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For 70 years, elementary school students from the neighborhood around USC’s University Park Campus have gone to a weeklong summer camp in the San Bernardino Mountain through Troy Camp. Credit for launching the popular program rests with 91-year-old USC alumnus Otis Healy, who first proposed it back in 1948.
Giving back and having fun.
Day #147 of lockout: VOTE FOR TROY CAMP!!!
I am involved in a student run organization at USC called Troy Camp which happens to be USC's largest and most diverse philanthropic organization that has helped inner city kids through mentoring since 1948. Since Troy Camp is student run, we have to raise our own funds for these kids in order to have programming and tutoring weekly as well as a week long camp at the end of May which gives the kids every bit of camp they could ever ask for (horse back riding, swimming, arts and crafts, sports, etc.) However, just like any other business in this economy, Troy Camp needs help raising more money for these kids because less money means that less kids go to camp.
So how can you help? Troy Camp has entered into a contest through Pepsi which grants whichever organization gets the most votes (through text and email) $25,000!!! You have no idea how far $25,000 can go for Troy Camp and these kids so please take the time that you would normally be watching some basketball and vote!!! Tell your friends to vote! Tell your friends moms and dads and cousins and cousin's cousins and sister's hairdresser! TELL EVERYONEEE!
Here's the info:
WEBSITE: http://www.refresheverything.com/usctroycamp
&
TEXT "109696" TO 73774
Troy Camp: TC Love all the way around!
So I just got back from Troy Camp and I miss it SO MUCH! I miss being with my kids 24/7. I miss losing my voice from yelling our cheers when my kids blankly stare at me as if to say "Why are you yelling so much?" I miss being table #1, and table #2, and table #3... etc. I miss my red team and the amazing counselors that made up our family. I miss the gorgeous scenery of Forest Home and having a lake be our center piece to camp. I miss the way kids look up to you and you know that anything you say (for the most part) they'll believe you. I miss being their role model and counselor, telling them what to do all the time. I miss the stupid things that they say that make you just pause and think "did they really just say that?" I miss teaching some of my kids how to throw a football for the first time and seeing the joy that lit up their face when they at first thought they couldn't. I miss my boys fart jokes. I miss lanyards that I will never just do in my free time at home. I miss opening up to my kids about my life and them doing the same. I miss campfires and double dare that came with it. I miss bonding with other counselors as we become exhausted beyond belief and hysterical because of it but knowing that what we're doing is the best thing these kids have ever experienced. I miss their reaction of when they saw the sky and stars perfectly clearly for the first time. I miss their reaction when their parents came to pick them up after camp and see the slow drizzle of a tear hit their face, even if they were the "tough" kid. Most of all, I miss my entire Troy Camp family, filled with the most amazing, giving, funny, caring, unique, quirky, beautiful, selfless, and passionate people I have ever been around my entire life.
1 Day Until Troy Camp
I can't believe that I wasn't going to go to camp at first. In my head, I was thinking that I already graduated, I'll let other people shine with the kids and continue on their own college experience, but then as soon as I went to the info session to be a counselor, that's when it hit me that I HAVE to go back and luckily I'll be a 5th grade counselor again. With only 1 day left to pack, buy supplies, and get as much sleep as possible, I couldn't be more excited! It's the most tiring week I probably will ever go through, but I know that I'm helping so many great kids and in the end I probably have just as much fun as them. I will obviously post some pictures and tell about my time in Troy Camp when I get back, but for the time being, I can only imagine what this years camp has in store for me!
Troy Camp
With my college career almost coming to an end, I have been reflecting on the last 4 years of my life and basically putting together a mental puzzle of my greatest memories and best decisions that I have made at USC. After this weekend, I have come to the conclusion that by far my greatest memories and best decisions have all come from Troy Camp. This weekend was just absolutely amazing and was everything I needed. I had been a little down from the job searching and literally this weekend picked me up and motivated me like nothing else could have. It made me realize that there are so many great people in this world that actually care about the well-being of others. My Red Team has some of the best counselors out there too and our cheers could move mountains... literally! And every year I always get nervous about my own abilities as a counselor and if I can inspire my new 5th grade cabin and be a good role model, but after this weekend, I have no doubt in my abilities or the abilites of other counselors in Troy Camp. So here's to an amazing year with Troy Camp and I cannot WAIT for next year!
Slow it down.
This week flew by. Even with the rainy weather, the days just keep passing faster and faster each day. Before I know it, college will be done? Hard to believe because it still feels like I just got here.
Monday was Valentine's Day - and another lonely one for me. But I didn't feel lonely because I have so many friends and sisters who love and care for me. I thought Monday Night Dinner would be miserable because of all the deliveries from significant others, but it ended up okay! I was on a sugar high for about 3 days, but I was not kicking myself because of it. :]
Tuesday, I was finally named at Troy Camp! My new name is Quaffle. Weird, I know. Not sure how I feel about it. But I'm glad I have a name finally. For those of you who don't know, your initiation into this organization is basically when you are named for something ridiculous that you've done or said. For me, I was named Quaffle because 1) there are numerous pictures of me found "riding a broomstick" (or lacrosse stick or something of the sort) and 2) because I screwed up JK Rowling's name at the midnight showing of Harry Potter (sorry I didn't read the books). A quaffle is the ball that is thrown around in the game of Quidditch. Did I even spell that right?
Wednesday, I kicked butt on my accounting project...my professor said I was very enthusiastic. :] To wrap it up, I brought in pictures of the people at Walmart... quite a sight to see.
Thursday, my class of death was cancelled - so the weekend started early for me!! No three hour lecture in the afternoon = score. Instead, I went to Weems Elementary School and tutored some kids for Troy Camp. Did I mention I love this organization? Afterwards, I went to Bacaro with some of my wonderful friends. We wined and dined and it was fabulous. Chianti and cheeses and so many delicious foods!! Dinner was followed by a night on the Row... uber disappointing. I feel like I'm becoming a grandma and don't want to do those kinds of shenanigans anymore.
So here I am now...Friday. Just woke up, and now I'm putting on my workout clothes. Going to work off the sugar from the past week (or so I hope). Then I'm going to go teach PE and after school sports to the kids down at West Vernon Elementary School. Afterwards, I'm going to try out that Nike Workout Class at the gym. Cannot wait to make my way home for the weekend with my friend, Nicole!! Just praying that my car will start ...
That's all for now. :]
