. You really connect with participants; you miss them when they’re gone.”

Victor is a great example of the caring, talented, empathetic staff that Friendship Ventures seeks to hire for summer camp. When they’re gone, we all miss them.

A Special Thanks to Summer Staff

On a recent Saturday night (one of two nights off that camp staff receive each week), 115 Friendship Ventures summer staff members gathered at Eden Wood Center where they enjoyed a special meal of Famous Dave’s ribs and chicken donated by the Minnetonka restaurant.

“The dinner was an amazing treat,” Kristen Olson, Friendship Ventures program director, said. “Camp food is good, but when you get food catered to you, it makes you feel spoiled. It was very generous of Famous Dave’s to do this for our staff. They work so hard throughout the summer and year, so it’s nice to see them rewarded in a special way.”

At the event, program directors presented commemorative badges to staff in honor of their service, beginning a new tradition. Each year Friendship Ventures will design a new version, so staff can display their summer work history with badges. Returning staff received a special friendship knot award. Parents of two participants shared their experiences with Friendship Ventures and the impact it has on their families.

“All staff members dressed up for the evening,” Kristen said. “The best part to me was seeing them so carefree. They were able to spend some time without the responsibility of the campers and just enjoy themselves. Hearing stories from parents of our campers was very special. We all had the opportunity to see the impact our staff has on the families we serve.”

Special thanks to Famous Dave’s for complementing the evening with a wonderful meal.

Jolly Open: A Tradition for 20 Years

Second generation Friendship Ventures supporters Alex Kokula, Alex Weime, Jeremy Hall, Jon Lanners and Jake Jaeger won the 2006 Jolly Open.

This year marked the 20th year that Friendship Ventures supporters have been golfing to raise money for scholarships. The Jolly Open, originally a family tournament to help Barb and Gabbi Harnett’s children Joey, Molly (combined to create Jolly) and Neal, has raised $480,000 for scholarships.

The tournament has spawned another family tradition: Friendship Ventures board member John Kokula golfs and introduced his son Alex to the event. Alex and four of his friends, Alex Weime, Jeremy Hall, Jon Lanners and Jake Jaeger, all from Sartell, Minn., have played in the Jolly Open for the past five years and have come in first place the last three years.

For Alex and his friends, the tournament is also a way to keep in touch. The five friends, all 2005 graduates of Sartell High School and former members of the Sartell golf team, are now entering their sophomore years at different colleges. “The tournament is kind of a tradition, especially now that we’re going our separate ways,” Alex Kokula said.

The Kokulas, along with many other longtime Jolly Open golfers, plan to return next year to continue the tradition. At the same time, they’re helping to offer the tradition of summer camp to many Friendship Ventures participants.

Lions, Lioness Clubs Bring Treats All Summer Long

Thanks to Lions and Lioness clubs from all over Minnesota, participants at Friendship Ventures sites enjoy ice cream socials on Tuesday nights. These were especially popular this summer, with so many hot days!

The following clubs hosted ice cream socials at one of the camps during July or August:

Watkins Lions	Rockville Lions
St. Augusta Lions	Eden Prairie Lioness
Coon Rapids Cardinal Lions	Clear Lake Lioness
Richmond Lions

In addition, the Coon Rapids Cardinal Lions hosted a lemonade welcome Sunday at Camp Friendship while families were arriving for check-in, and the Clearwater Lioness Club hosted a lemonade and snack evening at Camp Friendship. The McGregor Lions donated food and made a special lunch for staff at Camp New Hope.

These Lions and Lioness clubs are very generous supporters of Friendship Ventures; these events give them a chance to meet the participants and staff who benefit from their gifts. Thank you for sharing with us!

Good Deal, All Arond

Next time you buy a new vehicle, think of passing the older one on to Friendship Ventures. That’s what Carolyn Schwantes did with her Toyota Camry about three and a half years ago and what Teri and Bill Johnson-Tesch did with theirs two years ago. Both cars have been hard at work transporting personnel between camps and on other agency business. With our third location now at Camp New Hope, the need for transportation is even greater. Last year, Dave and Mona Harmann and Joan Peterson also donated agency vehicles.

When you donate a vehicle for agency use, the good goes both ways because you can claim the vehicle’s market value as a tax deduction. That makes vehicle donation a good deal, all around.

Thanks to Donors

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

East Central Energy, Braham
Mille Lacs Electric Community Trust, Aitkin
Knights of Columbus, Buffalo
Annandale State Bank
Richmond Lions Club

Thanks also to the Minnewawa Sportsmens Club, McGregor, for support for Camp New Hope and to Road Machinery and Supplies, Savage, for in-kind construction services.

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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