Jeanne Terwilliger

Our annual California Statewide Ski Trip 2025, took place March 7-9th. With 37 burn survivors and 19 counselors/staff, a total of 56 of us enjoyed an amazing snow-filled weekend at the Bear Valley ski resort!

Our group enjoyed a sunny day out on the slopes learning how to snowboard and ski. Later on in the day we also had the opportunity to enjoy snowmobiling in town. Thank you to our amazing CIT’s Fireball and Freebird for assisting our group for this weekend event. Another thank you to our survivors for being a part of this trip, we hope you had an amazing time. An extra thank you to our volunteers who drove our campers to and from and ensured their safety throughout the weekend; Jackrabbit, Hydra, Chop Suey, Kappa, Ricky Rescue, Cannonball, Lentil, Domino, Sinker, Princess, Buc, Pinecone, Skipper, Tokyo, Mee Mee, Rascal, Mougly, Alpine and Kika.

This trip would not have been possible without the amazing leadership of our very own Jack Rabbit and the support from Angel Flight West, Stockton Fire, Murphys Fire, Ebbetts Pass Fire, Arnold Angels, Bear Valley Mountain Resort, Bear Valley Snowmobiles, Bear Valley Public Safety, Gold Country Roasters, and Manteca Fire. Thank you all for making this weekend so special.

On March 19th, AARBF’s Erika “Kika” Mendoza and Michael “Buddy” Knopf had a wonderful opportunity to present information about burn camps alongside Joe Pick and Valorie Smart from the Fire Fighters Burn Institute (FFBI) at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California. Our presentations aimed to provide the Shriner’s staff with valuable insights regarding burn camps. We want the staff to feel confident when referring their patients to the programs offered by both of our organizations.

There are many burn camps, retreats, and weekend events available for burn survivors, and the more awareness we create, the more survivors we can reach and support.

We are grateful to share a common mission: to provide a safe environment for burn survivors to try new activities and become part of a larger, united burn community that supports their recovery. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Shriners and continuing to grow our collaboration with the truly remarkable organization, FFBI.

On Wednesday, March 19th, the California Fire Chiefs Association hosted AARBF’s Katrina Arthur and volunteers Chop Suey and Hydra at their 28th Annual Training Symposium Dinner and Corn Hole Tournament. While at the event, our AARBF representatives shared the mission and work of the foundation as well as helped to raise a record breaking $7,000 for prevention education and sending youth burn survivors to Champ Camp. The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation gives a warm thank you to the Cal Fire Chiefs Association and the Fresno Fire Department for inviting us to the 2025 Fire Symposium and for their continued support. 

On March 22nd, we had a fantastic day on our Monterey Bay Aquarium Under 5 Trip, bringing together five burn survivors and their family members. The beautiful weather made it even more enjoyable spending time with the Monterey Fire Department, where the Monterey Firefighters Local 3707 and the Monterey Firefighter Foundation hosted our group and provided us with a delicious lunch.

Poppy, our wonderful Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), facilitated a supportive group for parents and caregivers while the kids played outside with volunteers. Afterward, we all headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, where our families explored and learned about marine life, thanks to the Aquarium’s free-to-learn program. We so enjoyed having these wonderful families spend the day with us.

A trip such as this would not be possible without our amazing volunteers: Poppy, Daffodil, Lil Bear, Gidget, Kamikaze, Chipmunk, Mee Mee, Flaca, Karina, Matt, Cartier, and Alex. You made the day unforgettable for our survivors and their families.

Sunday, March 22nd, was the perfect day to enjoy the green grass, blue skies, and exciting activities at the Wonder Valley Ranch Resort’s Family Day. For more than three decades, the Wonder Valley family has supported AARBF and been the home to Champ Camp. Over 700 people from across the central valley visited the Ranch to ride horses, climb the rock wall, canoe on the lake, and help raise $4,500 for Champ Camp’s 40th year.  Thank you to the Wonder Valley Ranch team for putting on a great event. We are looking forward to seeing you at Champ Camp in June.

From Thursday, March 27th, to Sunday, March 30th, we gathered in beautiful Oakhurst for a truly transformative Women’s Empowerment Weekend. It was an incredible weekend of strength, resilience, and empowerment.

