Epoufette Conservation Officer Kellie Nightlinger will swim across the Straits of Mackinac Sunday, August 20, to raise money for her camp for grieving children. The 32-year-old will begin her swim in Mackinaw City, beneath the Mackinac Bridge, at 6 a.m. Currents passing through the Straits will determine where along the Upper Peninsula shoreline she will finish. A public reception at Bridgeview Park in St. Ignace will follow the swim.

Ms. Nightlinger plans a oneweek camp next summer in Epoufette for children of deceased soldiers, police officers, firefighters, or rescuers. She will call it Angels Among Us Youth Grief Camp and donations she receives will pay the tuition for her campers.

In addition to her enforcement work for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, she is owner and guide of U.P. Wide Adventure Guide and is experienced in managing groups of children in nature areas in the U.P. She plans to employ trained grief counselors for one-on-one and group sessions and to offer a host of outdoor and educational activities, including fishing, hiking the Cut River Gorge, kayaking on the Great Lakes, snorkeling to explore shipwrecks near Naubinway, exploring the Fibron Caves near Epoufette, berry picking, classes on marksmanship, and classes on outdoor ethics, such as over-fishing, animal conservation, and ways to enjoy the environment without excessive impact. She may also include a backpacking trip on the North Country Trail and classes on Epoufette Bay history.

Volunteers will help run the programs, but most activities will be led by Miss Nightlinger. She will emphasize working in teams and "teach them that they are capable of more than they may realize," she said.

This year, she has dedicated her time to developing a camp facility on a 10-acre piece of land on Lake Michigan. The camp includes separate bunkhouses for boys and girls and a studio-style building complete with a kitchen, bathroom, and recreation area. So far, Miss Nightlinger has funded the project herself, but she plans to apply for nonprofit status next year, she said.

The reason the camp will focus on the children of public servants with dangerous occupations is because such families must live with the constant awareness that they could lose a loved one at any time, she said. Many perish in acts of violence, crashes, rescue operations, or when equipment malfunctions, she added.

Miss Nightlinger is no stranger to personal tragedy. The idea for her camp came to her last summer when she cared for Sydney Young of Chelsea, who lost her mother in an act of violence in 2000. The child also lost her father to illness, in 2004.

Several of Miss Nightlinger's friends have been killed over the years in accidents and acts of violence related to their occupations. In particular, the death of her best friend, Riley Scott Sumner, had a major impact on her. Mr. Sumner was serving as the chief of police in Chelsea when he was killed in a helicopter crash. He was chasing a fleeing suspect in a trafficrelated crime. He had two young boys and he once told Miss Nightlinger that he was proud of her for taking care of Sydney Young.

Matt Puttle, captain of the Chelsea Fire Department, was also a friend of Miss Nightlinger and was killed in the line of duty.

Children of public servants are left to carry on, she said, and sometimes they have difficulty remembering their parents years later. Miss Nightlinger's camp will serve as a place for children to "feel normal for awhile," she said, because they will be surrounded by peers who understand their circumstances.

"I just realized how short life is," she said, "and this is my way to give back."

Monetary contributions to the youth camp can be made by contacting Miss Nightlinger at (906) 430-0547 or (906) 595-7336. Donations will also be accepted at the reception following her swim across the Straits. Potential volunteers and anyone who knows a child who may benefit from the camp are encouraged to contact her as well.