Young Tornado & Plant Explosion Victims At Local Camp
FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - On the three-month anniversary of the deadly fertilizer plant explosion in West, some kids from that town, and another where disaster struck this past year, are enjoying summer camp in Fort Worth.
This week the YMCA is hosting 16 kids from the town of West and city of Granbury for a free week at Camp Carter.
Kambry Donnell, a 13-year-old who made the trip, explained it simply. "Our school let some people come here free because of the West explosion, so I came here free with some other friends."
Hope Caldwell, the Director of Marketing YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth, said the organization reached out to both the communities of West and Granbury. "Part of the Y is about being socially responsible. We just felt like this was something we could do," she said. "Our real goal was just for the to have a week of just being a kid, just being normal and not having to worry about their community being different."
Tiffany Adair is a 12-year-old who made the trip from West. She remembers the vents of April 17 very clearly. "We were in our house, two big bangs came, and we ran out the door to see what it was," she recalled. "We thought our house was falling down. It was just me and my sisters. We got really scared, because our parents were gone."
The blast at the West Fertilizer Company took the lives of 14 people and injured hundreds of others.
Wednesday Kambry was only concerned about what was going to happen in the next few hours. "We're gonna go to survivor skills and then the challenge course, then we're gonna go swimming, and then tonight we're gonna prank the boys back." And Kambry wasn't the only one with pranks on her mind. Tiffany explained how boys at the camp pulled a fast one on her and her roommates. "They put a snake on our door and I touched it. Yeah, it was so nasty."
As is often the case, kids wont let anything prevent them from having a good time… and this group was no exception. "Even though we've had a rainy week they seem to be very happy," Caldwell said of the group. "They seem to really be enjoying themselves – everything from pranking the kids in the other cabins, to going down the zip lines."
The complimentary week of camp is for kids ages 8 to 16. Camp organizers say the time is meant to offer the young people a positive experience. In all, 24 kids from towns affected by recent disasters are attending the camp -- 8 from Granbury and 16 from West.
Also Check Out:
- City Council To Address Nudity Claim At Local 'Breastaurant'
- DFW Restaurant Week 2013 List
- Local Mugshots
- 13-Year-Old Arrested For Murder Of Missing 5-Year-Old
- Randy Travis In Critical Condition After Stroke
MOST VIEWED GALLERIES
- PHOTOS: Your Pet Pictures
- PHOTOS: Severe Weather Aftermath - May 16
- PHOTOS: Dallas Comic Con 2013
