No screens, just memory making at Red Rock Lake

Donna Heppner would love nothing more than to take her children on a fun summer vacation.

But Disneyland, West Edmonton Mall, or even a few nights in cottage country simply aren’t in the budget right now for the single mother of five. She juggles her home-based skincare business with part-time nanny work just to keep her family on solid ground.

Times are tough — and basic needs take priority.

Enter the Sunshine Fund, which is giving Heppner a helping hand in the memory-making department by sending her three daughters to Calvary Temple Camp, nestled on the shores of Red Rock Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park, later this month.

The trio — aged 12, 14 and 16 — will have the chance to swim, rock climb, mountain bike, craft and dance all while escaping the lengthy “to-do” list waiting back home.

“Like weeding the garden,” jokes Heppner.

“It’s going to be great for them to go to a safe place together where there’s lots of fun activities and learning. And it’s nice for them to have things to do while I have to work. I can get some things done that I need to get done so that when we re-connect, I have even more time and energy for them.”

The Sunshine Fund helps hundreds of children in low-income situations attend summer camp each year, thanks to the generous support of Free Press readers.

Heppner’s 18-year-old son is actually working at the camp this year, while her 1o-year-old son would have attended, too, if not for a family commitment on his father’s side. As a show of appreciation, Heppner will also volunteer in the kitchen during her daughters’ camp week — with her youngest by her side for part of the time.

“If you can give back, you should, right? That’s how things have to work,” she said.

All five of her children attended day camps last summer and were eager for more — especially the chance to go overnight. Heppner said she was grateful to find a way to ensure their time away from school this summer won’t be spent entirely in front of screens.

“This puts some really exciting things on their schedule and supplements maybe some of the big vacations that some of their friends are going on,” she said.

“And given that we live in the city, it’s really nice because my kids enjoy being out in the country. This satisfies some of that for them, too. And it’s a really good alternative to the screen, which can be a huge problem.”

Heppner never had the chance to go to camp as a child. She’s eager to hear about the fun her daughters will have.

“I think they’re probably excited that I’m not going to be there to watch them to decide how much candy they can have,” she said with a laugh. “Just very thankful because this isn’t something they’d otherwise be able to do.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca