Notre Dame Academy’s Spring week came to an end after a successful outcome.

For the 2013-14 year, student Government chose Camp Daniel as the charity to sponsor during Spring Week. Together, Notre Dame raised $3,530 during the week for Camp Daniel.

“As we finish the 2013-2014 school year, I am proud that our theme of LIVE KIND has carried through the entire year.  Living kind is not words we say, but it is expressed by the deeds we do.  As a school community we have embraced this year’s bible verse: Your every act should be done with love,” said Spanish teacher Senora Dory.

Their website, www.campdaniel.org, states that Camp Daniel is an organization dedicated to providing people with disabilities opportunities for personal, social and spiritual growth.

Dory is an active member with Camp Daniel, where she is a counselor and has been for the past seven summers.

“I became involved with Camp Daniel through my dad.  He is friends of the father and son team who founded and run Camp Daniel.  He asked me to come and spend a week there as a counselor in the summer of 2007, and I have been going back as a counselor every summer since then,” said Dory.

Their website also says that the camp is rooted in its summer camping program that offers people with disabilities access to safe and fun Northwoods camping experiences, where the physical, social, and spiritual needs, that each person’s disability requires, are lovingly met.

“For the four years that I’ve been involved in student government, I feel this Spring Week to be the best. We raised the most money and had events that involved a lot of the school,” said Mary Lovell, an active member of student government. “There is a direct need for money at Camp Daniel. It was a very rewarding experience.”

Through each week of camp, the dedicated Camp Daniel staff works toward imparting the belief that each of us has value and has been given gifts to offer others. Each camper and volunteer participates in a multitude of activities designed to reinforce the concept of our need for each other and the value of our differences.

“I believe the work they are doing at Camp Daniel is so important because they are reaching a very marginalized forgotten group of people in our society. They work they do touches so many lives,” said Dory. “They are doing so many great things and have plans for so much more, it makes supporting such a place very easy to do.  You can see the money raised and the support given directly affect campers every summer.”

Dory says some of her favorite memories of Camp Daniel come from attending church in the morning and evening, where she says the campers seem most happy. “To hear them sing some of the most simple Sunday School songs that we all learned as kids growing up in church is so special. They sing every word from the bottom of their hearts. It’s pretty awesome.”

“I can speak for all of Student Government when I say that we could not have done any of the events without the help of the entire student body all year. Everyone was very generous in donating their time, talents and efforts when it comes to participating in pep rallies and Spring Week events,” said Lovell.

Spring Week included events such as a chili contest, the Snack Shack, and the purchasing of buttons that stated this year’s bible verse.

“There has been a movement at Notre Dame that will not stop in May after the last final has been taken and we all leave for the summer. This is something that has changed us and will be our mission from here on out.  And through Living Kind and doing every act in love, we will continue to support each other here at Notre Dame and special places like Camp Daniel, where our acts have created a tidal wave of love,” said Dory.