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Monday, November 24, 2008
Camp for Children with Severe Food Allergies!
The first overnight Severe Food Allergy Family Retreat Weekend in the country was at the Center for Courageous Kids in Kentucky (www.courageouskids.org) and it was absolutely amazing!
When we arrived we were given a packet of information that included copies of all the labels and
all the ingredients of the food to be served at each meal. The Camp
Rules included hand washing before and AFTER each meal before leaving
the dining room. All nuts, peanut, and fish were forbidden from the
premises. Doctors and nurses were available 24/7 and the local hospital is
just two miles down the road. They also have a helicopter landing pad. All
doorknobs, bowling balls, faucets, and phone handles had been cleaned
with Clorox. Staff were educated on safety for avoiding cross-contamination
while cooking and with utensils. All tables were wiped with Clorox
wipes after meals.
The facilities were new and spacious! Each family got a private den
with eight twin beds, and a private bathroom that included two showers and three
sinks. The kids enjoyed woodworking, a beauty shop,
bowling, a gym, a huge heated indoor pool, horsebackriding, and lots
of crafts. A counselor was assigned to each family to assist with the
children during activities. The counselors were full of energy and there
was music and dancing around the dining hall after each meal.
Enjoy Life, No Nuttin, Home Free, and other allergy friendly snacks
were provided in the dining room as well as rice milk, soy milk, juices, and fresh fruit.
A huge thanks to FEAST, the "Food Education Allergy Support Team of KY" for their
work with the camp to do this retreat for children with food
allergies! www.feastky.org
My kids and I had a fantastic time. I don't remember ever being so
relaxed and feeling so safe while out with my food allergic children.
I do hope that they will also ban all dairy and eggs from the premises in
the future. There were a few labeled items that had dairy and eggs in
them, but no butter was allowed in the dining hall. Such safe precautions were
taken all around that I still felt that my children were perfectly safe the entire weekend.
The next camp for Severe Food Allergy is tentatively scheduled for September 11-13, 2009.
The weekend was free for families through the donations of corporate sponsors and private individuals. This is a great organization to raise money for and to encourage others to donate to! I hope that food allergy families and support groups across the nation will raise and donate money for this wonderful organization that allows our children to have fun and "be normal" at a safe camp. Make sure you designate that your donation is for Severe Food Allergy and follow-up with an email if you make a donation online. How many camps are offered per medical condition depend on funds raised. Please visit the website and find out more. www.courageouskids.org
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Posted by Anonymous 
Monday, November 24, 2008 - Corn syrup?