This event was attended by fourteen amazing burn survivor women and led by six dedicated staff and volunteers, all coming together to inspire, heal, and uplift one another. We are deeply thankful to our leads—Cindy, Wendy, Dr. Ruth, Jill, Hydra, and Kika—for creating such amazing and powerful workshops for us to share together. Your passion and commitment made this experience unforgettable. A special thank you to our Facilitators in Training, Skittles and Quincy, for dedicating your time and stepping up to take on more leadership roles in this event. Your dedication and growth are truly inspiring.

Throughout the weekend, we had the privilege of engaging in powerful workshops like Masquerading Through Life, Body Image, Mirror Work, Dancing, and so much more! These sessions allowed us to reflect, grow, and embrace the beauty of our journeys.

We are grateful for this unforgettable experience and for every woman who shared her strength with us.

The annual Champy-On fundraiser kicks off on AARBF’s anniversary, April 15th. Our goal for this year is $40,000 in honor of the 40th year of Champ Camp. We would love for you to join in the fun by building or supporting a team.

Create your online team today so you can be ready for the campaign’s launch on April 15th. Starting on the 15th and through June 6th, encourage your friends, family, colleagues, community, camp counselors, medical professionals, new counselor training class, and firefighters to participate and donate to your team through the online portal at https://givebutter.com/ChampyOn2025.

Whether you create a team or donate, you are not only helping youth burn survivors but are entering for a chance to win.

Team leads – there are 2 opportunities for you: 

1. Create a team and gain 5 unique donors (one can be you!). This earns you an exclusive Discount Code to the Champ Camp Store.  
2. We will have 5 weekly challenges, with a winner announced every Friday in May (5 Fridays). The winner will receive an AARBF swag item.  

Donors – we have not forgotten you:  

1. Each donation of $40 = 1 ticket, entering you in a raffle to be drawn at the Champ Camp Chili Cook-Off for an amazing prize (You do not need to be present to win).
   • Earn more tickets at each $40 increment, ie, $80 = 2 tickets, $120 = 3 tickets 
2. All donations of $100 or more will receive our exclusive Sticker of the Month. You have the chance to collect stickers for April, May, and June. 

For questions, please contact Katrina Arthur at 818-848-0223 Ext. 110 or karthur@aarbf.org.

Spring is a great time to think about landscaping. Did you know there are fire-resistant plants? Plants like manzanita, coast live oak, California buckwheat, lemonade berry, agave, yucca, and coral bells are known for their drought tolerance, moisture retention, and ability to withstand fire. 

To find fire-resistant plants that are perfect for your area, check with local nurseries, landscape contractors, or your county’s UC Cooperative Extension service.

To learn more tips about preparing your property and home against fires, check out the Wildfire P.R.E.P.A.R.E. guide on our website at www.aarbf.org/wildfirepreparedness.

April is National Alcohol Awareness Month and as burn survivors, some may face different and unique challenges such as physical pain, emotional trauma and social isolation. Burn injuries may result in chronic pain that often requires pain management.  Some burn survivors may self-medicate developing dependencies on pain medication or turn to alcohol as a way of “managing” or escaping from the discomfort.

If we add the psychological impact of a burn injury and the possible emotional challenges of PTSD, anxiety, depression, and body image, the overwhelmed emotions may lead burn survivors to misuse substances as a coping mechanism. Isolation is another challenge that survivors face; it is hard to reintegrate into society and feel accepted for some of them, and that is why isolation and loneliness are high risk of substance abuse.

Burn survivors can address these challenges by using a combination of preventing strategies, identifying risk factor, having strong family connections, openly communicate about substance abuse and by connecting with individuals and mentors that can provide guidance. Let us not forget about comprehensive pain management, peer support, support groups, therapy services and our What Now Workshop that will focus on Substance Abuse this month. Join us on April 17, 2025 at 7:00pm Pacific time. For more information, please reach out to Martha Banks at mbanks@aarbf.org.

Our Fresno Urban Run fundraising teams have a hefty goal this year and need your help. Hanford Fire Department (Scott Mellon), Fresno City College Fire Academy, Class of 63, and the College of the Sequoias Fire Academy Class 21-43 are all competing to see who the top fundraiser in 2025 will be.

In addition to their fundraising efforts, team members will also be participating in the Fresno Urban Run on Sunday, May 4th. You can join them on the Run-day by registering for the event at: https://www.adventuresignup.com/Race/CA/Fresno/FresnoUrbanRun

If you would like to help your favorite team reach their fundraising goal, hop on over to the fundraising page at: https://givebutter.com/FresnoUrbanRun2025