Make wishtv.com your home page

Colts star kicks off camp for child burn survivors

SAINT PAUL, Ind. (WISH) – The People’s Burn Foundation partnered with Jeff and Karen Saturday to celebrate the opening of ‘Camp Saturday’ on Sunday.

The camp is for burn survivors, and was established in 1997 as ‘Camp Brave Heart’. The camp was renamed in 2013 in honor of Jeff and Karen Saturday for their support.

Jeff Saturday is a former Colts player. He and his wife have been a major part of the camp since 2004.

“The mental and physical scars last a long time, but this gives kids a place to be normal, act normal and feel normal,” said Saturday. “We have 24 camp counselors that are firefighters. We have them from as far as California that come ever year.”

Counselors at the camp are comprised of firefighters, paramedics and a registered nurse from the Eskenazi Burn Center, that volunteer their time for the week.

The camp was free to child burn survivors and their families, but was not open to the general public. Saturday estimated that it costs $1,000 per camper to run the facility.

“We pay for it with the People’s Burn Foundation and Camp Saturday. We do a charity bowling event on October 26,” said Saturday.

Saturday shared that his connection to the camp was personal.

“Cindy Allison, our good friend, had a son that was severely burned in a fire. We saw the impact it had on her and her family,” said Saturday. “My son Joshua was learning to walk and put his hands on a glass fire place and burned his hands. You see the process and what it takes to heal, but the emotional scars, having someone who has gone through it and being able to talk through it and how they have survived with it is indescribable.”

To donate to ‘Camp Saturday’ click here.