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The Painted Turtle camp
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The Painted Turtle's mission is to provide a year-round, life-changing environment and authentic camp experience for children with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. The Painted Turtle supports children's medical needs, inspires them to reach beyond their illnesses, and provides care, education, and respite for their families. The Painted Turtle has no billing department. All campers and families attend free of charge. The Painted Turtle camps is associated with Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall camps.
Delta Zeta adopted The Painted Turtle as its newest national philanthropy at the 2006 National Convention.
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Read about how our sponsorship is providing leadership opportunities for 17- and 18-year olds!
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There are many ways you can help The Painted Turtle camp make a difference for so many special children. Here is how you can help.
We are delighted at the synergy between the missions of our organizations and we look forward to working with all of you to ensure an authentic, life-changing camp experience for our campers. We hope to see you all at camp soon!
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Jade Palazzola (left) at a Crohn's and Colitis Summer Session.
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Painted Turtle Volunteers
Jade Palazzola
Jade, a member of the Epsilon Delta Chapter had an extended stay at The Painted Turtle; she worked as a summer employee from June until August. She was the Entertainment Coordinator and was in charge of planning and carrying out the evening activities for the camp. Each day, Jade would plan evening activities, like a campfire or carnival party, while spending as much time as she could with the campers.
Jade admitted that while one of the most challenging aspects of camp was hearing about pain and suffering that the campers had to endure on a daily basis, the way the children related to each other was uplifting. "Everyone understood everyone else's pains and pills, and it was in this sense that the campers' illnesses made them normal here," she said.
She credits Delta Zeta for allowing the children to have a week to feel like normal kids. "Delta Zeta is part of what makes it possible for these campers to come to camp at no expense to their families," she said. "The camp provides these children with the opportunity of a lifetime!"
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| Jenna Acari and a camper race to the finish line |
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Jenna Arcari
Jenna, a member of the Xi Eta Chapter at Northwood University, overcame her fear of flying just to spend a week with the kids at The Painted Turtle. “I knew in my heart that I wanted to be there, so I got on the plane by myself to do this,” she said.
Jenna volunteered during the Liver Transplant session from July 5 - 11, 2007. Her main job was to make sure her campers, little boys ages 7-10, had the best week of their lives. She kept the boys busy with a wide variety of activities such as swimming, dancing, horseback riding, basketball, fishing, canoeing, and arts and crafts. She recalls that one of her most rewarding moments at camp was helping one of her campers conquer his fear of swimming.
“He confided in me that he had a fear of swimming. The day we went to the pool he was hesitant to even go near the water. I decided to sit with him until he was comfortable, and by the end of the swimming session, he was in the water. It was such an inspiring moment!”
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| Natasha Alikhani and campers cooling off |
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Natasha Alikhani
Like some of the children in her cabin, volunteer Natasha, from the Epsilon Upsilon Chapter, was a first time camper. "I had never been to any kind of camp before, so I was not sure what to expect," Natasha said. "What I found was the most life-changing experience I will ever encounter."
Natasha worked with six campers who had received liver transplants, and said one of the most fulfilling experiences was watching the children grow and become confident enough to do all the activities. "Whether it was fishing, boating, horseback riding, or swimming, every camper had the chance, no matter what their disability," she said.
Natasha said that one of the campers', as well as the volunteers' favorite activities was the "silly Olympics," where everyone had pudding fights, water balloon wars, and painted all over each other. "I have never had so much fun getting dirty!" she said.
After her experience at the Painted Turtle, Natasha said she came to realize how important it is to love and help one another. Bonding with fellow Delta Zetas in addition to brightening the lives of her young campers changed her heart and soul she said. "Delta Zeta has blessed my life in so many ways, but especially with the help of our national philanthropy, the Painted Turtle."
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| Kelly Love and Jade Palazzola clowning around |
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Kelly Love
Volunteer Kelly, Xi Eta '02, loved her experience at The Painted Turtle so much that she immediately signed up for an additional week after completing her first stay. "While I was there I didn't want to leave. I learned so much about people and about myself in just a matter of days," she said.
Kelly, who also has experience volunteering for the Make A Wish Foundation, commented that the only real requirements are a love for kids and lots of energy, as the typical day is non-stop from about 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. One of her favorite activities was the nightly "cabin chats," a time where campers shared their thoughts and feelings before bed.
One of her most emotional experiences was witnessing the "Big Stick" awards, an award given to hemophiliac campers who were able to complete the complicated process of injecting medication into their own veins for the first time at camp. She said that the campers' ability to medicate themselves was such an accomplishment because it gave them the independence and mobility that they had never been able to experience. "Seeing the way the other campers were screaming for them, clapping for them, and hugging them…it was the most moving thing I have ever seen, I was sobbing the whole time,"
she said.
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| DZ counselors at the Painted Turtle camp |
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Katie Curley
When Katie has to get up early for class or study for a test, she thinks of the daily challenges that the kids at The Painted Turtle have to face with their illnesses. "It really makes you stop and think, wow I really don't have anything to be complaining about," she said.
Like Kelly, Katie chose to stay at the camp for two sessions; the Hemophilia session and the Kidney Disease/Transplant session. Although Kelly said she can't pick just one rewarding experience from her stay, one of the most worthwhile occurrences for her was when a camper would overcome a fear of an activity or circumstance. "Whether it was completing the ropes course, riding a horse for the first time, or getting up in front of the whole camp to do a skit during stage night, it is such a great feeling to see a smile on the kid's face and how proud they are of themselves," says Katie.
On the other hand, one of the kids' favorite experiences was the silly Olympics where they got to cover the counselors in everything from paint and flour, to whipped cream and spaghetti! Katie said she really admires the campers' ability to live their life with a smile despite their disease. "I really respect them not only for the way they handle all they go through with their illness, but also how they live their lives to the fullest despite their illness," Katie said. "I think it is all the more inspiring to see them do what they do because of the fact that they are just kids." She
continues, "It can be a lot to deal with and they just take it all in stride without a complaint."
Katie says she knows that Delta Zeta has made a difference in the kids' lives through both enthusiastic volunteers and donations; however she said the experience actually made the most dramatic difference in her own life. She said, "This experience ended up being about these special kids making a difference in my life. I feel I am the lucky one to have had this opportunity."
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