Latest news with #HarryStewart
Hamilton Spectator
22-07-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Rainbow Camp faces ‘nerve-racking' financial pressure
Rainbow Camp has faced heightened financial pressure since mid-June, relying on more donations to make way for more campers to visit. 'The registrations that were coming were asking for full sponsorship, which is campership (cost of the camp) and travel,' co-founder Harry Stewart told The Sault Star. A full sponsorship costs $2,000 with travel as most campers come from Toronto and further. 'A bus for us there and back is $4,200, which when you're doing for a minimal number of kids makes it difficult, flying costs more, but this is what we do and it's nerve-racking this year,' Stewart said. Aside from travel, staff wages, which are minimum wage, and food are also factors in the pricing and the current financial woes. Founded in 2012, Rainbow Camp offers a safe, fun, and welcoming summer experience where 2SLGBTQ+ youth aged 12-17 can be their 'authentic selves.' The camp, run by the Welcome Friend Association, operates on a tiered fee model, allowing it to extend support to youth regardless of their financial situation, ensuring no youth is turned away. The program combines traditional camp activities with 'intentional support' for identity, mental wellness, and a sense of belonging. Year-round programming includes Rainbow Quest, Rainbow Online Connection, and Brave Space Training. Located just east of Sault Ste. Marie, Rainbow Camp has hosted more than 1,000 youth from across North America. More than 70 per cent of campers receive financial subsidies. Rainbow Camp has shouldered past challenges. Staff shortages in 2023 forced the season to end prematurely, in mid-July. More than 140 campers were affected, albeit the Thessalon-area facility did complete four sessions in the first two weeks of July, including two one-week camps for 32 and 37 campers respectively, a two-week adventure camp with five campers and a two-week leaders in training program. Staff shortages were also branded that year for Camp McDougall shuttering its summer program early. Despite entering the season with a full staff complement and offering 'competitive' wages, the facility, located west of Thessalon on Lake Huron, It's not all gloom. The community has shown support and donations, while the camp's founders – this also included Chris Southin – were recently presented with the Governor General of Canada's Meritorious Service Medal, recognizing Canadians whose 'exceptional contributions bring honour to the country.' But it hasn't all been recognition. Rainbow Camp's current canvassing efforts have also brought the haters out, Stewart said. 'When we put out a post for fundraising, we spend more time getting the hate off it,' Stewart added. 'The climate that comes from the bullying and hate from schools, it affects our kids and what they go through like peer pressure and it's also family-oriented.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
20-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Sault theatre company production supports Rainbow Camp
West End Theatre Project in the Sault is putting on a production to raise funds for next year's Rainbow Camp in Echo Bay. An upcoming production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert by the West End Theatre Project will help 2SLGBTQ+ kids go to summer camp. Priscilla, Queen of the Desert rehearsal Cast of the West End Theatre Project's upcoming production of 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' is already rehearsing. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario) The Sault Ste. Marie theatre company recently partnered with Rainbow Camp in Echo Bay. It is something founder Lucas Beaver has had on his mind for some time. 'When I moved home to start the West End Theatre Project one of the mandates that I wanted to instill is that each production gave back to an organization that aligned itself with the theme of the show,' said Beaver. The musical comedy follows two drag queens and a transgender woman as they head across the outback in their bus, named Priscilla, en route to a resort the trio is set to perform at. 'When we picked 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert' I thought it was a perfect fit for Rainbow Camp, given that the show is about inclusion and acceptance.' Until Sept.4, $5 from each ticket sold for the show will go to Rainbow Camp. Harry Stewart and Chris Southin founded and still run the camp. The pair told CTV News the money raised by the theatre company will allow more kids to take part in the summer camp – covering travel expenses for some and overall costs for others. Southin said the pair feel honoured that their camp will benefit from the production. 'It's a recognition of our work, what we're doing, what we strive for,' he said. 'It's a great compliment.' Stewart added that many campers love the arts and performing, so the partnership makes a lot of sense. 'It's a great way for us to tell more about Rainbow Camp because you're going to be hitting some of our target audience: parents, LGBT youth,' he said. 'It's just a really neat thing to have happen for us.' Beaver said the company will also be taking donations at the show and selling items 'like feather boas' with proceeds heading to the camp. 'It's a type of organization that wasn't around when I was younger so I'm really supportive of that for our youth and creating safe spaces.' The fundraiser comes at a good time for the Rainbow Camp. This year's camp had to be closed prematurely due to staffing shortages and the two owners said they are looking to bounce back in 2024. 'We plan on trying to hire as many staff as we can before the end of October,' said camp officials. 'The kitchen was an issue this year and it looks like we have that covered.' Priscilla, Queen of the Desert runs from Nov. 15 - 18 at the Sault Community Theatre Centre. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, or online. More information on both the Rainbow Camp and the West End Theatre Project can be found on their social media profiles.
