Session 8: Traveling through time!!!

Session 7: Decades

2011-08-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone we are going through the decades. We are traveling back in time from the 50's all the way to the 90's! There are new pictures up on the flickr page and everyone is enjoying camp!

Session 6: Olympics

2011-08-13T17:02:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the delay everyone! The photos are up and ready in the flickr page our internet was down for quite a few days and we were unable to update the blog but here it is! We had a great time with relays and fun challenges during this session. Go Paivikan Olympians!

Session 5: Hollywood!

2011-07-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

Session 5 is underway and the campers are having a great time living the life of the Hollywood Stars. Yesterday the campers had the opportunity to participate in Hollywood Squares and Name that Tune!

Session 4

2011-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. Session 4 has started! and the campers are enjoying every minute of it. In our first day the campers got to meet their counselors, they went to the pool and they had an opening campfire!
This session’s theme is “Under the Sea” ... check out how the cabins are decorated:

fun right? this week is going to be amazing! we are all so happy to have such an amazing group of campers, welcome to paivika everybody!!!

Session 3

2011-07-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

Our first kids session of the summer started out loud! We had an amazing time at the evening program and all the kids are enjoying the pool every afternoon. Check out our Photo section to see more pictures of the past few days.

Paivika Around the world

2011-06-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

This week’s theme is “Around the world”, so every camper made a “Paivika Passport” in Arts&Crafts. They are supposed to take their passports with them to every activity and they get a stamp every time they do. At the end of the week everybody is going to have their passport full of stamps!

Take a look at some of the campers working on their passports with Chelsea, our Arts&Crafts leader.

EXCELLENT JOB EVERYBODY!!!

Session 2

2011-06-23T17:24:00.000-07:00

Everybody is enjoying the sunny days up at camp! check out out photo section to see pictures of all the campers!

session 1

2011-06-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

Session 1 is going so well that we never want it to end. The campers are having fun and starting to get ready for the talent show in 3 days.

Everybody is enjoying the pool, loving the horses and being very creative in arts&crafts.

FIRST DAY OF SESSION 1

2011-06-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

The fun finally started. Campers arrived early this morning and had a great day with they new counselors.

This week’s theme is TV SHOWS, so we had a great time playing THE FEAR FACTOR with all the campers and staff.

CHEERS FOR A GREAT START!!!

OPEN HOUSE 2011

2011-06-12T10:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Paivika welcomed the summer with an amazing open house!

We had pop corn, snow cones and cotton candy!!! everybody loved it!

Campers playing on the yard where the staff put together a wonderful carnival :) Thank you all for coming and having so much fun with us.

Thank you all the campers, families and staff members who made this possible, it was an amazing day and everybody enjoyed it! Hope to see you soon.

Mom's Getaway 2011

2011-04-17T14:40:00.000-07:00

Mardi Gras Madness!

This weekend the camp was transformed from a summer camp for children and adults with special needs into an oasis for mom's of children and adults with special needs.

Every year Camp Paivika has a Mom's Getaway for the mothers of not only our campers, but any mom with a child with special needs. This year the mom's had the opportunity to go on guided nature walks, learn about how to plan for their childs future, do yoga and thai'chi, make vision boards, participate in quilt projects, enjoy massages, attend casino night, and much more.

During the weekend we also have a silent auction, and this year we raised over $800, which will go towards sponsoring mom's for next years Mom's Getaway. We had a great weekend and sent the mom's home on Sunday feeling happy and refreshed.

Thank you so much to all the mom's who came and shared their weekend with us!

Be sure to look in the photo section to see all the pictures from this weekend!

Marathon 2011

2011-04-13T10:54:00.000-07:00

This last weekend Paivika participated in the annual AbilityFirst Marathon Campaign to raise money for our programs. AbilityFirst had roughly 1,000 participants and staff participate in the 5k at the Santa Anita Derby Day race at the Santa Anita Racetrack. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful event. The walk takes place through the arborietum and finished inside the racetrack where booths containing information, games, and food were set up. Afterwards, everyone was invited to stay and watch the races if they desired. Camp Paivika was joined by two of our campers, Reo and Laura, and many of our current, and even some former, staffers.

This year, Kelly and Laura participated in the 5k race with Laura coming in arounf 28 minutes, and Kelly finishing in about 35. Great job Kelly and Laura!

Children's Respite 2011

2011-03-12T17:15:00.000-08:00

We have our children's respite group up for the weekend right now as well as the Palm Canyon volunteer group joining us. We've been busy all day in activities so be sure to check out the photos in the photo section to see what we've been up to!

