Children's Burn Camp of North Florida, Inc. (Camp Amigo)

Look at our guy, Nate!

Busy day today!! Firefighter fun, tye dye, and new friends!

20 years ago and some of the “kids” are still with Camp Amigo! ❣️

Our June Survivor of the month, Robbie Augustine! If you know someone who is a burn survivor and think they could benefit from camp, please give us a call!

Hi! My name is Robbie Augustine and Ive had the pleasure of attending this camp for what seems like a lifetime, I started going in 2009! The love that this place has shown me has made me into the person I am today, Someone who wants to show others the kindness that was shown to me. The people that I’ve met here have grown to be some of the closets dearest friends I’ve ever had!

When I was 12, I was out hanging with some older kids playing with gasoline and fire… and from experience I can tell you those do not mix well. From what I do remember the gasoline had landed on me, the people around me quickly got me to the ground and put me out. I was driven to the hospital and life flighted to the Gainesville burn unit where I spent a little over a month recovering and healing. I made it out with 2nd and 3rd degree burns on my torso. The hardest part of all of this was it happening as I was getting held back in school and going into middle school, showing up to a new school wearing a bunch of pressure garments and not knowing anyone.

From the moment I stepped into this camp I was accepted with open arms , whether that be the counselors other campers or the volunteers. Being surrounded by all these other kids and adults that had been through the things I was going through or the ones that were my age was an absolute game changer. I was able to become comfortable with my scars and how people looked at me and be proud of what I’ve been through. I don’t think i’d be who I am today without the experiences I’ve had just being a kid with all the other kids.

I consider all of the people that I’ve met at camp to be family, it goes a-lot further than just that one week together during the summer. It’s a community of people that I could call any day of the week to lean on. They are people that have gotten me through some of the hardest times and I am forever great full. This camp has instilled in me a passion to give back to the kids that are in the same spot I was and be the encouragement that I know they need. I hope to stay apart of this organization for as long as I’m able to and give to future kids what was given to me.

Meet our May Survivor of the Month! Please share so that more people can learn about Camp Amigo! Camp will be July 8-12 in Ocala FL at Florida State Fire college. www.campamigo.com

Hi! My name is Anastasia Farris. I've been going to Camp Amigo since 2013, but I've been a burn survivor my entire life, and getting to experience being both a camper as well as a buddy to young burn survivors has been such an important part of my life.

On November 3rd, 1999, I was burned by pulling a pot of boiling water on myself. I suffered from 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree burns on over 40% of my body. I was oirignally taken to a hospital that did not have a burn unit and my injuries were neglected, my parents ended up taking me to the burn unit at Tampa General Hospital while I recovered for several weeks. I do not remember being burned, but I do remember growing up with my scars and how it shaped me into the person I am today.

When I first started going to burn camps, I was very shy and found it difficult to talk to people, I was stuck in a shell and afraid to show my skin or make friends. I had many insecurities, but the other campers and the counselors at Camp Amigo played the biggest part in helping me come out of my shell, learn to love myself, and since then I've made what I call my second family. One of my favorite and first memories from camp was how much effort everyone put into getting to know me. Mama Tess learned about one of my favorite shows at the time, Doctor Who, and even gave me a shirt because she'd learned how much I loved it. It meant so much to me, and I carry that memory with me to this day. I met my best friend in the world through burn camps, and now I'm even the god parent of her two beautiful babies! Being involved in the burn community and giving back to campers is one of the most important things in the world to me, and I am so grateful for my experiences with Camp Amigo and the way it changed my life for the better. I look forward to seeing my camp family every year and it means the world to me to have a space where I know I'm always welcome and accepted, no matter what.

CAMPER! CAMPER! CAMPER!
Camper applications are now available. If you know a someone who is burned have them get in contact with me. www.campamigo.com Camp will be July 8-12 at the Florida State Fire College in Ocala!!

Camp Amigo!!! CAMP AMIGO, the burn survivor camp for kids from north and central Florida.

What an amazing day for a golf tournament! There were 25 teams at Capital City Country Club in Tallahassee! Thanks to all who participated or those who just came out to visit. Special heart felt thanks to Chandler Evans who put it all together!

Hi! My name is Camino Aki-Wright and I’ve been part of the camp amigo family for 19 years. I live in Saint Augustine, Florida where I am a fulltime nursing student. My goal is to work in the burn unit, and help people who have gone through this specific experience. The compassion and kindness shown to me by my burn camp family inspired me to give back in my career, and I will do so when I complete my certification this October.

In January of the year 2000 when I was almost two years old, I was dunked into scalding water by someone my parents considered family. I don’t have any memory of the event. I just have scars from the waist down, and extreme physical hardships to tell my story. I was treated in the burn unit at Shands by Joyce Welch. She told my parents about camp amigo, and the community and help I’d be exposed to if I went. I had to be completely rehabilitated. My first steps were with bandages and treats from my dad to coax me to move through the pain. Until the age of seven, when I could finally become a camper at Camp amigo, I struggled with debilitating health issues as a result. I also had insecurities regarding my body image.

My first memory getting off the bus at camp amigo was being greeted by the warmest hug from Mama Tess, whom myself and other campers view as a surrogate mother. Through the kindness and acceptance of the campers and counselors, I was able to build the foundation of the confidence in myself and who I am as a person. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without the care I was shown at camp during the formative years of my life.

