A group of Erskine survivors needs your help to go to an education camp and rebuild from the past. 23ABC's Adam Bowleswent to Weldon today to meet these young survivors.
These kids are have courage. They are still smiling after conquering a tragic past.
"We were very grateful that we didn't get burned down and it was very sad but at least our house survived," Calaina says.
They are still smiling after some lost everything in the most destructive fire in Kern County’s history.
The Erskine fire - burning nearly 50 thousand acres - leading to multiple deaths.
"I was at my aunts," Haley says. "I was with my mom and everything. So we were up higher in south lake and my uncle who was a firefighter he told us that we are probably gonna have to evacuate cause you could tell the smoke was blowing towards us. So my uncle came to us and told us so we gathered our stuff and left and ending up getting out."
But even after the most difficult year of their lives they kept smiling and kept playing and kept working together to make sure their friends were ok.
"Their dedication is amazing," Mrs. Villani says. "I just don't want our kids to miss out on the experience of camp keep. Its been a tough year."
Camp Keep is in an educational summer camp where these kids would get the life lessons to learn how to grow and rebuild from this tough year.
"I'm sure there is going to be struggle for a long time," Mrs. Villani says. "Of course kids are so resilient that we may not see in their every day life but the kids are so happy and they are happy to be here and we just try to get them back to their everyday life and have some fun at school."
The past didn't stop this bunch from moving forward to tomorrow.
So if you want to help these very special kids you can donate to the Camp Keep Fund at South Fork Elementary School's school district.