Ski School 2011

2011-02-02T09:50:00.000-08:00

The last few days have been busy here at Paivika. We just kicked off the 2011 camping season with our Ski School Trip! Nine participants came up on Sunday afternoon for a weekend of fun and excitment. Campers enjoyed bowling and pizza on Sunday afternoon, a trip to Big Bear's Snow Summit to participate in their adaptive ski program on Monday, and prepared for Valentines Day on Tuesday making Valentines before heading home. By the end of the trip everyone was exhausted and ready to go home!

A little update from Paivika

2011-01-14T13:49:00.000-08:00

Hello Paivika friends! Its been a while since there has been a post so it's about time to fill you in on what's going on at Paivika!

So far, this winter has been a cold and snowy one! we got our first snowfall at Thanksgiving and then got another good snow on New Years. Here are a few pictures from the most recent snowfall.

Inbetween all the snow, we've been gearing up for the 2011 camping season. Applications have been coming in since November and we're on our way to filling up our winter and summer sessions! So far, we've got a great group of campers signed up for camp!

We've also been working very hard to reach our Marathon goal of $15,000 raised for the 2011 Marathon Campaign, consiting of the LA Marathon and the Santa Anita Derby Day! We only need about $7,000 more to reach our goal! Let us know if you want to join our team!

Our Mom's Getaway weekend is almost filled... only 4 spots left!

Marathon Campaign Raffle

2010-12-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Enter today for a chance to win!

Marathon Campaign 2011

2010-12-01T15:06:00.000-08:00

Camp Paivika is looking for a few people to join our 2011 Marathon Campaign team! We need runners/walkers as well as individuals to help us in our effort to raise $15,000

Through two community events, the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 20, 2011 and the Santa Anita Derby Day 5K on Saturday, April 9, 2011, AbilityFirst hopes to raise $400,000 to support programs and services for people of all ages with physical and developmental disabilities (including autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Down syndrome, and other neurological impairments).

Every day participants in AbilityFirst programs run the race to strive for their personal best and with daily inspiration and successes through the programs, they are winning their races.

There are many different ways to help support Camp Paivika in our efforts to raise $15,000:

Camp Paivika gladly takes online donations as well as check or money orders (please make checks payable to AbilityFirst and mail to PO Box 3367 Crestline Ca 92325)
We need team members to help us fundraise and join us at the Santa Anita Derby 5K. If you're interested in participating with Camp Paivika's Derby Team please contact Cassandra at (909) 338-1102 x102
You can participate in our Marathon Campaign Opportunity Drawing by purchasing a raffle ticket. 1 ticket is $5, and 5 tickets are $20. The raffle prize is a cruise for two for up to 10 days on Holland America Line. To purchase a raffle ticket please contact Cassandra at (909) 338-1102 x102
Contact your friends and companies to help us get corporate sponsors for the event.

Orange County Buddy Walk

2010-11-09T08:59:00.000-08:00

This weekend Camp Paivika attended the Orange County Buddy Walk as one of the vendors for the resource fair. It was a great event hosted by the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County and had a great turn out. Along with meeting new potential campers and former Camp Joan Mier staffers, I got to meet the guest celebrity, Lauren Potter, from the hit show Glee where she plays Becky! Laren was kind enough to sign a picture to camp and take a picture with me!

Mom's Getaway

2010-10-27T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hey mom's! It's that time again... registration is now open for the Mom's Getaway weekend at Camp Paivika! This years theme is Mardi Gras Madness! Call Cassandra now to reserve your spot!

For the last 10 years Camp Paivika has been hosting a Mom's Getaway for all moms and caregivers of children and adults with special needs (who aren't paid for their services) as a time for them to relax, rejuvinate, and refresh. This is a great opportunity for moms to come and make new friends, talk to others that have similar situations and learn from them, as well as let their hair down and not worry for 3 days. This weekend isn't just for moms of campers at Camp Paivika, it is open to any mom with a child or adult with a disability. So get your friends togather and come enjoy a weekend in the mountains!

Blue Jay Quilt Walk a Huge Success!

2010-10-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

A huge thanks goes out to the Willow Woods Quilt Guild and the Blue Jay Business Association for hosting the Second Annual Blue Jay Quilt Walk! This year the auction raised over $5,600 for Camp Paivika!!

