"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"
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