The Periwinkle Foundation
May 23, 2008
 
Kids Say It All...



"Camp YOLO makes me feel powerful"



"The most important thing I learned was to live each day like it is your last"



"Camp YOLO is AWESOME!"



"I learned to be myself"



"We are all family"



"Camp YOLO is a place where dreams meet reality"
 

"At Camp YOLO I learned to never give up!"



"This weekend taught me to treat everyone equal even if they are different than me"



 

Thank you so much for changing the lives of these teenagers. 
As you can see they are forever changed.  Camp YOLO is made possible by our loyal volunteers and donors.  Because of you, they experience the compassion and generosity of so many people and have vowed to pass it on for many generations to come!


 

Thank You
 
Chef John Bullington
Alamo House Draft House, Austin
John taught campers to create their very own spring rolls and graciously provided all the ingredients!
 
Roy Juarez, Jr.
America’s Business Leaders
Roy inspired all our Camp YOLO campers with a motivating message of never giving up on yourself or your dreams regardless of what life brings you.
 
George Vlahakos
Volunteer and past Board Member
George provided Demeris Barbeque for the entire camp on Saturday night.

 

 

Thank you to Camp YOLO

Co-Directors Mital Brahmbhatt and Jen King for another extraordinary Camp YOLO!

 

And a special thanks to David Butler for providing countless hours and talents to Camp YOLO and ensuring that the dances are always filled with bright lights!
 

"It was Unforgettable!"
Mital Brahmbhatt - Camp YOLO Co-Director




The Periwinkle Foundation's Camp YOLO kicked off its 10th Anniversary on April 25, 2008 with eighty-two teenagers participating in a weekend focused on "Bright Lights, Bright Futures!" The weekend camp was designed to allow these special teenagers to see an inner and outer light that will guide them to a successful and productive future regardless of their medical diagnosis.  A fifteen year old male camper who has been fighting Acute Lymphoid Leukemia since 2006, stated that hearing Guest Speaker Roy Juarez, Jr., founder of America's Business Leaders, was exactly what he needed to hear in order to keep fighting his cancer.  He decided at that moment he was not going to allow cancer to beat him!  It was an extraordinary weekend of self discovery and it could not have taken place without our dedicated and generous staff, volunteers, and donors!  Thank you so much!


"The memories last

forever"
Meagan Longoria - Camper




Camp YOLO is my second family!  Going to camp for the weekend is an experience that is hard to explain.  We all share a mutual bond of knowing what each other has been through.  It makes us so close and we get to be in an environment where we can forget about all of our problems and just be kids.  The memories you leave with will last forever, and the friendships are forever in your heart!
 


"Camp YOLO
is about being yourself..."
Ignacio Marquez - Camp Counselor

I was able to witness one of my campers explain to his roommates why he attends Camp YOLO.  Telling them about his illness was not easy.  Finding out why his cabin mates were at camp helped him feel at ease.  He just needed reassurance that it was OK to be himself and to let others know who he really is.  After a high five, he ran away with a smile to join the other guys at the paintball station. I think he knew he had made the right move.


Michael Graves Awarded
Mayor's Volunteer Houston Award




Michael Graves, a former camper and loyal volunteer for 12 years, was selected as one of the recipients of the prestigious 2008 Mayor's Volunteer Houston Awards for his volunteer service through The Periwinkle Foundation.  Michael began his volunteering with Periwinkle as a Junior Counselor at Camp Periwinkle in 1996.  Since then, he has dedicated one week of each summer to being a counselor at

Camp Periwinkle.

 

       
 
In 2002, he also began volunteering as a counselor at Camp YOLO.  He now devotes two weekends per year to YOLO, as well as countless hours to other Periwinkle projects.  The profound effects of Michael's efforts are apparent in every child's life he touches.  He has given the gifts of confidence and emotional strength to countless children, and enabled them to live richer, fuller lives.  We are so proud of you, Michael!

 

To learn more about Camp YOLO, contact

Tahra Peterson, Assistant Director

tpeterson@periwinklefoundation.org
www.periwinklefoundation.org




Always remember...
 
"It's never too late to have a happy childhood"
The Periwinkle Foundation develops and provides programs that positively change the lives of children, young adults, and families who are challenged by cancer and other life threatening illnesses and are cared for at Texas Children's Hospital.

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Our mailing address is:
The Periwinkle Foundation
3000 Richmond Ave., Suite 340
Houston, Texas 77098


www.periwinklefoundation.org