Blue Jay Quilt Walk

2010-09-16T11:56:00.000-07:00

Mountain Quilters Cottage

2010-09-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

This last weekend the Mountain Quilters Cottage had a fundraiser for Camp Paivika, where 10% of all their procedes of the day went to Camp. Thank you so much Mountain Quilters Cottage and all of its supporters!

Leo Carrillo Beach Trip

2010-09-16T10:04:00.000-07:00

This last week a small group of campers had the opportunity to go to Leo Carrillo for a few days of sun and relaxation.

Everyone slept in tents, helped with the cooking and enjoyed smores around the campfire.

Campers made sand candles with sea shells and sand collected from the beach, relaxed, and explored tide pools

Those that wanted went on hikes to explored caves only accessibly during low tide

A big thanks to everyone for helping make this trip a success!

Quilt Raffel

2010-08-27T09:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Karen Stevens who is the winner of the beautiful quilt that families have seen displayed at drop off all summer! A big thanks to Richard for helping pick our winner!

2010-08-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Here are so more pictures of our adventures at camp. Tonight is the talent show, so stay tuned!
(If you don't see your camper, click the photos section above)**its currently down, but will be fixed tonight**

Session 10

2010-08-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

We have had nice warm days here at camp and we are having an awesome time!!

session 9

2010-08-20T07:05:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates! Camp has been crazy here! Here are pictures from the last 2 days!

Due to the size of the photos, it take a very long time to upload to blogger, so,
Make sure to click HERE for more pictures.

Talent Show

2010-08-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

Last night we had an amazing talent show!

We enjoyed the vocal stylings of Sami...

Jenny showed off her moves on the dance floor...

Mark entertained us with his karate moves...

and Jonathan wow'd us with his sword skills!

Session 9, Day 1

2010-08-15T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! We had a great first day here at camp.
We started things off with a carnival, and ended the night with cabin introductions!

Talent Show/Campfire

2010-08-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Today was a fun filled day! We had former staffer Thomas come up and extertain the kids with his balloon animal skills! You can check out more of his work in the photo section.

Today we had the camera crew here to get some shots of programs and what we do here at camp. As such, we did "closing campfire" a night early so we could get it on camera. Campers enjoyed smores while watching their new friends perform their talents and listening to everyones pine cone wishes.

Briana sang Happy Happy Joy Joy for us...

Tamar kept us laughing with his comedy act...

and Jordan + crew did the Cupid Shuffle!

The smiles today were amazing!

Color Wars

2010-08-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

Last night we have a great time with Paivika Color Wars! Every cabin group was assigned a color and they hade to decorate their float, and compete in many different events! :)

Camp is so busy!

2010-08-10T10:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posting recently! We are so busy here at camp. Yesterday we had an all camp swim, the local firefighters came up to visit and we had a scavenger hunt all over camp last night! Here are some pictures:

Busy Busy Busy!!

2010-08-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

We've been BUSY here at Paivika! Activities are in full swing and the energy is up! Campers have been going non stop since they arrived! Here's a few pictures of whats been going on...

Sports and Rec had a rousing afternoon of kick ball...

A dance group came up and did a special presentation for us...

Camper Mark twirled his sister, Counselor Jill, around on the dance floor...

and last night we were visited by Carlos Santana, the Jonas Brothers, Brett Michaels, and Elvis at our Mr.Paivika competition. Congratulations to Elvis who was our winner!!

The start of Session 7!

2010-08-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

Session 7 opened with a flag raising before our Casino Carnival!

Campers and counselors competed in some friendly games of corn shucking...

A water balloon toss and a "pie" eating contest for the counselors...

and after the cabin games, campers were able to play casino games, get their faces painted nd enjoy some snow cones and cotton candy!

Yesterday we were joined by our " Paivika Champions" in celebration of the 1st Annual Campership Campaign. The Paivika Champions are a group of Paivika Alimni back from the 50's and 60's helping to raise money to send campers to camp through our Campership program.

Thank you Champions for all you do!

And finally at campfire we got to meet all of our amazing campers for the week!

It's a little late, but good bye Session 6!

2010-08-02T09:44:00.000-07:00

Session 6 ended with an amazing performance at closing campfire from our guys and girls group performing a dance they learned throughout the week in Fine Arts (to see those photos check out our photo section. )

T'was a busy day in the mountain!

2010-07-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a fun and exciting day! Cabins competed in color wars yesterday! Groups were given different color bandanas and a list iof tasks and clues to solve throughout the day. At the end of the day there was a tie between Cabins 5C and 1B!

