Firefighters help burned kids.(THE GOODNESS OF AMERICA)(Neenah-Menasha (Wisconsin) Fire Rescue team)(Interview)

Anthony Leiton and Jim Peglow are members of the Neenah-Menasha (Wisconsin) Fire Rescue team. Though firefighting and prevention have their own rewards, one of the most satisfying activities the two have participated in has been serving as counselors at the annual Wisconsin Alliance for Fire Safety Burn Camp held in Walworth County. There are many summer camps across America, but this one is a bit out of the ordinary: the campers are all children or teens who have been injured or scarred by burns.

In an interview with the Appleton, Wisconsin, Post-Crescent, Peglow, who is a fire inspector, said: "This is an ordinary camp for extraordinary children. Once you are able to look past (the physical injuries) and into their hearts, (you see) that they're wonderful children where something terrible happened to them. We don't look at them and see their scars. We look at them and get to know them. We all work together to show these kids that they can move on after these injuries and they can lead a normal life."

Often, the scars left by the campers' burns have made them feel self-conscious in public, and reluctant to talk about their tragic experiences. However, in the midst of others who have suffered similar physical and emotional scars, they learn to open up and talk freely about their experiences. One veteran camper, Matt Brown, a 20-year-old who first attended the camp at the age of 9, told the Post-Crescent about his fellow campers: "I felt at ease with them. I didn't feel uncomfortable talking about it. Once I was able to, it was like a breeze for me."

Leiton got involved in working with kids at the camp seven years ago, when he was 20 years old and still an intern firefighter. At a union meeting, his president announced that the ...