Tui=Simon
CR4TS counselors come from many different places, paths of life, and present situations, but they all end up in the same place each summer. A very special counselor at ROC (our Resident Oncology Camp) gets to live, breath and be camp all year round. His name is Simon, he goes by Tui, yet is well known as the man behind Little Bunny Fu-Fu.
Simon is the Camp Director at YMCA Camp Marston where CR4TS ROC holds its week-long summer adventure each year, giving Simon the opportunity to be with CR4TS since 1996. “I am really fortunate to be able to be involved with such awesome people every year for the past 15 years!!”
As Director and resident of such a popular place to camp, Simon sees and experiences many great organizations and people throughout the year, but “the highlight of my life is when CR4TS comes to camp. It feels like a big, fun, crazy circus of awesome has come town.” And he couldn’t have put it any better. If only we all were so lucky to be able to live in the place we counselors call our second home.
As Camp 2012 rolls around, Simon finds himself “looking forward to the staff rolling in, then the busses with campers rolling in and then getting down to the good times.”
But before that can happen, some pre-camp activities, in order to prepare for such “awesome-ness”, must take place. “It’s a regime of training my stomach to cope with camp food, drinking copious amounts of water, climbing the tower twice a day, canoeing the lake once a day and playing at least 5 hours of GAGA before sun up.”
With 15 years under his belt, it is no wonder Simon sites the “campfire, beating Jesse at GAGA, Talent Show, the Corner and meal times” as all favorite camp activities. He also was lucky enough to be around during the famous Campstreet Boys era, noting that it “really changed my life. Prior to seeing them my life was a real mess. Their passion, talent and intense good looks really set me on an enlightened life journey.” We can only hope that a reunion is in the works, and that the present counselors and campers will be able to experience the same enlightenment.
And being the vet he is, Simon truly understands the vortex CR4TS and the camp experience creates. “Living at Camp I feel like no one gave me directions to reality….I am not sure that I have ever visited there. Is it nice?” I wish I did not know, but unfortunately, it is not as nice as Camp.
Oh, Simon did mention his favorite camp song was the REAL buzzard song. You know…”I wish I waaaaaaas a buzzaaaard!!”
[As a reader, if this post was difficult to read, owing to the fact that much camp lingo persists in its content, then there is obviously only one cure, GO TO CAMP!]
Camp Makes a Difference!!!
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