Cabin 2A practiced their song and decorated their scenery for their performance of "Make a Man out of You" from Mulan.

The girls of 5C spent the morning in Nature learning about different animals and even got to hold a dove!

The counselors haven't quite gotten the technique yet...

And Cabin 1 played water volleyball!

Last night campers and staff had a great time at our Pirate themed dance!

Be sure to look in the photos section for all the pictures from yesterdays fun!

Session 6 is amazing!

2010-07-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. Today was amazing! We kicked it off with our regular fantastic activities, then we had an all camp swim followed by a talent show!

Thanks everyone!

Session 6 Day 1

2010-07-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

When the campers arrived on Sunday things went into full blast! We had many different Rotarian groups join us in the fun and helped run the whole show! We kicked it off with a flag ceremony, switched to relay races and then finished with carnival games that included fishing for prizes, a dunk tank, bottle toss, pinata, and so much more.

Thanks for reading! Make sure to check out the photos section for ALL our pictures!

Goodbye Session 5!

2010-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here is what we missed at Paivika... we had closing campfire where cabin groups got up and performed a dance they learned in Fine Arts throughout the week. Campers shared their pinecone wishes and Cabin 2B won clean cabin!

Campers from Session 5A and 5C left yesterday morning.

Staff have a few days off to relax and catch up on some much needed sleep and then we bring on the children!

Be sure to check out the Photo section to see all the pictures from Session 5A, 5B, and 5C!

70's Night!

2010-07-19T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a full day of programs. Our horses got a break from all the riding during the past week and were able to relax while campers painted them.

Nature went on a walk around camp and campers were able to taste some of the different edible plants, talk about the natural habitat, and made some bird feeders to take home.

And last night we got groovy on the dance floor at our 70's themed dance!

Lake Trip

2010-07-18T14:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, sorry for the lack of updates but we're back and ready to catch up on what we've missed!

LAKE TRIP!!!

It's been hot up here so we took a group to the Lake to cool off in the water for the day while others stayed at camp and enjoyed a calm and relaxing afternoon.

I will have a nice big post tomorrow so be sure to check back tomorrow morning to see pictures from the dance, game show night, and other activities!

Bye Bye to 5B

2010-07-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Session 5 this year was designed in 3 sections. A long 9 day session (5A), a 4 day session at the beginning (5B), and a 3 day session at the end (5C). Confused yet? So are we... but anyway, today session 5B heads home. In honor of their leaving we had a mini closing camp fire last night and did pinecone wishes for the 12 campers heading out. Cabin groups were given a random scene, and had to make up a skit in their groups to perform at campfire. We got to see a behind the scenes look at a day in McDonalds, what happens when Brittany meets Lady Gaga, a night in the life of a counselor, Reality Paivika, and many more exciting skits. Campers and counselors did a great job coming up with funny and fantastic skits!

Farewell 5B! We hope to see you again next year!

Dance the night away

2010-07-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

Last night we had our Mardi Gras themed dance out on the sports court! Lets see if you can recognize your camper behind the mask!

After the dance campers had the opportunity to attend campout! Staff set up mattresses on the lawn and campers were able to enjoy a movie projected onto a big screen while drifting off to sleep under a star filled sky.

Talent Show Part 1...

2010-07-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today was the first full day of program and a fun one at that! Campers spent the day enjoying activities and wrapped up the evening at Talent Show. We have sooooo many talented campers we ran out of time and were only able to get all the girls done. Be sure to stay posted for pictures of Talent Show Part 2 to see all the guys!

Alan "Wolfman" working on his masterpiece in Arts and Crafts

Kevin and Danny enjoying a nice dip in the pool

Holly sang a beautiful rendition of "Silent Night"

Ashlye pumped us up with "Party in the USA"

and Christine showed off some of her karate skills to "Kung Fu Fighting"

Be sure to check out the photos section for more pictures from activities and Talent Show!

Session 5

2010-07-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Session 5 started in a flurry of campers yesterday! After getting checked in and saying bye to their family and friends, campers went down to the Rec Room, which had been transformed to a Casino!, for an afternoon of bingo, craps, and cards!

Opening Campfire was amazing! We met all of our cabin groups, sang silly songs, and watched campers and staff perform some funny skits!

Farewell Session 4

2010-07-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

Campers donned their camp shirts and enjoyed some final time together in the rec room this morning as parents arrived to pick them up. Between dances, talent shows, color wars, activities, and all our friends from the AbilityFirst Centers, it has been an amazing week! Thanks to all the campers that came for such a fantastic week and we can't wait to see you next year!

