Camp Starlight continues to shine, celebrates 15th anniversary in 2013

A thousand stars will shine again this August as Camp Starlight proudly announces our 15th year of providing a safe, secure, and fun summer camp experience for children in Oregon and Southwest Washington whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. We are excited to announce that Camp Starlight will once again take place the week before Labor Day – August 24 through August 30, 2013 – and with many of the same caring, dedicated and passionate team of volunteers that our campers and their families have come to know and trust.

“The week of Camp Starlight has always been a magical experience for everyone involved,” said Angie Raffaele, Camp Director and co-founder of Camp Starlight. “And the source of that magic has always been rooted in the long-term friendships and trusting relationships that have developed over the years between our campers and our community of volunteer camp counselors. Camp Starlight is in many ways like a family reunion that happens each and every summer.”

After 15 years of growth and successful operation of our summer camp, Camp Starlight recently incorporated as an Oregon nonprofit corporation and is in the process of applying for its own 501(c)(3) status.  We have also ended our 7-year relationship with Cascade AIDS Project (CAP), with whom Camp Starlight has partnered since 2005.  These changes will permit supporters of Camp Starlight to make donations directly to Camp Starlight and to ensure that any contributions made to Camp Starlight will be used exclusively for Camp Starlight and the children we serve.

Camp Starlight’s core group of knowledgeable, compassionate, and devoted volunteers – which includes medical, educational and mental health professionals – will continue Camp Starlight’s mission to provide children whose lives have been affected by HIV/AIDS the opportunity to enjoy a caring, safe, recreational, spiritual and fun week-long summer camp experience. Our leadership team will continue to include:

• Angie Raffaele, Camp Director – A co-founder of Camp Starlight, Angie has served as Camp Starlight’s Camp Director since 1999.  She is certified by the American Camping Association, is a former camp director at Camp Howard, and also currently serves as camp director for Girl Scouts of Oregon & SW Washington.
• Dr. Rebecca G. Block, Mental Health Director – An assistant professor at OHSU Knight Cancer Institute working in adolescent and young adult oncology, Rebecca has been part of the leadership at Camp Starlight since 2000.  She supervises the team of mental health professionals who are on-site throughout the week of Camp to assure that the health and safety of our campers remains our #1 priority.  Dr. Block is a licensed clinical social worker holding both her Masters and Ph.D. degrees in social work.
• Melanie Smith-Wilusz, Programming Director – Melanie (or “Mel” as our campers call her) is also a co-founder of Camp Starlight and has served Camp since its earliest days.  A former Programming Director for Camp Howard, Mel has a Masters degree in special education with expert knowledge and training in behavior management.  She has years of experience working with children of all ages, and has been a special education teacher at Sweetbrier Elementary School in Troutdale, Oregon, since 2003.
• Kit Noble, Operations Director – Another founder of Camp Starlight, Kit has over 20 years of experience overseeing the daily operating functions of summer camps on both coasts of the country. Since 1999, Kit has made sure that every meal at Camp Starlight is served on-time and that Camp runs like clockwork. She also maintains “Kit’s Kaboodle,” our on-site “store” where our campers can go “shopping” for free clothes, books, games and other items that have been donated to Camp.

Camp Starlight also maintains relationships with many of our long-serving volunteer camp counselors – individuals who have committed themselves for many years to being a part of the Camp Starlight experience and who are familiar faces to many of the children we serve. We are also happy to invite new volunteers to be part of our community. Anyone who is interested in volunteering at Camp Starlight again or who wants to volunteer for the first time, please contact Camp Starlight at 503-964-1513 or info@camp-starlight.org.  More information is available at our website: www.camp-starlight.org.

Camper applications for attending Camp Starlight this year will be available shortly and will be distributed at that time to the families of our previous campers, as well as to HIV/AIDS-related agencies and case workers throughout the region.  Just look for the familiar blue-and-yellow Camp Starlight logo!

We look forward to another terrific week of summer camp this year, as Camp Starlight shines on during its 15th year of swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, singing, playing and making friendships that last throughout the years.  For more information about Camp Starlight, or to help support our mission, please contact us at 503-964-1513 or info@camp-starlight.org.