By Jef Rietsma
The Kalamazoo Gazette
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Harley-Davidson motorcycle riders Paul Hainer and George Russell are built like offensive linemen and look like they could easily work as bouncers at the toughest bar in town. But they quickly softened when talking about their participation Sunday in the 15th annual Great Lakes Burn Camp parade.
“You’ll find with most bikers that there are a lot of opportunities out there to do good things, and that’s why we’re here. ... Everybody has a soft spot for kids, and we’re no different,” said Hainer, a Comstock resident.
Russell, of Paw Paw, agreed.
“When you see the look on the faces of the kids when they get to the campgrounds, you feel privileged playing a small role in making something so special come true for these kids,” Russell said.
Police, fire and ambulance vehicles from nearly 40 agencies in a five-county region and about 400 motorcycles were on display Sunday afternoon at Wings Stadium as part of the fanfare for 62 VIP guests — children, ages 7 through 17, who have suffered burns.
The children will spend a carefree week at Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, in Texas Township, enjoying swimming, volleyball, a dance, a fireworks show and many other activities.
The camp is a haven for many of the children whose misfortunes cause them to live in the gaze of curious people who can’t help but gawk and sometimes ask questions, said Mike Longenecker, camp director and a firefighter for the city of Jackson.
“There’s not usually a good way to disguise the fact you’ve survived a fire. ... The scars will show that right away,” Longenecker said. “But you’re always going to be looked at and be treated differently by people, for whatever reason, and that’s where Great Lakes Burn Camp tries to make a positive difference.”
GLBC is supported heavily by Michigan fire departments and police agencies, hence their involvement in Sunday’s parade that started at Wings Stadium and followed a 14-mile route through Portage and to the Texas Township camp.
Each of the 62 kids rode inside one of the emergency vehicles, which had their emergency lights illuminated and sirens on throughout the trip, to the delight of the passengers. The motorcyclists, paying a donation to ride in the parade, preceded the convoy.
Hundreds of people lined the streets of the parade route, waving at the 10-minute procession.
Longenecker said it costs about $600 for one child to spend five days at the camp, but they attend for free thanks to the donations. Longenecker said the emergency personnel never fail to show their generosity, but he went out of his way to salute the motorcyclists for their participation.
Jim Williams, a fire marshal for the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety, cited an anecdote that he said speaks volumes about the benefit of the burn camp at Pretty Lake. It involved a teen who always wore pants and long-sleeved shirts to cover burn scars and had an opportunity to scuba dive.
“It took some encouragement, but he finally got on his swimsuit, and once he realized nobody was staring at him, he ended up wearing shorts and no shirt the rest of the week,” Williams said. “His parents couldn’t believe it when they saw him when they came to pick him up.”
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