Great Lakes Burn Camp doubles as a week of fun and therapy for kids

By Madison Bennett | MLive

TEXAS TOWNSHIP, MI - Kids from near and far are wrapping up a week full of swimming, rock wall climbing and even archery at the Great Lakes Burn Camp held at Pretty Lake Camp.

Great Lakes Burn Camp is a camp for kids that are burn victims. They come together twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer for about a week. The 2016 summer session is Aug. 7-12. 

Throughout the week kids are able to participate in activities like water skiing, tubing, archery, carnivals and more. The 16 and 17-year-old campers had their own camp within the camp and have been able to do activities like sailing a ship and dune rides. The teenagers were even invited to come out a day earlier than the rest of the kids, on Aug. 6. 

Great Lakes Burn Camp started after a friend and burn victim of Camp Director Mike Longenecker visited a burn camp in Minnesota. He was so inspired, he gave Longenecker a call and the rest is history.

Now, the camp is in its 22nd summer and has over 80 staff members. Longenecker is a retired firefighter for the City of Jackson and says that although the camp only runs twice a year, he works 365 days a year on camp.

Longenecker said the camp itself does not do any fundraising, but many outside organizations offer to raise money for it. They also receive private donations. It's free for every kid to attend. 

"We're very, very fortunate," said Longenecker of support received from people all over.

Many of the volunteers were past camp attendees. Volunteers and kids who attend the camp come from as far as Texas, Missouri and North Carolina. Many return each year for the summer and winter sessions.

"We're a big family," said Longenecker.

Longenecker said that camp is like therapy for the kids and it allows them to come out and bond with kids who are just like them.

Ericka Torres has been attending Great Lakes Burn Camp for 16 years and became a counselor once she was old enough. The now 23-year-old has only missed one camp since she was six years old.

"It gave me confidence" she said. "Made me proud to be who I am today."

Lane Duckworth, a past attendee working as a counselor, said the camp taught her and teaches kids now that you can still have a normal life after a tragic event.

The camp does everything possible to make the kids comfortable. They even have an on-site nurse, social worker and a therapy dog named Lady. Lady is also a burn victim who was set on fire in Detroit and eventually adopted by Gretchen Kohnsmann. 

For Longenecker, who on Thursday was sporting fingernails painted by a group of young girl campers, it's all about the kids.

"You see that smile? That smile is what it's about," he said. 

This post originally appeared Aug. 11, 2016 on MLive.com.