Miami Herald (MH) - Friday, May 8, 1998
Lauren Roth; Herald Writer

But the North Broward Hospital District's Children's Diagnostic and Treatment Center, which tends to the needs of the kids and their families, won't be able to pay the camp fees without help from the community, said Stormy Schevis, the center's community relations and public policy manager.

The ninth annual LAWderdale Barrister Bolt 5K, sponsored by SunTrust and the Broward County Bar Association, is the only fund-raiser each year to provide money to send the kids to camp, either outside Orlando or in Minnesota, Schevis said.

Both camps cost $1,500 per child for a one-week session, and the center has been asked to cover $500 of each child's costs, she said.

With more than 530 runners signed up by Thursday, two days before the race, the center might not be able to provide contributions for as many as 65 kids. Last year, 840 people ran, and organizers were hoping for 1,000 this year, said Bryan Duke, chairman of the Barrister Bolt committee.

A new run this year, the well-attended Fort Lauderdale Office Depot Corporate Run on April 30, may have siphoned runners away from the Barrister Bolt, Schevis said.

For the kids, camp can be the opportunity of a lifetime. Most of the children have been HIV-positive since birth, and many have already lost a parent to AIDS. For some, the trip to camp might be their first time leaving their communities, or their first time on an airplane, Schevis said.

Half of the children will be sent to Camp Heartland in Willow River, Minn. The camp, which serves only HIV-positive children and their families, has offered sessions for kids nationwide for several years.

The infected children's siblings may also attend camp, and some older campers from Broward will participate this year as Counselors in Training. Heartland's materials call the camp a place where "kids can take a week off from AIDS."

A few children's center workers will accompany the kids to camp.

The rest of the children will spend a week near Orlando at Boggy Creek, a division of Paul Newman's Hole in the Wall Camp. The nonprofit medical camp is for children 7 to 17 years old with chronic or life-threatening illnesses.

At Boggy Creek, each week during the summer is dedicated to a different illness, from cancer to asthma. The HIV-positive children who attend this camp might not even know they are infected.

Some parents choose not to tell their children they are HIV-positive for fear that their friends will find out and stop playing with them, Schevis said. "We haven't come very far in the real world," she said. Many people still fear AIDS patients. HIV can be transmitted only through blood and body fluids, she said.

In the past, some children have not been able to attend camp because they don't have the appropriate camp gear. After the race, the business and the public will be called on to "adopt" a camper.

Individuals can either shop for campers' items themselves, which include a bathing suit, towels and bug repellent, or make a donation for a social worker to do the shopping. People who are interested in sponsoring a child may call Schevis at (954) 728-1040 for an application form.

CAPTION: map: BARRISTER BOLT (See microfilm for map)
980508
MH980502

Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1998. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright ©1980, 1998. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .