| Attendees of the IAFF International Burn Camp, held in Washington DC |
More than 40 burn survivors from the U.S. and Canada are attending the 14th annual International Burn Camp, an event in the nation's capital organized by the International Association of Fire Fighters' Burn Foundation to help teenagers cope with their injuries.
Burn survivors on Tuesday will visit FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins, to meet Redskins linebacker Robert Henson, who lost his 10-year old brother in a house fire in 1997. Burn survivors will tour the stadium with Henson and other players. Henson will share his tragic, yet motivational, personal journey with burn survivors.
Burn survivors from 27 states and six provinces will attend this year's International Burn Camp. A complete list of attendees and their hometowns is available here: http://burn.iaff.org/burncamp.shtml
Burns can leave scars that never heal. They can also leave emotional wounds that no medical care can repair. The Burn Foundation's International Burn Camp helps teenage burn survivors cope with the physical and emotional trauma caused by their injuries by allowing them to spend time with one another in a supportive atmosphere for young people who share a common bond.
Each year the IAFF's Burn Foundation fully funds the International Burn Camp. Children who attend the Burn Camp also have attended a regional or state burn camp endorsed by the IAFF. Numerous IAFF locals, foundations, individual and corporate donors support the Burn Camp.
In addition to meeting with Redskins players, burn survivors participating in this year's International Burn Camp will tour the White House and major monuments in the nation's capital. The goal of the International Burn Camp, which runs through September 25, is to continue its commitment to "Helping Heal Bodies, Hearts and Souls."