Active teen taking her energy to camp

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Caissy Oyugi, left, and mother Connie. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Caissy Oyugi, 13, isn't your typical tomboy. The seventh-grader loves to play soccer, basketball, ringette and ride BMX, yet has dreams of becoming a fashion designer.

It's evident in her outfit. She wears bright, bold colours, even in her hair -- she just had purple highlights put in.

Caissy will be getting her clothes a bit dirty this summer. She's going to Caddy Lake Camp with the financial support of the Sunshine Fund.

"Before the Sunshine Fund, she had never gone to camp because I couldn't afford it. It was so expensive. I'm so happy that she gets to go," said Connie Oyugi, Caissy's mother.

Connie found the Sunshine Fund after she and her family immigrated from Kenya. Her husband got a job as an HIV-AIDS researcher with the University of Manitoba, so the whole family moved with him to Winnipeg.

This is Caissy's third year going to camp through the Sunshine Fund. For the last two summers, it was Circle Square Ranch where she first rode a horse.

"I had rode a camel before, but not a horse," Caissy explains.

Connie admits her daughter's adrenaline-junkie attitude sometimes makes her nervous, especially her love of extreme biking. While at Circle Square Ranch, Caissy won first place in a BMX contest.

"I was nervous the first time I saw it, yes. But if she likes it and it's safe, it's OK. But yes, it is a little scary," Connie said, laughing.

This year, Caissy is excited to try new activities at Caddy Lake Camp, a Girl Guides camp for girls ages 7 to 15.

Caissy is a Pathfinder with the Girl Guides of Canada and says Caddy Lake has a lot of sporting activities she's excited to try such as kayaking, hiking and mountain biking.

"I see a lot of people on the brochure that are canoeing. I'm really excited for that," said Caissy. "The lake will be really fun. I can't wait to do it all."

To help, send cheques to the Winnipeg Free Press Sunshine Fund, 302-960 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3G 0R4.

You can donate in person using cash, Visa or MasterCard; credit cards can be used online at www.mbcamping.ca and clicking the Donate Now button.

Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations.

For more information on the Sunshine Fund, call 784-1130 or email sunshinefund@mbcamping.ca .

katherine.dow@freepress.mb.ca

Contributors

(As of June 28)

The Paul Albrechtsen Foundation$1,250Beatrice Mackenzie$200Yvonne Schneider$125Marilea Penrose$25 In memory of Mildred Drayson

Aline Preston$60

L. D. Moore$200Fred Forsyth$100Jake Rempel$100Reliable Homecare Products$100Miss Marianne Farag$65

Mabel S. Smith$100Jack and Ozzie $100Bernard McQuade$50

Brian Tone$100Sandy and Kent Hayglass$340Audrey Johnson$100E. Allan Lovelace$50

Mary Friesen$100In memory of my mother, Neta Reimer

William and Claudia Senkiw$700Edward and Irena Sliwinski$50

Marguerite Fredette$50

Ray and Joyce Cumming$500Barbara Nikodem$200In memory of my husband, Ronald Nikodem

Gladys Anderson$100Linda Malcomson$25

Donna Peters-Small$250Anonymous$100In memory of Allan

Viola Best$50

Hanna Fletcher$25

Isabel E. Saunders$20

Mr. and Mrs. A. Cuthbertson$150In memory of Bruce

Ethel Laidlaw$20 In memory of Marjorie Stewart

Christine Brezden$25

Patricia Winser$100In memory of A. R. Winser

Ms. Meeka Walsh$75

Gladys and George Oelkers$400Muriel Levy$100In memory of Bill Levy

Joanie Fridell and Milton Freedman$100Terri Cherniack$54

Ted M. Konyk$150In memory of Dr. Leo N. Konyk

Roy and Arline Botham$50 In memory of Dodie and Papa Jamieson, and Grandma and Grandpa Botham

Cam and Carole Osler$75 In memory of Zena Wolfson

Ms. Margaret Elliott$30

Carole Wolfe$25

Margaret Smith$75

Alison Campbell$100In honour of Pat Campbell's Birthday

Richard Lobdell$150Sharon Mooney$250David and Georgina Smith$100Judy and David Kidd$125Linda C. Komus$30

Robert W. Smith$200Doreen Kerr$50

Joan Baragar$25 In memory of Marie Parson

Shelagh A. Hinch$100Eva Dupont $25

Caroline Gruber$50

Yvon and Therese Chabot$25

Jean Kukelko$50 In memory of Toni Brodie and Cal Kukelko

Margaret Campbell$25 In memory of Fred, Dean and June O'Connell of Ashern

Wesley and Elizabeth Tebbe$1,000Fred and Veronica Kouk$25

In memory of son, Randy

Joyce Stay$25

Patricia Ternovetsky$250Catherine Schlosser$25 As a thank you to our neighbours, Pat and Doug

Klaus and Marlene Goede$100Bill and Shirley Hicks$50

Roberta Snowaert$75 In memory of deceased Belot family members

Nancy Turnbull$50

Mrs. Sybil Rubin$100In memory of Dr. Manly Rubin

Ian and Lynn Forrester$100Brenda Taylor$50

Anonymous$50 In memory of Iris Merrison

Joyce Zolles$100815ers Social Club$50

Dorothy Goodman$20,000Anonymous$50 In honour of Pat Campbell Happy Birthday

Mr. and Mrs. J.M. Russell$75

Lorraine Biggins$50

Alf Brooks$30

Wesley Harrison$100In memory of Ethel D. Harrison

St. Francois Xavier Coffee Ladies$50

Jacqueline Field$15

Evelyn Day$100Jane's Auto Sales$250Jim and Eileen Hilderman$100Ruth Stanko$25

Sylvia Onofriechuk$50

Anonymous$25

In memory of my sons Roy,

Ron and Rick Dixon

Christine Depoe$100In memory of Stina and Jack Depoe

Alan and Shirley Kessler$200Barbara MacInnes$100Noreen Wilson$50

Sylvia Warrington$25 In memory of my grandson, Steven Lindback

Anges Baraniuk$25

Elspeth Sangster$25

Ross Sigurdson$100Barbara Remington$35

Sheilah Land$100Jake and Dianne Dyck$100In memory of our son, Tyler Dyck

Ernest Holodryga $5

Beverley Scharikow$50

Therese Grenier$40

Elizabeth Crawford$100In memory of my husband, David Crawford

Roxanne Deslauriers Somorjai$365In memory of Gaétan Deslauriers

Elizabeth Yakmission$50

Anonymous$100In memory of Ardella Claydon

Eileen Mainland$10

Jim Menzies$100Janete Laing$100Debbie Gilbert$100Lloyd and Barb Dreger$100Linda Bloomfield$100Bill Richardson$100Claire Halpenny$25

Tannis Esquivel$25

100th celebration of Kelvin High School, Class of '72$445Lucille McTaggart$50

Leah Scramstad$50

Richard Brosi$30

Carol Campbell$100Brenda Cottrell$200Chuck Duboff$25

In honour of my grandchildren, Laine and Ben Mussell

Gordon and Elizabeth Gilbert$100Peter and Anita Pelech$500Nick Tanchuk$50 In honour of Pat Campbell -- Happy 87th Birthday

Deborah Funk$35 In memory of my son, Aaron

Bev Rosenstock and Family$20 In memory of Ben Nathanson

Dave and Pat Wotton$200In memory of John Miller

Carol Reynolds$100Eugene Siemens$50

Anonymous donations$3,286

Donations this week: $38,410

Campers placed: 662Campers waiting: 20

Donations to Date: $112,769.60Campership cost: $234,270.29

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 1, 2012 A13