The end of a busy week...

2010-07-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Today we had the Clairmont and Pasadena Centers up to have their fun at camp. Pasadena joined in the all camp swim whil Clairmont got try their hand at archery and horseback riding!

Last night marked the end of the session with closing campfire. Campers started out signing their camp journals with friends. Cabin groups shared their pinecone wishes and had their final performances for the summer. We heard songs from High School Musical, Wicked, Michael Jackson, and other various artists while campers entertained with with their voices and dancing skills. We ended the night with our "hugging song" and campers went to bed to the sounds of the staff singing "Leaving on a Jet Plane."

4 AbilityFirst Centers and a Halloween Dance!

2010-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

We had a busy day at Paivika! Yesterday the Anaheim, Clairmont, Long Beach and Newport Mesa Centers brought kids up to enjoy a beautiful and sunny day at camp. The centers each got to do archery, horseback riding, and nature. Anaheim even got to join in in our all camp swim in the morning activity rotation!

Campers and staff showed their best moves on the dance floor last night at our Halloween dance!

Session 4 Fun

2010-07-07T16:46:00.000-07:00

Session 4 started with a bang! Campers enjoyed a full day of program yesterday meeting the animals in nature, horseback riding, and practicing their archery skills!

Camp Paivika welcomed participants from the Clairmont, East LA, and Harry A Mier Centers yesterday to experience the "camp life!"

Campers finished off the day competing with their cabin groups in "Color Wars!" Campers had to lasso bulls, throw some horse shoes, do a free throw, and competed in an obstacle course.

Make sure to come back tomorrow for more updates!
And keep checking the photo section, we put more up every day!

Photo's are up!

2010-07-06T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hey Campers! We now have our photo section up and running. All you have to do it click on Photo in the toolbar and you can access the photos from each session!

Day 2 Session 2

2010-06-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Hello from Paivika!

Yesterday was an amazing day filled with activities, scavenger hunts and a lot of laughs. Here are some pictures of your fun filled day.

day 1 session 2

2010-06-20T19:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, today is the first day of session 2 and it was a good one. We kicked it off with a carnival where we played games, ate cotton candy and got our faces painted.

Stay tuned for our scavenger hunt tomorrow!

Session 1

2010-06-17T17:29:00.000-07:00

Session 1 was amazing! It went so fast.
We had a talent show, a casino night, a dance and we also camped out under the stars and watched Alice in Wonderland. It was incredible.
We are sad to see everyone go, but can't wait to see the start of session 2.

greetings from the campfire.

2010-06-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days the staff at Paivika have been working away getting ready for camp. We start our orientation Saturday with our entire staff, then campers arrive on Monday! This is going to be an amazing summer with a lot of fun and exciting changes!

Here is 2010's supervisor team! From Left to Right

Top Row-Nik (Male UD) Justine (Admin. Asst) Andrew (Lifegaurd) Dante (Nature) Ryan (Arts and Crafts)

Grace (Horse) Emily (Nurse)

Bottom Row- Kat (Horse) Emma (Female UD) Alvin (Fine Arts) J.R. (Program Coordinator) Bri (Lifeguard) Viviana (Sports and Rec)

Alumni Work Day BBQ

2010-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

The alumni work crew - small but mighty - spent the morning helping get camp beautiful and ready for the upcomming summer!

A big thanks to the following Paivikans for all their help:

Justin Coughlin
Justine Miller
Alan Pham
Anthony Portillo
Viviana Miglia
Ginnina Eichorn
Nik Garcia
Lee Proper
Nolan Forrester
Katya Forrester
Lyndon Forrester
Noemi De La O

Brenda Starkins
DJ Wiley
Ryan Wimmer
Sydney Kunsek
Bailey

Derby Day 2010!

2010-05-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Photo features "Team Blue Wheels", Kevin Ware along with his family, Kelly, and Sydney

This year Camp Paivika had 4 teams participate in the Derby Day events and so far we can raised $12,000!

Camper Kevin Ware and his sister Laura were the leaders of "Team Blue Wheels". Kevin is out first camper to participate and did an amazing job - raising $3465.00!

Camper Services Coordinator Brenda Starkins ran the full 26 mile LA Marathon and raised $500 for camp!

Volunteer walker Laura Good raised $1,210.00 for camp and was joined at Derby Day by her son James and niece and nephew.

