A family affair

Tamara's schedule wouldn't allow her to attend the only summer camp she could attend a few years ago, and an idea was born.

Camp Kobu is the brainchild of Talyne Corlyn and Stevi Belka, a mother/daughter team that are working together to bring another camp opportunity to children of the Valley.

Camp Kobu is an all-inclusive camp, and special-needs children like Tamara -- Belka's cousin and Corlyn's niece -- are more than welcome. The camp is fully wheelchair accessible, Belka and Corlyn said.

"There was one camp Tamara could go to, and because the schedule didn't allow for that one week, she couldn't go to a summer camp because she has some special needs," Belka said. "We saw a need, and we said 'let's do it.'"

Both Belka and Corlyn have put on camps before, and they plan on drawing on that experience this time around.

Corlyn has 15 years experience in working with children and the public in recreational capacities. She has been a program director and director for overnight and day camps for organizations such as Easter Seals Camp Caribou, Alaska Elks Youth Camp, The Imaginarium Science and Discovery Center, Kids are People and the Pueblo El Mirage Golf Resort in Arizona.

Belka is no stranger to camps, either. She has been a camp counselor and program director for Camp Fire Si-La-Meo, Timbertrails in Arizona and the Imaginarium camps.

"My mom takes on the world," Belka said. "This is another one of her projects."

The goal of the camp is to bring children together to foster communication, independence and positive thinking.

At the camp, children with special needs will get to play with other children. Backgrounds will be blurred for at least one week, and that can make all the difference to the children, the two organizers said.

"There are no labels attached," Corlyn said. "It's about melting differences. My niece is eight, and she's starting to hear 'what's wrong with you' from other kids. She doesn't have to be different. This camp won't label children of different needs. We are out there to have fun, enjoy camp and that's that."

The camp, set for Aug. 10-15 on the site of the Alaska State Elks Youth Camp. Belka and Corlyn are working together -- which seems to be a theme for both the camp and the organization of the camp -- and using their backgrounds to develop the camp's programming.

Belka is a music and science instructor, and she is brining with her a proven music program.

"All the kinks are worked out it and it is really fun for children," Belka said. "We've got good physical education programs, arts and crafts, a talent show, everything. It's all about getting kids working together in a fun and education atmosphere."

The staff has years of experience hiking in Alaska, New Jersey, Arizona and California, and the environment will be a big part of Camp Kobu.

Campers will get to go on hikes, swimming, canoeing and outdoor cookouts, Corlyn said.

"We've even got a great bluegrass musician, Ken Terry, to come out to camp with us," Corlyn said. "We want to develop a can-do attitude with the children."

Bob Bax is serving as the recreational director. Corlyn said Bax is a wonderful man who has a knack for dealing with children with attention deficit disorder.

"He has an avenue for getting to their level and bringing children into his thought process," Corlyn said. "He has worked well with a lot of children of many different backgrounds."

For more information about the camp, interested people can call Corlyn at 745-3339.