Camp Dawn
Dawn symbolizes the start of a new day, and with every new day, is the possibility of a finding a new path. It is representative of how an individual often finds new and different paths in their lives when facing the challenges of an acquired brain injury.
The slogan “With every dawn a new path is found” was chosen to reflect finding these different paths.
Camp Dawn originated in 2003 as a program of the Brain Injury Association of Chatham-Kent (BIACK). Developed through a collaboration of agencies, associations and survivors, the purpose of Camp Dawn was to provide survivors of an acquired brain injury with a new opportunity to develop independence and social skills in an outdoor, recreational environment that promotes a healthy lifestyle. Since 2003 Camp Dawn has developed into much, much more than just camping. For adults in southwestern Ontario living with the effects of an acquired brain injury, Camp Dawn provides an opportunity to get away, to make new friends, to meet up with old friends, to try new activities, to take part in familiar activities and to do all of this in a supportive, outdoor environment alongside others who are facing similar challenges.
Since its inception, attendance at Camp Dawn has grown from 19 campers and 11 volunteer leaders in 2003 to 87 campers and 41 volunteer leaders in 2011. Since 2005, Camp Dawn has been held at the Camp Trillium property at Rainbow Lake in Waterford, Ontario which has no doubt been a major factor in the growing success of the camp due to its many invaluable features including accessibility, the staff, and the myriad of indoor and outdoor opportunities it offers.
On October 28, 2005, the Ontario Ministry of Consumer and Business Services granted Letters Patent to incorporate Camp Dawn as a non-profit corporation. As part of the approval process, the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee approved the camp as a charity and as such the camp has a volunteer Board of Directors