Nine-year-old Max Whitney’s first overnight camp experience is still vivid in his mind, although it happened a year ago.

The Renton boy’s favorite activities were swimming, archery and, of course, The Reptile Man, who brought his scaly friends.

“I knew that the whole camp had something in common and I just felt like I could be myself and play around and goof off,” Max said.

That commonality among the campers at Camp Eyabsut in North Bend was disfiguring scars each had as the result of burns they suffered.

All of the 60 to 70 kids who have attended the camp every year for the past 24 years are burn survivors.

But this year’s camp was unexpectedly canceled when its host and sponsor, the Northwest Burn Foundation, announced it was going to restructure the program this year.

Amber Fowler, the executive director of the organization, would not return phone calls or emails to the Renton Reporter and has been reluctant to answer questions of others, according to Jeanette Day, a former camp counselor.

The website for the Northwest Burn Foundation does list a job announcement for a camp manager to head up the 2013 summer camp, so it appears the camp will continue.

But, for this summer former campers’ families, camp counselors, community members and the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation are coming together to raise funds to have Camp Eyabsut July 22 – 28.

After four weeks of collecting donations, the group has raised a little more than $24,000; the goal is $80,000.

Money goes toward insurance, food, transportation for campers, activities, supplies and rental of the facilities, Camp Waskowitz.

On a mission they’re calling the Camp Eyabsut Bucket Brigade, the group is asking fire departments, former campers and the community to “fill the bucket” with donations on or before June 2.

Donation sites are being set up at fire stations, grocery stores and other neighborhood locales.

Day, who has volunteered at the camp for 18 years, is also a burn survivor.

She expects the June 2 fund drive to be significant and said the group will reassess its goal around June 20.

If they haven’t met their goal then, she said they will still hold the camp but maybe scale back on days.

“I know how important camp is and we’re doing everything we can to make sure it continues,” Day said.

The week-long camp hosts kids from all over Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

“A lot of the time it’s the only week of the year that they can be themselves,” she said.

Tiara Whitney noticed the subtle change the camp brought about in her son Max.

“I saw the difference when he came back from camp last year,” Tiara said. “I realized he never did take his t-shirt off in the backyard in the pool. And he did after camp.”

Max’s scars cover his right arm and half his chest.

When he was 2-months-old, a rice cooker fell on him, causing third-degree burns over 14 percent of his body.

“I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about them (the scars) the way that I do, but it’s changed a lot,” Max said.

So much so, that the normally shy Max was motivated to speak before his school, Rainier Christian, about his scars and fundraising for this year’s camp.

Rainier Christian staff decided to collect donations for the cause after they learned about the closure.

“We wanted to support Max because this camp did a lot for him,” said Principal Paula Satterberg.

She noticed that the camp brought out more leadership characteristics in him and seemed to make him a stronger person, she said.

At last count the school had raised $300 from donations they collect at chapel.

For information about the June 2 fundraising for Camp Eyabsut visit www.saveburncamp.org or email Jeanette Day at eyabsut@gmail.com.