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Last year’s theme was “Viajando por Latinoamerica: Traveling Through
Latin America”, which explored various countries in Latin America with
an emphasis on travel. We had 102 families from all over the United States
who came together to celebrate adoption, culture and Latin American heritage.
There were many old friends who re-connected, as well as a record 31 new families
who became a part of our LAHC camp! Opening ceremonies had some new twists
this year, as parents saw their children parading in behind brand new country
signs and carrying individual country flags with a group of kids who looked
just like them.
One of the highlights for adults this year was the panel discussion by adoptees that had travelled back to their birth countries. Also, for the fourth year in a row, we had an outstanding workshop facilitated by Astrid Dabbeni, a transracial adoption specialist and adoptee from Colombia who has become a necessary staple in our camp. This year’s topic was “Dealing with Racism and Prejudice”, which gave parents some tools for how to handle this unfortunate circumstance. In addition, parents participated in round-table discussions on a variety of topics relevant to adoptive parents, learned some basics of salsa dancing, cooked delicious ceviche and even made their own crafts! And as usual, we had traditional lunches of tamales, pasole, quesadillas and other great Latin American foods.
Mercedes Hammer remains our most popular dance instructor with both girls
and boys, but focused this year on older kids and adults, giving us the opportunity
to bring in a new dance instructor, Marla Gifferd, who taught the little ones
the Mexican hat dance, the snake and a few other Latin moves! This year we
were lucky to have a record number of enthusiastic counselors, many of whom
were adopted from Latin American countries themselves to share their culture.
Preschoolers and elementary aged kids spent their time with counselors and
peers in their own age group. For the first time, little ones got to cook!
Maria & Rosio Rodriguez showed them how to make their own corn tortillas.
This year, they got to play in our kid-sized “village houses”,
which were set up in the Kiva. Craft time had a travel theme this year, so
each child got to make items from several different countries, getting their “passports” stamped
at each station. Little ones got some much-needed siesta and story time in
the afternoons, while the older kids got to learn about the Mayan numbering
system with Steve Hartmann. Even Spanish had a travel theme, so our new instructor,
Michael McGrorty, showed kids what to pack in their suitcases and how to ask
for directions. We also continued our “HeART Talks”, which bring
art together with important adoption issues to help get them the tools they
need to become healthy, well-adjusted adults.
Middle school and high school campers again had the opportunity to decorate
baseball caps, which were sold in a silent auction to raise money for their “More
than Me” project. They donated the proceeds to help support the Tandana
foundation, which enhances the lives of families in Ecuador. They also attended
adoption-related discussion groups with young adult adoptees. The high schoolers
got a rare opportunity to take a rafting expedition all day on Friday, which
gave them a great bonding experience in the rain. Afterwards, they hung out
together at the Casino party. Middle schoolers had a fun time at “Improv
Night” and got to participate in dance, soccer or other team-building
activities.
The market was filled with the best array of items from all over Latin America that we’ve seen in a long time: dolls and stuffed animals, decorations, flags, household goods, CDs and books. We again had some soccer jerseys that were snapped up in the blink of an eye!
The fiesta this year was a blast! We had Cristina Abaroa here to perform, who contributes musically to Mexican Sesame Street (Plaza Sesamo) and has a great selection of adult contemporary music in Spanish. We watched the kids perform songs and dances and then danced the night away together with Mercedes!
Closing ceremony was bittersweet as usual. We all love watching the slide
show of all the fun things we did that weekend, which perfectly captures
the spirit and love we share at Latin American Heritage Camp. For returning
campers,
2010 plans are well under way – we are diligently booking new presenters
and outlining our incredible topics with our new theme: “Latin American
Adventures”! If you haven’t been to LAHC before, we highly encourage
you to come up the mountain and try out this camp. We know once you experience
this unique gathering, you will put it on your annual “to do” list
for years to come!
We look forward to seeing your family at camp!
Though we have generated very strong support from Colorado's Latin American community, we are always looking for more volunteers to work with the kids, teach workshops, cook meals, etc., and to be counselors at camp.
As a non-profit 501 C(3) organization, Colorado Heritage Camp is always seeking financial assistance to help keep camp costs reasonable for families, and still provide an outstanding program. If you'd like to help, please go to the Donations section of this web site, and thank you very much in advance.
We are also in need of donations of frequent flier miles to help defray costs of out of state speakers. If you have miles you can donate please email us at info@heritagecamps.org
For more pictures of Latin American Camp 2009 click here
We hope to see you at camp this summer. For further information, please contact us.
