Champ Camp Helps Wounds Heal on Inside

The preparations were over. Andy Fredricks, also known as Polar Bear, along with co-counselors Chopper and Scooter, made a final check. The cabin, decked out as a surf shop, was functional, yet fanciful. All they needed now were the kids, whose buses finally pulled into the wooded camp site near Sequoia National Park.

Although there would be swimming, fishing, singing and cookouts during last month’s adventure, this was no ordinary camp experience. The 164 participants--ages 5 to 20--who attended Champ Camp were all burn survivors who were there to enjoy a week in an environment where they could face new challenges without feeling self-conscious.

“The kids get six days of no one staring at them, because they’re all the same,” Fredricks said of the campers, many of whom have undergone numerous surgeries, and whose wounds need constant care. “The staff is totally absorbed with them. We shower them with affection and give them everything we have. They feel important.”

The campers aren’t the only ones who benefit from their experiences at Champ Camp, a youth program established in 1985 by the Canoga Park-based Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation.

“I learned about myself, that I could give so much,” said Fredricks, 33. “I came back a better person than I was when I went.”

Lisa Powell, executive director of the foundation, echoed that sentiment.

“Many of the counselors say their camp experiences are life-altering. Andy had the youngest kids, who are more high-maintenance. They loved him. He was compassionate and so good at keeping them motivated.”

The burn foundation, which serves communities statewide, is a nonprofit organization established in 1971 by the Ruch family, firefighters and educators to help child and adult survivors of severe burns. It derives its name and inspiration from an 8-year-old girl who died from injuries suffered in a backyard barbecue accident.

Fredricks heard about Champ Camp from a Los Angeles County Fire Department colleague, who encouraged him to sign up as a counselor. The pair, along with about 100 firefighters, nurses, teachers and paramedics, attended several training sessions, where, Fredricks said, the challenge was to create a fun atmosphere in which the campers could build self-esteem.

The Woodland Hills resident is no stranger to challenges. He has spent the past nine years working as a fire suppression aide with the county’s helicopter crew in Santa Clarita. His crew, equipped with chain saws and shovels, is the first to arrive at a fire.

“When we get a call, the helicopter takes off and we land right in the line of fire,” Fredricks said. “It’s exciting work. I feel like I make a difference.”

He certainly made a difference at Champ Camp, where, he said, his most thrilling moment occurred at a water theme park. His young charges were afraid to leave the wading pool until one camper, a shy 6-year-old, sped down a steep water chute to the cheers of his campmates and counselors. Taking the plunge, Fredricks said, is what it’s all about.

“I just can’t describe what that week was like. If I could put aside my frustrations for a week for these kids--and we all did it--the world would be a better place. These kids inspire me. They’re just unbelievable.”

For information about the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, call (800) 755-BURN.

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