Shriners a A Summer Camp Memory ForShriners Burn Patients (NAPSA)—Memorial Day weekend began early for six patients from Shriners Hospital for Children-Galveston when the El Mina Shriners’ Transportation Corps arrived at the hospital on Thursday, ready to take them to camp. As the bags were loaded and the parents waved good-bye, the excited group of campersset out for a weekend of fun and festivities. The Shriners first drove them to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, where they met up with several other children and young adults, including many Shriners Hospitals patients. Finally, the whole group was headed to Camp Janus, located on the grounds of CampForAll, about 12 miles from Brenham in east Texas. Camp Janus started with a simple idea. Cindy Thomas, a social worker at Memorial Hermann Hospital in the mid-1980s, wanted to create a place where children with burn injuries could go and spend time with their peers in a safe, fun and friendly environment, away from the hospital and the daily pressures that go along with their treatment and recovery. Camp Janus provides an invaluable opportunity for children with burn injuries to socialize with their peers, and spend time with children who share similar experiences. The patients from the Galveston hospital were only six months post injury, making the social activities and interaction a particularly important opportunity, since, up until camp, most had only been out of the hospital for very limited amountsof time. Swimming, hiking, fishing, canoeing, arts and crafts and basketball are among the recreational activities that are available at Camp Janus. Campers young and old enjoyed participating in arts and crafts and attending the carnival in the evening. This year, the final night at camp x a ME‘> SRO iy : ii oe Camp Janus is a place where children with burn injuries could spend time with their peers and havefun. wasparticularly exciting, because all campers were invited to a “sock hop” dance in the open-air gymnasium. When asked what the best thing about Camp Janusis, the answer may be wordeddifferently but it’s always the same: It’s the chance for Shriners Hospitals patients to spend a weekend away from the hospital and away from their treatment; a weekend to play and be a kid. For more information on Shriners’ network of 22 hospitals that provide medical care and services totally free of charge to children with orthopaedic problems, burns and spinal cord injuries, write to Shriners International Headquarters, Public Relations Dept., 2900 Rocky Point Dr., Tampa, FL 33607 or visit the Web site at www.shrinershq.org. Treatment is provided to children under age 18 without regard to race, religion or relationship to a Shriner. If you know a child that Shriners can help, call 1-800-237-5055 in the United States or 1-800-3617256 in Canada.
