The Miracle Horse Club Coloring Contest
May 27, 2020
Do your kids like to color? Do they like horses? Are they budding artists?
If you answered yes to one of those questions, then we’ve got a fun activity for them to do!
The Miracle Horse Club coloring contest is on now and runs until June 5th. Winners will receive a framed picture of one of the Miracle Ranch horses with the winning artwork, and a $100 credit toward camp for Summer 2021.
To participate …
- Click here to download the hand-drawn illustration of Ginger, one of our Miracle Ranch horses, created by Megan Gillies, one of our interns who first came to camp as an OpX camper.
- Have your kids color and decorate the illustration and post your family’s completed artwork on Instagram @cristacamps or Facebook with the hashtag #miraclehorseclub by June 5th.
- Our horses will choose their favorite and the winners will be announced on June 5th.
Have fun!
Megan’s Story: An Operation Xtreme “Veteran”
“My first week of camp at Operation Xtreme was in 2011. I was blessed to receive a scholarship because my father was in the military. He had been deployed three times, each time for a year,” Megan explained.
“Sometimes it was hard to feel special when my dad wasn’t around. At Island Lake, I always felt welcome and loved and special. I remember one time I was learning how to ride a dirt bike and I crashed it. A dirt bike staff person came over to check on me. I was pretty upset and asked him if I was bleeding. After seeing that I was fine, he said, ‘Get back on and try again!’ Normally I would have given up at that point, but his encouragement gave me the courage to keep trying. I gained so much confidence through that experience.”
After three years as an Operation Xtreme camper, Megan Gillies joined the CRISTA Camps high school program, where she began to learn leadership skills and share responsibility for implementing summer camp. Each year, Megan experienced new challenges that helped her grow in courage and confidence.
“I used to struggle with social anxiety, to the point where I didn’t want to go up to the counter to order fast food by myself. My younger brother would have to go instead,” Megan said. “Camp has helped me so much with this, even when I was in the high school program for summer staff. Now I’m leading a hundred or more kids in games and activities!”
Since Megan grew up in a military family, she feels a special connection to the campers at Operation Xtreme. “Military kids often find it hard to show their emotions. So we’ll see them acting out more, or looking for extra attention, or closing themselves off. It breaks my heart to see this.
“Because I’ve been there, I like to show them extra love where I know they need it. To show them they are not alone.”
