Burn Bulletin

On Saturday, April 18th, we joined the Colma Firemen’s Social Club for their awesome Chicken and Polenta Dinner. The community support for this event has always been outstanding, and this year was no different. Although we ran out of chicken, everyone took it in stride, because what’s better than supporting a great cause by enjoying a home-cooked meal with great company.

A special thank you to Colma Firefighters for continuing to support AARBF through this annual event. We appreciate you so much, and look forward to spending more time alongside you in the future.

In March, the Clovis Rodeo Association hosted the 2026 Cowgirl Up Luncheon, which raised funding for AARBF as its charity of choice. AARBF’s Katrina was joined by camper Payton to accept the check at the 112th Clovis Rodeo on Sunday, April 25th. Payton and his family enjoyed PBR-level Bull Riding, Calf Roping, and Championship Barrel Racing while helping to thank the Clovis Rodeo Association for their generous donation of $46,000 to help send youth burn survivors to Champ Camp. Thank you for your support.

This month, we are excited to recognize Marissa “Hydra” McCallough and the many ways she continues to show up for the AARBF community. Hydra first got involved as a lifeguard at Champ Camp in the summer of 2010, a role that was meant to be temporary, but quickly became something more after she fell in love with the community. 

She always knew she wanted to go into nursing, but it was her time at Champ Camp that helped guide her into burn care. She later returned as a Champ Camp counselor in 2018 and has continued to grow her involvement ever since. 

You can find Hydra across so many of our programs, from Young Adult Summit and Outdoor Trips to Ski Trip, Getaway, Surf Trip, Monterey Bay Aquarium Day, and Women’s Empowerment Weekend. She also stays connected through burn support spaces and continues to advocate for the community in meaningful ways. 

Outside of volunteering, Hydra created “Thrift for a Cause,” hosting yard sales with support from her friends and family to raise funds for Champ Camp and help keep it going strong. 

Hydra, thank you for choosing AARBF as your chosen family and for continuing to pour into this community. We appreciate you so much. 

Camper Applications

We are excited about the upcoming 41st Champ Camp on June 6th – 13th. We would love to have your child be a part of this magical experience, but time is running out to get your child’s application submitted. Our registration for campers closes on May 22nd. Register today at http://app.campdoc.com/register/aarbf

For more information about Champ Camp or concerns about camp conflicting with your child’s school schedule, please contact Erika “Kika” Mendoza at emendoza@aarbf.org.  

Amazon Wish List

Each year we create an Amazon wish list with supplies needed for our arts and crafts, water and unit activities for camp. For the past three years, our community has gone above and beyond in completely fulfilling our list. We are asking for your generosity again this year.

If you would like to help, please share the link on your social media or make a purchase today: https://a.co/0eGgXTDn

For more information, contact Erika “Kika” Mendoza at emendoza@aarbf.org.

Chili Cook-Off

Registration for this year’s Champ Camp Chili Cook-Off is open. Time to dust off your best Chili recipe and join us to see who will take home the coveted award for BEST Chili.

Register today at: https://www.aarbf.org/champ-camp-chili-cook-off/

For more information, please contact Katrina Arthur at karthur@aarbf.org.

You Can Send a Child to Camp

Our annual Champy-On fundraiser kicked off on May 1st and will run for the next six weeks.  Watch our social media each Friday to learn about Champ Camp and the lasting impact it has on our burn survivor youth. 

For Week 1, we started with a brief history about Champ Camp. 

In 1985, AARBF hosted its first youth burn survivor camp, bringing together survivors, burn care professionals, and AARBF volunteers for a week-long summer camp, where children 5-17 could share the joys of summer, friendship, and healing away from the stares and struggles of everyday life. Over the last 41 years, with the help of our dedicated AARBF staff, board and council members, volunteers, and donors like you, we have brought together over 3,000 children to experience the magic of camp, build their community, and find a home away from home.  

