Dakota Kreiss, 12, of Penn Township makes his way across a tire bridge in the high ropes course during the West Penn Burn Camp in Fombell. The camp gives burn victims, ages 7 to 17, the opportunity to talk and play with each other without having to worry about their appearance.

FOMBELL — Summer is a time for fun, friends and camping.

For children who have been seriously injured by a burn, summer also is a time when tank tops, swimsuits and short-shorts can reveal scars from their tragedies, causing them to feel self-conscious.

"Picture if you've burned your face," said Sandy Smith, West Penn Burn Center outreach coordinator. "That is your image. That is your appearance and so you would feel a little uncomfortable and people would look at you."

Thanks to donations given to the West Penn Burn Center, 29 burn victims, ages 7 to 17, are able to spend a week bonding with other victims without having to worry about people's reactions to their scars.

"People aren't staring at my burn," said Dakota Kriess, 12, of Butler. "So I don't get embarrassed."

The West Penn Burn Camp, which started in 1986, has campers from West Virginia, Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania. All of the children have been treated at the burn center.

The center receives donations throughout the year so each child is able to attend the camp for free.

They also receive a book bag, water bottle, T-shirt, sweat shirt and prizes for different activities during the week. However, nothing can compare to the friendship and support each child receives by talking to other children and counselors.

The children meet in group therapy to talk about their experiences of being burned and dealing with the scars and stares afterward.

"It made me feel like no one is staring at me because everyone around here is burnt," Dakota said. "So I'm not as worried about it (here), as I am anywhere else."

Some of the counselors are burn victims themselves and can relate to the children's self-conscious attitude.

Dan Callahan is a volunteer firefighter even though he was burned as a child while playing with tent worms.

This is Callahan's first year volunteering with the camp. They didn't have a camp for West Penn patients when he went to the center in 1971.

"I was always the kid who swam in the pool with the T-shirt ... so I didn't have to show my burn scar," Callahan said. "So (the campers) get to be with each other and talk about experience and that kind of stuff."

Krasimir Kaercher, or Crash, has attended Burn Camp since 2002. He was burnt on his arms and legs while burning garbage. He now volunteers as a camp counselor.

"I just like coming for the week and helping out, (and) being involved with the burn victims and the center," he said. "They're just all nice people, and it's a good way to spend a week."

Most of the camp counselors are volunteers, such as retired teachers, psychology students and other people in the community. However, the camp also has workers from West Penn Burn Center.

Unit secretary Pat Moller and nurse Linda Leonard work with the children while they are healing at the center.

"I like coming, and I know some of the other nurses like coming, because I get to see the children be children," Leonard said. "They are not crying and I don't have to do anything painful to them now. No more dressing changes."

Leonard was with the camp for 12 years before taking a break when she had children. This is her second year back with the camp. Moller has been with the camp off-and-on for about 15 years.Many of the campers return year after year, so both Leonard and Moller get to see the children grow up."It's nice to see them from year to year how much they've changed and grown in their personalities," Moller said.Emily Thoma, 10, of Butler returned for her fourth year with the camp. When she was 4, she accidentally fell into an oven while her grandma was baking.Her favorite part of camp is getting to know the other campers and making new friends."I think it's pretty nice to be around other children that have had the same thing happen to them," the girl said."Because then I'm not the only one that has (been burned)."Emily said she also enjoys the craft time. This year the campers made wind chimes out of metal rods and wood.The camp is at the YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer. The two camps are connected by a long blue bridge making a large area for campers to participate in many different activities.Dakota has been coming to the camp for six years. He was burned while playing with gasoline.He said his favorite activity is the high ropes course, which includes zip lines, pull ropes, and crawl on tires, all at about 35 feet in the air.The camp also has rock climbing, canoeing, archery, and swimming, which makes for a full day, especially with the long walk from Spencer to Kon-O-Kwee."With all this walking by the end of the week campers are tired, counselors are tired," Smith said.Burn Camp is often given donations to take campers to other places such as Fun Fore All in Cranberry Township and Kennywood Park.Both Dakota and Emily had a lot of fun at Kennywood this year, even though Emily is not a big ride person."I went on the Phantoms Revenge and the Arrow 360," Dakota said.Dakota has enjoyed his years with the Burn Camp so much that he plans to follow in Crash's footsteps by becoming a counselor and helping to make a difference in burn victims' lives.

Tyler Kelly eyes up his target with an air rifle June 8 during the West Penn Burn Camp at YMCA Camp Kon-O-Kwee/Spencer in Fombell. The camp for young burn victims is held each year.