To volunteer with the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation or to donate to the Give Burns the Boot Campaign, go to www.gfbf.org
Urban legend has it that “oo-u-la” is Cherokee for “cool running water”. Although it has yet to be proven, the namesake camp hosted by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation provides children with burn injuries the same feeling of relief along with memories of fun.
Between June 1 - 7, over 70 kids took part in activities such as archery and making pizza at the camp which was held at Camp Twin Lakes. Camp Oo-U-La is Georgia’s only summer camp for children with burn injuries.
The camp, describes Executive Director Dennis Gardin, is a place where kids can meet other kids like them. “Burn injuries are devastating, and when you are child, it’s emphasized even more,” he said. “The camp allows us to help the kids build connections and build on their physical and emotional recovery from the burn injury.”
Gardin, who was a burn victim at a young age, recognizes the power behind the camp. “ After the discharge, that’s when it became the most difficult,” he shared. “I really never saw any other kids like me, so you feel alone. The camp allows kids to meet other kids like them. And, it helps us teach them that the scars are just an experience. It’s not who they are.”
It also allows firefighters and adult burn victims to give back to the kids that they either rescued or were once themselves.
The camp is supported by the foundation’s biggest fundraiser that kicks off every May and goes until the end of the year. This year, the Give Burns the Boot Campaign celebrated its 25th year as firefighters took the streets to collect funds for the foundation.
Dennell Boyd, describes the fundraiser as a way to be able to be a part of the bigger mission of GFBF.
“We raise money for Camp Oo-U-La and its just a great way to have our (firefighters) give back to the kids that this camp helps” said Boyd, public information officer for Cobb County Fire Services and chair of the boot drive. The county’s fire departments collected over $60,000 in May through the boot drive.
The money raised helps not only fund the camp, but the foundation’s education and prevention, support and recovery programs.
Volunteers are at the helm of GFBF’s mission and outreach. The local community can get involved by fundraising, volunteering at the foundation’s office or using their passion to give back in whatever way they can.
The nonprofit started in 1983 after local firefighters raised money for a patient at Grady Hospital, and that sense of giving back continued to grow and officially became GFBF. Since then, the foundation has created programs and fundraisers to benefit firehouses and education programs around the state.
“It’s about people and providing services to support them in a stressful environment,” shared Gardin. “We recognize that people are strong and we want them to know that we are here to support them.”
In other news: Deloitte Consulting's IMPACT Day held on June 6 made waves of giving back around the Atlanta community. More than 1,000 volunteers worked on more than 50 projects at 34 nonprofit organizations such as PAWS Atlanta, The POSSE Foundation, Books for Africa and more. Volunteers were mulching, painting, packaging food and books to providing skills-based volunteerism by hosting resume reviews, mock interviews and other business process coaching.
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