The sound of joyful chatter and echoes of laughter fill the air as campers experience the excitement of discovering new activities and building connections. This is what Easter Seals Camp is all about.
Jared has been going to camp for over 13 years and loves his experience, showing up each summer enthusiastic and ready for his next adventure. Jared adores the large open spaces at Camp Squamish and the unique treehouse he calls his Kingdom. Jared’s fellow campers even started to call him King Jared, and he is often seen wearing his crown around camp.
With the summer months getting hotter, the cabins at Camp Squamish began getting hot and stuffy. Jared took a fan to make his room cooler at night, but it wasn’t enough. With more than a decade of camp experience, Jared wanted to make sure that despite the changing weather, the camp could continue to be comfortable and enjoyable for future campers. He took charge of the situation and made it his responsibility to find a solution.
Jared and his mom, Barb, reached out to the team at Easter Seals to learn more about how he can support getting air conditioning units for his kingdom. He believed in paying it forward to Easter Seals, an organization that has helped him improve his life. At the age of 11, Jared initially went to camp with a personal support worker. He was timid and required help with daily tasks. Two years later, he opted not to use one. “Jared became more comfortable with camp and more independent,” said Barb. Jared knew what camp meant in his world and wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. He sought out a way to bring some relief to his fellow campers.
Jared’s solution to the heat was simple yet effective — a bottle drive to raise money for portable air conditioners for the cabins. This idea came easy to Jared as he already collects refundable bottles and cans from family and friends to earn extra money. His idea for a bottle drive meant sharing a cause he cares deeply about with his supporters. Jared asked his friends and family to save their recyclable cans and bottles before the holiday-bottle-emptying season. He also invited people to donate online, if they didn’t have bottles or if they wanted to make an even larger gift.
The bottle drive started in January 2024 and as the days went by, Jared committed himself to fundraising and working through the night sorting bottles, enjoying every moment. Within four weeks of trading trash for treasure, Jared reached and surpassed his goal of $5,000. Jared was determined to keep Camp Squamish cool, and because of the generosity in his community, Jared raised the money to support an even cooler experience at camp this summer.
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