The Kunsek family walked for their 4th year together as a family (this is the first year Sydney walked the full 3 miles without Kenny having to carry her!) and with the help of Paivika supporters raised $4,681.00!

We are so greatful for the great support and exceeding our goal of $5,000! We hope to recruite more campers and staff to join us next year for a great event and worthy cause!

Meet our newest staff!

2010-05-08T11:38:00.001-07:00

Meet Carly!

She is a one year old miniature horse with dwarfism. She is a bit shy, but full of energy and we are so excited to have her join the Paivika family!

Alumni Work Party and BBQ

2010-03-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Camp Paivika
Saturday, April 24th, 2010
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Help us get camp ready for our 2010 campers! Share memories, get dirty, catch up with old friends and meet other Paivika alumni!

600 Playground Drive
Cedarpines Park, CA 92322
RSVP to: (909) 338-1102 or e-mail Kelly at kkunsek@abilityfirst.org

Paivika Buddies Campership Campaign

2010-03-16T15:06:00.000-07:00

Description of Fundraising Need

Camp Paivika certainly has evolved over the last 63 years. The camp isn’t exactly like it was when we were there, but in some ways it’s better because children with less disability are now able to attend regular camps. That means the children who go to Paivika for their camping experience are those who really need it. Chuck Rohe

· Camp Paivika continues the same qualities of high staff-to-camper ratio, strong supervision of the young counselors, on-site nursing, diverse programming, and all the other things that make it expensive to operate.
· AbilityFirst has relied on reimbursement from the State of California for its budget, and we now know how severely that aid has been cut.
· Starting in 2010, there will be no state funding for camp, a loss of approximately $355,000 in revenue.
· The new model for Camp Paivika requires families who are able to private pay for camp.
· For those families who are not able to pay for camp, a minimum of $300 co-payment will be required to receive financial aid.
· The cost for one week at camp is $1,175. Families will be charged $975. AbilityFirst will absorb $40 per day, per camper, in order to keep the cost of camp reasonable.
· It is estimated that 35% to 40% of campers will require financial assistance.
· The estimated financial aid is $100,000 to $125,000 for summer 2010.
· AbilityFirst is fortunate to have a camp scholarship Endowment Fund, established by donors. Interest from the Endowment Fund provides approximately $30,000 in scholarships each year.
· Annual private contributions are essential for the future for Camp Paivika.—to help to make sure that Paivika is a great place for the next generation of campers.

From Kelly Kunsek’s message on the Paivika Buddies website:
Camp Paivika has been providing quality residential outdoor camping experiences for children and adults with disabilities for over 60 years. For many years, the majority of our campers have been able to attend programs at Camp Paivika because of state funding provided through the California Regional Center system. The budget crisis that California currently faces has had a major impact on the regional centers and unfortunately one of the programs that has been cut for 2010 and the indefinite future is camping. Our commitment to quality programming and keeping Camp Paivika's doors open is as strong as ever and we are busy working to create a new model that will carry us through these challenging times. Although we will be stepping up our fundraising efforts we will also be asking that families who are able to private pay do so, and those who qualify for scholarships will be required to contribute towards their camp fee.

AbilityFirst Marathon Campaign

2010-03-09T20:17:00.000-08:00

We proudly continue our 25 year tradition as an Official Charity of the Los Angeles Marathon. Our team members will challenge themselves to the 26.2 mile course of the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 21.

Those in the Santa Anita Derby Day 5K will walk, run, or roll at the Santa Anita Race track where the AbilityFirst team will join approximately 2,500 local community members in this annual event in Arcadia on Saturday morning, April 3. As always, the AbilityFirst Marathon Campaign continues the AbilityFirst tradition of having our team members participate side-by-side with non-disabled peers in Southern California.

With 24 locations throughout Southern California, including community and work centers, AbilityFirst offers a broad range of programs for children with disabilities, as well as employment, recreational and socialization programs for adults, an accessible camp for children and adults, and affordable accessible residential facilities.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Forest Lawn Foundation is challenging the AbilityFirst Marathon Campaign Team to go above and beyond. Funds that AbilityFirst raises above $130,000 will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to a maximum grant of $50,000! Please help us meet the challenge and cross the finish line by becoming an AbilityFirst Marathon Campaign Team Member or sponsoring a team member. You can also sponsor a specific AbilityFirst location.

Now, more than ever, your support is needed. No donation is too small. Every dollar counts.

To see our official page please visit: http://www.abilityfirst.org/la_marathon/view_center_paivika.asp