…high adventure is easily one of the most popular activities for campers of all ages and abilities…

One activity area that likely brings up these concerns is the adventure ropes course.  Interestingly, this activity is actually one of (if not the) safest activities we have at ASCCA.

In this video, we have excerpts from ASCCA Adventure Director Nathan Waters as he takes the campers through the steps.  First, to share the process and warn of possible pitfalls, we find that campers have a diminished stress level.  They feel more confident about the possible outcomes … like making it up the tower.

This group is the 5th grade from Montgomery’s St. James School.  Griff is the camper that makes the first ascent up the tower.

Camp ASCCA has a new site! ASCCA Friends. It is our own personal social media network. Also, did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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Why will we put our videos on YouTube? We’ve found that this helps us reach many more people. You’ll still see the videos here in the Journal. But, millions of other people search within YouTube. They would likely never find us unless we populate our channel with many videos. So, we’re doing this to further spread the word of Camp ASCCA.

Here is what our video player will look like.

You may also visit this page which allows you to scroll through all of our YouTube videos.

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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Well, I now have 2 summers under my belt, and I’m feeling pretty darn good. My main priority is that each of you have a safe camp experience, and I feel that was accomplished with the help of many.

So, I wish to extend props to my bosses, John & Matt; my nursing staff-Barb/Peggy/Carolyn; head counselors/unit leaders; counselors; program and dining hall staff, because each year I realized that this is definitely a team effort.

I want to thank you, the new and returning campers who attended this season, and I hope that you are looking forward to returning in 2008.

The video below if Pam’s welcome message from the beginning of this summer.

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…this
could be a major step
in taking back her
old life…

Kim, who moved from Germany to Huntsville, AL at the age of three and is now the mother of a college-age son and daughter, attended Camp ASCCA’s Session 7 with Alabama Head Injury Foundation. When horseback riding showed up on the list of camp activities, Kim knew this could be a major step in taking back her old life.

Kim paused for only a moment before mounting ASCCA’s horse, Honey, and by Friday, she had ridden two of our three horses on three different occasions! One of those occasions was even a trailride, which Kim describes as “monumental.”

In her interview below, Kim tells about her accident, recovery, and her dream to teach people with disabilities to ride horses. Please hear this brave woman’s story and watch her take her first horseback ride at Camp ASCCA!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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Samantha Haggerty, or “Sam H,” (as opposed to “Sam T,” Samantha Trahan) will be a freshman at the University of Alabama this fall, and she spent her summer between high school and college as an ASCCA counselor. Since Mrs. Gaye has been cooking our meals for almost twenty years, Sam has spent quite a bit of time at Camp ASCCA and knows many of our returning campers.

One of these campers, C.C. Perry joined Sam in an interview at the pool just days before she left for her audition. The video is exemplary of camper-counselor relationships at Camp ASCCA, as Sam and C.C. joke with each other and Sam supports him in the water. Watch for yourself and see why we’re all so proud of her, member of the Million Dollar Band or not!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…Jessica Guthrie is a two year veteran of all Camp ASCCA has to offer…

Jessica’s advice to new staff members is to “stick it out,” and “put your all into it.” That’s exactly what she’s done this summer, and her efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. Jessica spent a week feeling under the weather, and unfortunately she had to go home to recover. She was determined not to miss any more of camp than she had to, and she was back in time for the next session and going strong. According to Jessica, that’s the kind of attitude required to get the most out of your time here!

Jessica spent five weeks at Camp ASCCA’s Dadeville Campus before the regular sessions started, which means she’s been working for several more weeks than most of our other staff. You might think being a counselor for such a long time would exhaust her, but Jessica says that each of her campers has been a “blessing.” Her favorite thing about camp is watching the campers’ expressions when they’re having fun, and the more people she can give that experience, the better!

The most important thing Jessica sees that the campers take with them after a week at Camp ASCCA is friendship, and she says she has found increased patience and a sense of responsibility. Meet Jessica by clicking the video below!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…Evan wouldn’t spend his summer anywhere else…

As a counselor, Evan’s responsibilities were far heavier than the ones he held as a CIT, and he did more than just meet the challenge. At the end of Session Five, Evan was voted Counselor of the Week by his fellow staff members!

Evan spent his entire summer at Camp ASCCA and has even been coming back to volunteer since school started. He says he wouldn’t spend his summer anywhere else, and that Camp ASCCA is like family to him. That statement is more literal for Evan than for some of our other staff members–Evan’s brother, Jeff, works year-round at ASCCA and was once a counselor himself. The brothers grew up in Dadeville, AL, so breaking away would be tough for the two of them!

In the video below, Evan speaks out on various events this summer and what Camp ASCCA means to him. Please watch to hear about Camp ASCCA from his perspective!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…Katie has learned that you just never know what to expect at Camp ASCCA…

During Session Four, Encore Week, Katie was helping a camper reel in a fish at the pond.  In only a matter of seconds, someone accidentally knocked her camera, full of photos from the week, into the water! Disappointed as she was, Katie was a real trooper and finished out the week as energetically and positively as she began it.  Luckily, the Camp ASCCA staff knows what it means to be a team, and everyone pooled together to create a “Katie Camera Fund” to help her buy a new one!

Katie is a student at Florida State University and is majoring in Special Education.  Needless to say, Camp ASCCA won’t be her first or last experience helping people with disabilities!  Katie says that Camp ASCCA showed her that she underestimated her capacity for patience and convincing people to try new things.

Meet Katie and one of her campers, Amy, in the video below.  The video is a great example of how much fun our campers and counselors have together, plus you’ll hear a little more about Katie’s experience and goals!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…Be Sickle Smart is a grass-roots effort to educate communities on the effects that Sickle Cell has on its patients and their families…

Selena Webster-Bass is the Manager of Multicultural Initiatives for Be Sickle Smart, which is sponsored by Novartis pharmaceuticals. Be Sickle Smart is a grass-roots effort to educate communities on the effects that Sickle Cell has on its patients and their families, as well as the dangers of iron overload due to some treatments.

At Camp ASCCA, she and artist Freida Hall held an art session in which the campers expressed what it’s like to live with Sickle Cell. Their artwork, along with the artwork of other children with Sickle Cell, will provide the design for a calendar titled “Inspirations” which will be distributed to increase Sickle Cell awareness.

To hear more about Be Sickle Smart and Selena Webster-Bass’s journey with Sickle Cell, click the video below. Also, please visit www.askaboutiron.com for more information!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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…Stuart’s energy and personality rub off on anyone around him…

Stuart, or just “Stu,” has loads of energy and personality, which rub off on anyone around him. Throughout the summer, he has donned some pretty crazy outfits solely for his campers’ entertainment. He was a glittery version of patriotic on the Fourth of July, wore a mullet wig on more than one occasion, and at the eighties dance, he could have stepped right out of Footloose or The Breakfast Club.

Besides all of the laughter he brings to Camp ASCCA, Stuart takes great care of his campers and has made many, many friends this summer. Watch the video below to hear all about Stuart’s camp experience, from applying for the job to talking to past campers on the phone. It also provides a great display of some of our camp activities!

Did you know that Camp ASCCA is in Facebook? If you are too, please go on over and “Friend” Camp ASCCA and join the Camp ASCCA Facebook group, too.

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