Camp Bandage kicks off Summer fun for kids on Grand Lake

Camp Bandage Grand Lake
Free and open to the public, the sixth annual safety camp and kids fun fair is set for June 3.

VINITA, Okla. (Grand Nation, Inc.) Safety awareness and educational activities will once again be the focus as everyone’s favorite safety camp and kids’ fun fair, Camp Bandage – Grand Lake, returns on Saturday, June 3.

A free outdoor event that provides safety, health, and first aid training for children of all ages, the sixth annual Camp Bandage – Grand Lake will be held from noon to 4 p.m. at Grand Lake RV Resort on Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees.

Open to the public, Camp Bandage – Grand Lake is a family-friendly day that teaches children of all ages to put safety first as well as how to be ready in case of an emergency.

A number of groups and organizations will be on hand during the event to educate children and demonstrate a wide variety of safety topics to them in a fun and diverse environment.

During Camp Bandage, children will learn about safe outdoor recreation, water safety, health, first aid, weather, fire safety, injury, substance abuse prevention, and more. They will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with first responders from the Grand Lake area, including: Fire, police, and EMTs, as well as explore helicopters, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, patrol boats, cranes, and a fire boat.

The event’s finale will be a mock car crash demonstration at 2:30 p.m.. Presented by Grand Lake area law enforcement members and first responders, the mock crash allows those watching to learn how emergency responders conduct rescue efforts in real-time and see what their jobs entail. Organizers say the demonstration will also teach families, especially young children, about the dangers of drunk driving.

In addition to the many safety classes, demonstrations, and hands-on activities; the fun will also include karaoke, dancing, and games.

Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, everything is free at Camp Bandage – Grand Lake, including admission, prizes, hot dogs, and drinks. T-shirts will be given away to the first 500 children as they arrive at Camp Bandage.

The Grand Lake safety camp and kids’ fun fair is an off-shoot of Camp Bandage – Broken Arrow, which was started in 1983 by Dr. A.L. Gerner and his wife, Shirley. An annual event for more than 35 years, Camp Bandage was designed to educate the community about how common accidents and injuries can be prevented.

Over the years, the Broken Arrow event has grown and expanded its focus to include all aspects of safety and disaster preparedness. Camp Bandage – Grand Lake is an extension of that growth.

Camp Bandage – Grand Lake is organized by Grand Nation, a nonprofit grassroots coalition that has been serving the Grand Lake area since 2012.

“A community outreach project of this magnitude fits right in with our existing substance abuse prevention program, GaDuGi,” said Jennifer Hinson, Grand Nation executive director. 

“For instance, we’re trying to promote Responsible Recreation on the lake. Camp Bandage – Grand Lake teaches kids about being safe on the water, as well as being safe at home. It’s an obvious platform where we could impact hundreds of kids in one day. This was an opportunity we didn’t want to pass up.”

Camp Bandage – Grand Lake will once again be hosted by Grand Lake RV Resort at 31527 South 4510 Road, Afton, Okla., on Duck Creek.

“Camp Bandage is an awesome safety program for kids with lots of activities for learning,” said Dianna McIntyre, owner and operator of Grand Lake RV Resort. “We thoroughly enjoy it and think it’s a wonderful experience.”

If you would like to attend Camp Bandage, be a vendor or volunteer at the event, visit CampBandage.org/GrandLake or the Grand Lake Camp Bandage Facebook page for more information.

ABOUT GRAND NATION

Grand Nation is a nonprofit grassroots coalition that has been serving the Grand Lake area since 2012. An umbrella organization for a number of different programs, Grand Nation joins families seeking a better life with the resources and community organizations that can help them achieve their goal. Located at 123 S. Wilson, in Vinita, Grand Nation serves the communities of Grand Lake O’ the Cherokees, including Vinita, Grove, Jay, Afton, Ketchum, Langley, Miami, Bluejacket, and Spavinaw. The phone number is (918) 276-2192.

ABOUT CAMP BANDAGE

Camp Bandage was started in Broken Arrow by Dr. A.L. Gerner and his wife, Shirley, in 1983, as a one-day event designed to educate the community on how common accidents and injuries can be prevented. For more than 35 years, businesses and organizations across the community have come together each year to teach children everything from injury prevention, first aid and CPR; to bike, water, fire, and home safety. Each year, the Broken Arrow Police and Fire departments are on hand to simulate responding to a car accident in order to educate the community on how emergency responders work together.

MEDIA CONTACT

Jennifer Hinson

Executive Director, Grand Nation

www.GrandNation.org

jennifer-hinson@grandnation.org

(918) 276-2192 office

(918) 256-2193 fax

(918) 915-0236 cell