Being a leader is something society constantly stresses to teenagers as they grow up; however, most of these teens just hear the words but rarely receive the teachings to do so. Doug Thompson, a former employee of Hemophilia of Indiana, believed it was critical to tap into the potential that all teens have to be leaders. Doug worked to help teens develop and achieve their goals, as well as realize their dreams and ambitions. Doug was not only just an inspiration to the bleeding disorder community, but to society as whole. HoII founded the Doug Thompson Teen Leadership Camp (DTTLC) to continue his legacy and help teens become the future leader’s society needs!
This year’s DTTLC occurred July 14th-17th in Oak Hill, West Virginia at the Ace Adventure Resort. We had eleven teens from all over the state attend this year, and it was a tremendous success! This was the third time the DTTLC has been at Ace. After a grueling six-hour drive through rain and curving, mountain roads we arrived at Ace and set up in our cabins. In addition to the eleven teens, the adult chaperones included staff from HoII, the IHTC, and volunteers from the HoII community. Each night the chaperones conducted educational activities for the teens, focusing on decision-making, choices, and overall leadership skills. During the day we took advantage of all Ace Adventure Resort had to offer! Sunday was spent white water rafting down the Lower New River. The river was the best it had been at all year, and made for some pretty exciting rapids! We also had the opportunity to do some swimming in the river, and go through some mild rapids on just our backs! It was a long day, but the campers enjoyed every minute of it. The next day we had the opportunity to go on a three hour long zip line canopy tour of the mountains surrounding the resort. The beauty of this area is absolutely breathtaking! Ace provided an absolutely wonderful resort for us to hold camp and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. Even though camp may be over, the knowledge these teens will bring back with them will prove to be everlasting. We are excited to see how these young men will grasp their future and make the right decisions allowing them to achieve great success!
We would like to take the time to thank all those who made the 2012 DTTLC possible, because without these sponsors our teens would not have the chance to develop into the leaders of tomorrow! HoII would like to thank the following: Indiana Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center, Baxter, Novo Nordisk, Cascade Hemophilia Consortium, Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Kendrick Foundation, Howard County Community Foundation, and the Ronald McDonald House Foundation!
