Honouring Our Local Heroes: First Responders Appreciation Event
In August we were honoured to welcome 30 incredible volunteer first responders to our First Responders Appreciation Event – a small gesture of thanks for a group of people who made an immeasurable impact on our camp.
On January 2, 2025, these local heroes were instrumental in responding to our dining hall fire and ensuring that the rest of camp stayed protected from harm. Their courage, quick action, and unwavering commitment protected not just our facilities, but the spirit of a place that means so much to so many.
During the visit, we began with a tour of camp and our temporary dining facility, giving our guests a behind-the-scenes look at how we’ve adapted and continued to serve our campers in the wake of the fire. It was a powerful reminder that while buildings may change, the heart of camp remains strong, thanks in no small part to the people who protect it.
We then gathered in Beit T’fillah for a camp wide thank you presentation. We began with welcoming remarks by Jeff Rose, who reminded us that these special people are volunteers in our community who choose to serve and protect those around them. We were led in song and prayer by Rabbi Rob Morais and Rabbi Dave Vaisberg who helped us to share our Jewish traditions with our guests.
Barak campers Naomi and Shana shared Project Barak and the funds that were raised during our first session car wash.
“Project Barak is a program that happens every other day where we learn about different values and lessons. One of the strong values we learn is about “Kehilah” which means community. Supporting the Seguin Firefighters is one way we can give back to our community after everything they have done for us.”
Kochavim campers Hannah and Nadav shared about our Bilibanu event.
“The Bilibanu event is a campwide run/walk that we do every year at camp to challenge ourselves and raise money for good causes. The word Bilibanu is Hebrew and translates to “in our hearts”. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for the first responders that saved our camp.”
These campers helped us to present a giant cheque to share the funds that had been raised by our community through these two events in support of our local fire services (over $5,000!) – another way to say thank you and invest in the continued safety and resilience of our community.
The evening concluded with a delicious thank you dinner where our campers and staff had a chance to share some of the ruach that makes Camp George so special.
To our first responders: your bravery did more than save buildings—it preserved a place of joy, growth, and belonging for countless campers. We thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