“Champ Camp gives us a chance to feel like we belong, having time with other people that can relate to us.”  – Destiny M-W., 15 

Over the next 6 weeks, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation asks you to build a team, join our community, and donate to the 2026 Champy-On and help us raise $30,000 to send youth burn survivors to Champ Camp. It is with your support that we can provide a place where kids come together and build lifelong friendships, grow their confidence, and thrive through the process of healing.  Visit our Champy-On page today at: https://givebutter.com/champyon2026

We offer a great opportunity to get free money for your education beyond high school. Apply today for the Woody and Louise Reed Bridge to Life Scholarship. This incredible program, made possible by the Reed family, awards scholarships to burn survivors or their immediate family members seeking post-secondary education after high school. This can be community college, college, university, or trade school and is open to all ages going directly into or returning to education.

Apply today at: https://forms.gle/bffj8qEcspGto69m7

Mark your calendars – the 2026 AARBF Dinner & Dance will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2026. Tickets will go on sale June 15th.  Group tables, sponsorships, and partnership opportunities are available. Reach out to Katrina at karthur@aarbf.org for more information.

Our thoughts are with the Oken Family as we remember and honor the memory and legacy of Stan Oken. The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation is honored to be a part of Stan’s legacy through Champ Camp.

On November 21, 1980, Stan Oken was staying on the 21st floor of the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas when heavy black smoke filled the hallway. Not knowing where the fire was but knowing he needed to leave the building immediately, he started down the stairwell. With people backing up the stairwell and the doors to the floors locked, Stan realized he needed to find another escape route, turned, and went up the stairs to the 26th floor, where he was able to reach a helicopter that flew him and others to safety. About 5,000 people were in the hotel, and 85 perished in the fire. Stan experienced and sought help for survivor’s guilt. He decided the best healing was to give back to other survivors.  

Our burn camp had only been in existence for a couple of years when Stan’s family began subsidizing the camp. Stan went to the AARBF board and told them the children needed a camp that could prepare them for real life, not just a one-week protected experience. He told them they shouldn’t be calling it a burn camp; it should be called “Champ Camp” because the children are champions going through surgeries and recovery! Stan has said, “Champ Camp has been the biggest thing in my life that has touched me.”  With the support of Stan Oken and the entire Oken Family, Champ Camp was moved to Wonder Valley, where it will be hosting its 41st camp in June. A milestone made possible by Stan’s choice to heal through giving.

We will miss you, Stan. Thank you for being our champion.  

The Oken family invites you to join them for a Celebration of Life on Sunday, April 19th, at Wonder Valley, starting at 11:30 am. Details are available here: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/fresno-ca/stan-oken-12753066

On March 7, 2026, the Torrance Firefighter Association proudly hosted the 52nd Annual Spaghetti Dinner alongside the Bake Sale by the Torrance Firefighter Women’s Foundation — and the community showed up in the biggest way.

Together, they served about 800 meals and celebrated the spirit of giving that makes Torrance Firefighter Association so special. Thanks to the generosity and support of everyone who attended, the Firefighter Association was able to donate $14,000 to support our amazing Champ Camp.

A huge thank you to our volunteers, our firefighters, our Women’s Foundation, and every community member who joined us.  Your support truly makes a difference.

And an extra-special thank you to Scott Diekmann, who dedicated 28 years to organizing this beloved event. His commitment is deeply meaningful to the burn community, and his heart shaped this tradition in the most impactful way.

On Saturday March 7th, we were so fortunate to attend this year’s Charity Burn Gala hosted by The San Jose Firefighters Burn Foundation (SJFFBF). SJFFBF does so much to help the community here in CA. The support they offer patients treated by our friends at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center has made such a strong impact on the lives and recovery of so many survivors. It was such an incredible night filled with great food, awesome auction items, and the company of some truly remarkable members of the burn community. We got to hear from survivors who shared their stories about overcoming the challenges early on in their recovery, and to see them that night, dressed up feeling proud and triumphant was so special. Also, getting a snapshot into the work the burn unit at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is doing to ensure the best possible care for survivors now, and in the future has us confident that anyone who finds themself as a patient there is in great hands. 

Thank you so much, SJFFBF, for such a great night of celebration and your continuous involvement in the burn survivor community and hospital staff at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center. Your commitment to helping survivors and their families makes a lasting and meaningful difference. We so deeply appreciate your compassion, enthusiasm, and generosity you bring to our mission every day. 

We look forward to the continuation of our working partnership again this year.