Family Spotlight: Alicia Sullivan
It was from a church bulletin board in 2015, that Alicia Sullivan first learned about summer camp and Amici Children’s Camp Charity. Growing up outside of Canada, Alicia was not familiar with the unique environment of overnight summer camp. She was interested in learning more and in providing this opportunity for her two children. To Alicia, Amici offered access to a truly Canadian experience.
To Alicia’s delight, Amici accepted applications for her two children to attend Camp Can Aqua the following summer. Amanda, Alicia’s daughter, spent four summers at Can Aqua, and Daniel is still a camper, getting ready to return for his seventh summer.
Alicia tells us that “camp has instilled a love and appreciation for the outdoors within my children. They carry this appreciation with them and have become environmentally-conscious young adults. Camp has also taught them resilience, and to not sweat the small stuff. A few mosquito bites? Hey, they can take it!”.
Through camp, Amanda and Daniel have had the opportunity to become leaders in their communities at home. During a school wilderness trip, Amanda took on a leadership role showing her peers how to portage a canoe, while Daniel taught his peers how to build a campfire. Amanda and Daniel are proud of their camp skills and their self confidence and social skills have shone through.
Best of all, camp has given them the unique opportunity to escape the urban environment each summer, slow down, focus inward and unplug. Each summer when they return home from camp, Alicia admires her children’s transformation, becoming lighter, more calm and at peace. “Within a few days, the hustle and bustle of city life returns to their routine. But they carry an awareness that there is a space in the Canadian outdoors, where if they need it throughout their lives, they can return to reset and regain a connection to themselves. This is what camp has given them.”
When Amici launched an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee in 2023, the staff team reached out to Alicia to invite her to join the committee. As the parent to two Amici campers since 2016, and through her career as an EDI practitioner, Alicia offers a unique perspective, lived experience and professional expertise. Amici knew that Alicia would be a valuable asset in implementing Amici’s Charter and Strategic Roadmap. Alicia was happy to be invited, and to have the opportunity to give back to an organization that has contributed so much to her children and their development.
Alicia’s unique vantage point has been invaluable to the EDI Committee. She offers insights on big issues including supporting access to camps for marginalized communities as well as some nuances that the committee had not considered.
“Amici stands at the forefront of providing leadership to the Ontario camping community by offering perspectives from all partner camps to support the camp environment. Amici is positioned to understand the experiences of equity deserving groups across the camping community.”
Alicia says the work she and her fellow committee members are discussing will allow Amici to advocate for campers. This will ensure children like her own, who wouldn’t otherwise have the access or opportunity, can experience the joys of camp. Amici is grateful for Alicia’s expertise, and the invaluable knowledge that she brings to the EDI Committee. Thank you Alicia, for your role in implementing and advancing Amici’s EDI Charter and Strategic Roadmap, ensuring Amici is able to support as many children as possible.
