Thirteen years after John Bazzanella spent one week at Camp ReCreation as a Jesuit High School volunteer, he took over the top job of the summer camping program that he believes lives up to its name.

In November, Bazzanella was appointed camp administrator of Camp ReCreation, a non-denominational camping program which serves northern California children and adults with developmental disabilities.

The position was previously held by John Donohoe, who retired last fall following several years of service.

Bazzanella said he kept returning to Camp ReCreation to work at a variety of jobs for over a decade because it is an exceptional environment where campers are able “to recreate themselves and be whoever they want to be.”

His initial decision to be a Jesuit High volunteer at Camp Recreation in 1991, he said, may have been pure luck, but from the start the camping program was a good fit.

“The camp’s staff is so passionate and committed they go out of their way to make everyone feel valued as an important part of the experience we’re giving campers,” Bazzanella said.

It’s a statement made based on work experiences in every position at Camp ReCreation, including program director, director of counseling, and president of the camp’s executive board.

Bazzanella also played a major role leading to Camp ReCreation’s national accreditation with the American Camping Association in 2003.

A program of the diocese’s department of Catholic Faith Formation, Bazzanella said that one of the real strengths of the program, held at Camp Ronald McDonald near Susanville, is that it pairs volunteers one on one with campers. Both grow from the experience, he said.

“The campers get to come to camp and have fun doing things they might not normally do, like playing baseball,” he said. “They share everything about themselves they’re comfortable sharing.”

For those who volunteer, Bazzanella said, spending time with people with disabilities often is a life changing experience.

“They develop a new awareness to take back to their family and friends and become advocates for people with disabilities,” he said.

Currently in the midst of planning Camp ReCreation’s 2004 season, scheduled to be held June 20-26 and June 26-July 3, Bazzanella plans to add to the volunteer pool this year by targeting the college and adult population.

“We have been receiving a good response from Catholic high schools and are hoping to balance our volunteer base,” he said. He is aggressively recruiting volunteers from northern California colleges and parishes throughout the greater Sacramento area.

The hardest part of the job, he said, is having to turn people away. This year there are 80 camping spots and 120 applications.

“I’m hoping to help position the organization to grow and expand,” said Bazzanella, who holds a master’s degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento and is working on master’s degree in non-profit administration from the University of San Francisco. “We’re talking a lot about our strategic plan to meet camper needs.”

For more information on Camp ReCreation, call Bazzanella at (916) 733-0136 or visit the Web site at: www.camprec.org.

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