Girl follows mom's footsteps to camp

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Sage Fontaine is excited to be going to Camp Arnes, where her mother, Leona, was also a camper as a child. (JOE BRYKSA / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Sage Fontaine has her bags packed for camp, but she's got a while to wait. The eight-year-old doesn't leave for Camp Arnes until July.

"Last year, I wanted to go Camp Arnes, but I didn't get to. I didn't get the chance to go there. I just had a regular summer," explained Sage, in Grade 3 at Mulvey School.

But this year, Sage and her mother, Leona, contacted the Free Press Sunshine Fund, a donation-funded organization that sends kids to camp.

"I feel very excited for her. I could probably eventually afford to send her, but I'd have to save and save and save, cause I have other kids," said Leona Fontaine, a single parent who works and goes to university.

"I filled out the application. I chose the camp. I put down my contribution, which was $50. That's what I decided I was going to pay, and it happened a few weeks later."

Camp Arnes is an inter-denominational Christian camp on Lake Winnipeg. It offers campers everything from rock climbing to mountain biking to archery.

"There's all kinds of games that they play and there's an indoor pool just in case it rains. I'm just excited," Sage said.

Leona is no stranger to Camp Arnes. She spent time there as a child and recalls the wigwam and paintball games as her favourite activities. When she saw the Sunshine Fund advertising at Portage Place Shopping Centre, she signed her daughter up right away.

"They were so friendly. They're very helpful. It was just amazing," she said.

Sage said she's most excited about swimming, horseback riding and spending time with her cousin, who will also be there.

"My cousin told me everything about it, and that day, I was like, 'I'm packing today,' " Sage said.

Sage became interested in camp two years ago. The music lover went on a camping trip with a community youth program after the death of her uncle.

"It was really difficult," Leona said.

Sage had some problems with bullying.

"One of my big concerns is her getting pushed around because she's smaller. It's just me. I'm a single parent, right? I want to make sure she's safe. This is a huge thing for me to let her go away," Leona said.

But Sage said she's not worried about the nights away from home. She's excited about making new friends and spending time outside. If all goes well, Sage wants to become a camp counsellor "like my cousin's going to be."

If you would like to help the Free Press Sunshine Fund send a child to camp this summer, you can mail cheques to the Winnipeg Free Press Sunshine Fund, c/o 302-960 Portage Ave., Winnipeg, Man., R3G 0R4. You can also donate in person with cash, Visa or MasterCard or use your credit card online at www.mbcamping.ca by following the CanadaHelps donations link. Charitable tax receipts will be issued. For more information, call 784-1130 or email sunshinefund@mbcamping.ca.

katherine.dow@freepress.mb.ca

Donations (as of June 8):

Carol Rebizant  $25.00

Lynne Claydon $100.00 In memory of James

Linda Moore $250.00 In memory of my father, Wilfred T. Moore

Donalda Gibb $800.00

Ms. Patricia Ann Murphy $350.00

Enid O. Durward $100.00 In memory of Jim Durward

Mary E. Kolaski $200.00

Helen Atnikov $75.00

Betty Henry $50.00

Norma Thorkelsson $25.00

Norma Scholl $100.00

Margaret McColm $100.00

Michael Stones $20.00

Henry and Margaret Haresign $50.00 In memory of A. Moffat

Isobel Hesse $100.00

Janet Kollesavich $50.00

Dianne Stephenson $25.00 In memory of Donald Stephenson

Patricia E. Deally $100.00

Ettie and Earl Robinson $1,000.00

Ronald Sam Fabro $100.00

Margaret Morse $100.00

Geraldine Baker $25.00 In memory of my daughter, Pam Buchkalter

Mr. Clifford Lougheed $50.00

Virginia Johnson $100.00

Frank Plett $600.00

Sheila Hughes $200.00

Jean Morris $200.00

Doreen Anderson $25.00

Kathleen Lovelace $50.00

Mr. David E. B. Harder $1,000.00

Pat Savoie $25.00 In memory of Gil Savoie

Don and Barb Brownell $100.00

Richard Milne $100.00

Norman S. Feniuk $100.00

Gayle Hominick $300.00

Specialty Process Systems $500.00

A. Massadnik $54.00

Vivian Bruce $60.00

Faith M. Johnston $100.00

June Ironside $50.00

Gisele Berard $150.00

Leah Altman $36.00 In memory of Morris and Marla Altman

Ms. Della Schmidt $200.00

Nancy J. Reeve $200.00 In memory of my parents, Marc and Mary Bockstael

ANAF Ladies Auxiliary Unit No. 283 $1,000.00

ANAF #283 Over 55 & Retired Club $1,000.00

St. Andrew's Anglican Church ACW $100.00

Colorado Estates Tenants Assoc. $100.00

Sisters of the Holy Rock $500.00

E. J. Sprott $50.00

Peter Siemens $365.00

Mr. Gordon and Mrs. June Saunders $200.00

Bert and Val Galay $50.00

Cathy Trachtenberg $54.00 In memory of my son David

Robert Rogers $250.00

Irene Robinson $100.00 In memory of Roy Robinson

Aron Klassen $150.00

Imperial Enchanted Kingdom $100.00

Harack Family $75.00

Gitte Fricke $20.00

Charles and Naida Rubin $100.00

A. M. Rorrie $100.00

Allie and Al Turnock $100.00 In memory of John

Lorraine Prescott $25.00

Lynn Ritchot $150.00

Gabriel, Joanne Gaudreault $80.00

Gerry and Irene Varnes $100.00 In memory of our son Gerry Varnes Jr.

Mr. Derwood Mann $50.00

E. Hutton $25.00

Paula K. Thompson $25.00 In memory of Walter

Virginia and Don Kubish $100.00

Mrs. Selma Shearer $200.00

Shirley Waldner $50.00

Jim Menzies $100.00

Management and staff of the Winnipeg Free Press $50.00 In memory of John Matlashewski

Anonymous donations $950.00

Donations this week $14,264.00

Campers placed 471

Campers waiting 74

Donations to date $35,379.25

Campership cost $171,622.82

How to help

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

You can also donate in person using cash, Visa or MasterCard, or by using your credit card online at www.mbcamping.ca and following the CanadaHelps donations link.

Charitable tax receipts will be issued for donations.

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

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition June 9, 2012 A13