Deaf teen overwhelmed with offers of help

[Miss-Delectable]

http://www.connpost.com/news/ci_3993057

A day after she was close to giving up hope of attending a prestigious summer camp for the deaf, 16-year-old Violet Blake has a new problem on her hands. She has too many offers for help.

A Connecticut Post article about her plight generated an overwhelming response from individuals and businesses from Milford to Westport. Her mother, Viola Ann Fiorino, who also is deaf, opened her e-mail inbox Wednesday morning and found 25 messages offering to help pay for Violet's $1,250 tuition to the National Association for the Deaf's Youth Leadership Camp in Portland, Ore. The Derby Public Library received three additional offers.

"The response has been wonderful," Fiorino said. "Violet is very excited she is going to camp."

In the end, Fiorino chose an offer from Griffin Hospital to pay for the camp.

Blake, a senior at the Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, D.C., will attend the camp from July 19 to Aug. 15. The 64-student camp promotes itself as helping deaf students develop their scholarship, citizenship and leadership skills.

 

[Awauphi]

aww nice of offers to help the girl to go to the camp..

 

[sculleywr]

I like it. Nobody should be denied a chance to go to summer camp because of money.

 

[cdmeggers]

I remember when a few local organiations/businesses gave me some money so I could go to the Aspen Camp School for the Deaf in 1995. Walmart, Kmart, Lion's Club, and I think the Elk's Club helped. Walmart held an auction for the employees, which was interesting.

 

[pek1]

I like it. Nobody should be denied a chance to go to summer camp because of money.

I concur. At the same time, however, I would have a problem if this girl wanted to go to a "hearie" camp, as most kids are mean to deaf kids. I never had a problem the one year I went to Texas Baptist Deaf Youth Camp, but plenty of problems at a "hearie" Christian camp. Kids can be so mean.