Today I have confidence in myself and my abilities. I learned determination and persistence at camp amigo. I’ve made countless friendships that will last me a lifetime. I have a true family that has seen me through the worst and led me to my best. I am so grateful to my experience there and how it improved my quality of life. The generosity and character of my fellow camp family members still affects how I treat others. I want to give back to my community the way that I hope Camp amigo continues to give to and inspire future campers for years to come.

Children's Burn Camp of North Florida, Inc. (Camp Amigo) A week long summer camp for children who are burn survivors from around the state of Florida and sout

Hi, my name is Shilah Carroll. I am a native of Gainesville, FL. My career is in education. I am an elementary school teacher. I also have experience working with middle and high school students, having worked at a local male after-school facility as a middle and high school teacher, mentor, and tutor. One of my passions in life is being a positive role model for children and making a lasting impact on their lives and working in education has allowed me the opportunity to do so!

In the summer of 2005, I had a burn incident at home while cooking. My younger brother was five years old at the time. Saturday afternoon during Spring Break, I was cooking lunch. I had experience cooking alone in the kitchen, so this was nothing new to me. I had a boiling pot of spinach on the front burner. My brother, being curious and active, took a step stool to get a better look at the pot and began stirring it with a spoon. Afraid that he would get hurt, I ran over to him, picked him up, and moved him away from the stove. However, he decided to wiggle out of my grip, and the spoon in his hand unknowingly had spinach in it. As he wiggled, the spinach in the spoon slung out and landed directly on the center of my chest, which was exposed by my low-cut tank top. Immediately, panic and pain surged, and I went screaming for my mom, who was outside doing some yard work. The look of horror and shock on her face I will never forget. She gave me some pain reliever and rubbed the burn down in aloe, but the blistering and pain worsened, so she took me to the emergency room to be seen that evening. After getting admitted and finding out I would be in the hospital for about a week, I was terrified but was greeted with so much care by the nurses in the Burn Unit at Shands. Ms. Joyce Welch, one of my nurses, was responsible for me finding out about Camp! She told me that a summer camp for burn survivors was available and other kids like me would be having fun and enjoying camp in the summer. I was interested instantly and couldn't wait to tell my family about Camp Amigo! It helped that I had a strong and receptive support system. My teachers, nurses, family, and classmates showed me endless concern, along with well wishes and prayers. That truly helped my recovery period, mentally and physically. At the end of the week, I was discharged and had to begin navigating this new appearance on my body. I was self-conscious about wearing anything revealing that would show my chest area and felt uncomfortable with the new appearance, but time and physical healing have a way of closing old wounds and scars. Though my burn was a second degree and my scar has minimized in size and healed a lot since I was thirteen, I often forget that I have a physical scar that represents that event in my life. I feel the impact Camp Amigo had on me at that young age after that traumatizing experience truly helped to mold and direct me to the person I am today. I wouldn't have the confidence or assurance in myself if it hadn't been for Camp Amigo or the relationships I have built along the way.

Fast forward nineteen years later, Camp Amigo still has such a rich and lasting impact on my life! I serve on the Board of Directors for Camp Amigo, and I am the youngest member currently serving! We are working on having the young adults who started as campers, like myself, take the helm as leaders now and run camp in the future.

Camp Amigo has indeed been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I have told many family members, coworkers, friends, and even my students about the opportunity to be a burn community member or even just volunteer in an unfamiliar space to learn more about the community and hear other stories. It is an eye-opening opportunity to hear about others' lives and experiences and bond over overcoming such a traumatic event. Camp Amigo has brought me so much joy since being a young teenager entering camp as a camper and then transitioning into young adulthood as a counselor and now as a board member. I have been blessed to have my camp family all these years, and I couldn't imagine life without them.

Not only has Camp Amigo brought me experiences and relationships to last a lifetime, but it has also brought me my second parents, Momma and Poppa (also known as Rusty and Tess), who have been so wonderful and a blessing in all of our lives. They've seen all of us grow up as their children, and now many of us are starting our own families and having our own children, and they both still want to be involved all these years later! Camp Amigo will always be a part of me and I will always be a part of Camp Amigo! I can't wait to see what we continue to gain and accomplish as a camp family. One day, I hope to bring my own future family to camp with me so they can also experience the amazing and beautiful experience of being a member of Amigo. Camp is a huge part of my life and identity as a burn survivor, and I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazing and unique family!

If you are a burn survivor and would like to be a part of the Camp Amigo family, please send us a private message and we can get you signed up!

Children's Burn Camp of North Florida, Inc. (Camp Amigo) A week long summer camp for children who are burn survivors from around the state of Florida and sout

The Presidents!!

Day 2! Come and see us!

Sitting back at our booth! Come see us!!

Almost ready for the Florida Fire Conference in Orlando! Hope to see you there!

Check out our new postcards to give away!

Getting ready for 2024 Fire Conference in Orlando. Stop by and see us!

Merry Christmas to you and yours! 🎄

Burn Camp Life!!!

Special thanks to all who came out to the Camp Amigo Golf Tournament on April 19th! After all invoices were settled, we raised 12,500.00! Thanks again to Chandler Evans and all those who sponsored for your amazing support!!

Camp Amigo golf tournament was a success! Thank you to Chandler Evans for all his hard work putting it together! Also, a big thanks to all those who sponsored and the golfers who came out to support us!

Hey y’all!! Time to be thinking about Camp!!! We are still looking at home base but we have a back up just in case!! What theme should we work on??