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LAKEPORT – For the seventh straight year, children entering second through fifth grade learned the basics of living a healthy life at Camp Watta Watta, Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s annual wellness day camp.
More than 100 campers and 25 middle and high school camp counselors enjoyed a week in the “wild” at Clear Lake State Park from July 14 through 17.
Coordinated in collaboration with Girl Scouts of Northern California, Camp Watta Watta is a unique blend of education, inspiration and fun activities with the goal of teaching children how to create their own good health for a lifetime.
“We don’t just talk about health, we live it at camp,” said camp program director Carrie McClure. “We eat healthy food, hike, do yoga, swim, kayak, drink lots of water, and enjoy the natural and wild surroundings in beautiful Lake County.”
Community and hospital employee volunteers came together to share their skills and talents with the campers in a variety of ways.
Aaron Jameson of FightSport and Fitness taught martial arts; Val Nixon from the Clear Lake State Park brought the Junior Ranger program; retired local educator, Bonnie Tringali, taught drawing skills; Julie Hoskins of Chic Le Chef taught healthy cooking; the Clear Lake Scullers and the Sea Scouts taught boating; along with numerous other Sutter Lakeside Hospital employees and Girl Scout volunteers who helped with first aid, lifeguarding, leading programs and registration.
“This camp is a great chance to get out in nature with kids and learn about living a healthy life. We adults are teachers as well as learners in this process. We all need to be reminded of the basics of how to stay healthy and active,” said camp program leader Joe Prisco, who takes time from managing the Physical Therapy Department at Sutter Lakeside Hospital to lead an outdoor challenge program at camp each year.
In addition to the adult staff at camp, 25 trained leadership students between the ages of 11 and 17 were on hand to run activities and model wellness for campers.
These 25 youth are part of a larger leadership and health program known as Leadership Adventure. This year-long leadership program takes older youth on outdoor adventures designed to teach leadership skills and train participants to be wellness role models in their community.
Camp Watta Watta is just one of the opportunities for leadership they have during the year.
“It is well known by many that Camp Watta Watta is an event, every year, that our entire family looks forward to,” says Nikki Jones-Borghesani, a parent with children in camp as well as children in the camp counselor leadership program.
“I am very grateful for, and would like to recognize, how participation in this program has provided many campers and counselors with a greater ability to reach out into our world and communities with confidence, positive energy, and enthusiasm, as well as the courage to exemplify their deep knowledge of health and wellness, and perhaps most importantly, the sheer joy of giving back!” Jones-Borghesani said.
This year, more than in the past, children from all corners of Lake County were able to attend Camp Watta Watta through bussing provided by Konocti Unified School District’s transportation department. Transportation along with numerous camp registration scholarships were funded in part by a Safeway Foundation grant.
As part of the wellness education, each day culminated in a guided relaxation in the cooled “Wellness Tent” where all 100 campers stretched out on yoga mats for a moment of rest. After a long day of activity in hot temperatures, these quiet moments were enjoyed by even the wiggliest of campers.
Would you like to be involved in Camp Watta Watta 2010? If so, please contact the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Healthy Kids are Contagious team at 707-262-5039.
If you are interested in supporting Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s commitment to provide ongoing programs like Camp Watta Watta, please call the Sutter Lakeside Hospital Foundation at 707-262-5189. When you invest in Sutter Lakeside Hospital, you invest in Lake County.
