Miss-Delectable
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TheStar.com - Fresh Air Fund - A special place to feel at home
The music is blaring, beats are pounding and Anthony's got his groove on.
The 11-year-old can't hear the tunes, but he sure can feel the vibe. It makes him a lean, mean dancin' machine. "Dancing is easy and it's fun," he said in sign language, interpreted by Hillary Rumball, 18, program director at the camp.
Aside from the fancy footwork, Anthony loves all the other activities at camp. "I grew up here," he signed, a big grin on his face. And it's where he's made a lot of friends. He definitely feels at home.
For Christina Girdharry, 22, a group home worker and the lad's one-on-one counsellor at Ontario Camp for the Deaf (OCD), Anthony is a hoot. "He's very dramatic and outgoing, very expressive," she signed. "He likes all the activities."
Vera Patterson, 21, makes dancing a breeze for the kids. She hoists a video screen so they can see the moves and instructions are closed-captioned. These kids put TVs "Dancing with the Stars" to shame.
"You can tell on their faces when they get it," she said. "They express it by jumping up and down or on me."
"For many people, camp is really life altering," said Rumball, whose father Derek has been in charge of the camp since her grandfather, the Rev. Bob Rumball, who founded the camp, handed over the reins.
She's proud to continue the family tradition and hopes one day she and her sister Meghan, 17, will step into their father's shoes.
"There are deaf schools but most kids are integrated into regular school programs," she said. "They may be the only one at school that is deaf. At camp, they're with other deaf children who are like them and can talk to everyone in their own language. The OCD is an escape from the hearing world."
The camp was established almost 50 years ago after former Argo and minister Bob Rumball, now 78, purchased the property to build a respite for deaf kids – the only residential camp of its kind in Ontario.
"His heart has always been with the children and reaching out to them through summer camp," said son Derek.
"And the Fresh Air Fund saves us," he said, adding about 65 per cent of campers are subsidized. He's never refused a child for lack of money.
For the younger Rumball, camp is a place of opportunities for the deaf. "It's an opportunity for a child that's deaf to have a summer experience and understand what's going on," he added. "Understanding is the priority. And no one else does it like we do."
The music is blaring, beats are pounding and Anthony's got his groove on.
The 11-year-old can't hear the tunes, but he sure can feel the vibe. It makes him a lean, mean dancin' machine. "Dancing is easy and it's fun," he said in sign language, interpreted by Hillary Rumball, 18, program director at the camp.
Aside from the fancy footwork, Anthony loves all the other activities at camp. "I grew up here," he signed, a big grin on his face. And it's where he's made a lot of friends. He definitely feels at home.
For Christina Girdharry, 22, a group home worker and the lad's one-on-one counsellor at Ontario Camp for the Deaf (OCD), Anthony is a hoot. "He's very dramatic and outgoing, very expressive," she signed. "He likes all the activities."
Vera Patterson, 21, makes dancing a breeze for the kids. She hoists a video screen so they can see the moves and instructions are closed-captioned. These kids put TVs "Dancing with the Stars" to shame.
"You can tell on their faces when they get it," she said. "They express it by jumping up and down or on me."
"For many people, camp is really life altering," said Rumball, whose father Derek has been in charge of the camp since her grandfather, the Rev. Bob Rumball, who founded the camp, handed over the reins.
She's proud to continue the family tradition and hopes one day she and her sister Meghan, 17, will step into their father's shoes.
"There are deaf schools but most kids are integrated into regular school programs," she said. "They may be the only one at school that is deaf. At camp, they're with other deaf children who are like them and can talk to everyone in their own language. The OCD is an escape from the hearing world."
The camp was established almost 50 years ago after former Argo and minister Bob Rumball, now 78, purchased the property to build a respite for deaf kids – the only residential camp of its kind in Ontario.
"His heart has always been with the children and reaching out to them through summer camp," said son Derek.
"And the Fresh Air Fund saves us," he said, adding about 65 per cent of campers are subsidized. He's never refused a child for lack of money.
For the younger Rumball, camp is a place of opportunities for the deaf. "It's an opportunity for a child that's deaf to have a summer experience and understand what's going on," he added. "Understanding is the priority. And no one else does it like we do."