I am proud to say that I know Elaine Taylor. Elaine is warm and kind, and has celiac disease like me. I met her through various gluten-free groups and events because she runs Camp Celiac, a camp for kids who must live gluten-free. You see, kids who must be on a special diet often can’t attend regular camps, or if they do, special preparations and accommodations must be made, and the child inevitably feels singled out or embarrassed or left out because they can’t eat what the other kids are eating. At Camp Celiac, kids don’t have to worry about the food, and get to spend time just being kids.
But Elaine and The Taylor Family Foundation do much, much more than run Camp Celiac. In fact, Camp Celiac is one of the newer additions in a 20 year history of offering camps to kids with special needs, including:
- Asthma
- Heart disease
- Autism
- Hemophilia
- Bi-Polar disorder
- HIV/AIDS
- Brain tumors
- Congenital Hand Deformities
- Skin disease
- Crohn’s, colitis & IBD
- Pediatric cancers
- Developmentally delayed
- Preschool burn survivors
- Deafness
- Surviving the loss of a parent
And here’s the incredible part: these camps are FREE to the families of the kids with special needs. The Taylor Family Foundation raises money to be able to allow families to send kids from northern California to this camp. In addition, they provide services throughout the year. Their annual Day in the Park fundraiser is coming up on August 26th, and they accept donations throughout the year.
I had to write this post after watching this video on ABC7 — you will have a better idea of how special these camps are after viewing it.
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