CTV News
20-07-2025
- General
- CTV News
Northern Ont. 2SLGBTQ+ youth camp in crisis after losing key donation
A northern Ontario summer camp for youth that identify as 2SLGBT+ says it's in crisis. It's getting requests from campers at the same time it's lost funding. A northern Ontario summer camp for 2SLGBTQ+ youth says it is struggling to meet a surge in demand while facing a critical drop in funding. Rainbow Camp An undate aerial image of Rainbow Camp, a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive youth camp located near Echo Bay on the shores of Lake Huron. (Supplied/Rainbow Camp) Rainbow Camp, located near Echo Bay on the shores of Lake Huron, has operated since 2012, offering a week-long retreat for youth aged 12 to 17. This year, organizers say they've been inundated with requests from campers – many of whom come from rural and isolated communities where they face rejection or lack support. 'There's this need for belonging, and we offer it,' said Harry Stewart, the camp's co-founder and president of the Welcome Friend Association. 'Not all families are behind their child under the rainbow.' Harry Stewart Harry Stewart, the co-founder of Rainbow Camp and president of the Welcome Friend Association, speaks with CTV News via Zoom in July 2025. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News Northern Ontario) Camp sees surge in applicants as corporate funding dries up Stewart said the camp is now in crisis as corporate donations – particularly from U.S.-linked companies – have 'dwindled or are not there.' 'Larger corporations that have anything to do with the United States have really backed off in funding because of the whole diversity thing that's going on there … they feel they're being monitored,' he said. A lifeline for queer youth Rainbow Camp Arrivals An undated photo of youths arriving at Rainbow Camp, a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive youth camp located near Echo Bay on the shores of Lake Huron. (Supplied/Rainbow Camp) The camp, which was recently awarded the Governor General's Meritorious Service Medal, provides a rare safe space for 2SLGBTQ+ youth, many of whom describe it as life-changing. Daniel, a former camper turned counsellor, recalled his first experience at Rainbow Camp in 2019. Daniel - Rainbow Camp Councillor Daniel, a former Rainbow Camp attendee turned counsellor, is shown wearing a flower crown during camp councillor training in July 2025. (Rainbow Camp/Facebook) 'I didn't realize how much of a weight I'd been carrying at that point – of my identity and my identity getting in the way of who I was and who I was interacting with,' he said. 'But I remember showing up and suddenly that weight was lifted, and I was like, 'Okay, I'm good.' You don't even realize the difference it makes until it's there.' Now, as a counsellor, Daniel sees the growing need firsthand. 'It's wonderful seeing how many people are now feeling safer to come out and explore their identities,' he said. 'I'm not surprised that there's more interest being shown – because we need that.' Camp councillors - Rainbow Camp Camp councillors for Rainbow Camp training in July 2025. (Rainbow Camp/Facebook) Stewart shared a recent example of a camper who was pulled from attending after their family learned the camp affirms 2SLGBTQ+ identities – a situation that underscores the camp's role as a refuge. The organization said the child's protection worker feared for the youth's safety. 'This is why Rainbow Camp exists – and why we need your help,' he said. Urgent call for support Despite the rising demand, the camp has raised just $40,000 of its $100,000 operating goal for this summer. Stewart warned that without immediate help, they may have to turn youth away. In an email to CTV News, the camp's co-founder emphasized the stakes: 'Rainbow Camp is in crisis. The demand for camper sponsorships has soared, and our funding cannot keep up. Unless immediate support is found, we may be forced to turn youth away, or worse.' — Harry Stewart, the co-founder of Rainbow Camp Rainbow Camp is now appealing to the public for donations and support to raise awareness. 'This would be devastating,' Stewart said. 'Many of our campers come from communities where queer youth often feel isolated. Rainbow Camp is the only place some of them feel safe to be who they are.' Rainbow Camp activities An undated photo of youths participating in Rainbow Camp activities, a 2SLGBTQ+ inclusive youth camp located near Echo Bay, Ont. (Supplied/Rainbow Camp) For more information on Rainbow Camp or how to offer support, visit their social media page.
CBS News
16-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Detroit student pilots perform flyover to honor Tuskegee Airmen: "They mean a lot to this country"
Clear skies in Detroit on Friday made the perfect backdrop for a special flyover for one of the nation's heroes. "I was very excited, very happy to honor the Tuskegee Airmen. They mean a lot to this country and the Air Force history," said student pilot Trinity Sims. Lt. Col. Harry Stewart was one of the two last surviving combat pilots of World War II's famous 332nd fighter group, the Tuskegee Airmen. After Stewart's death in February at the age of 100, the team behind the Tuskegee Airmen National Museum wanted to honor his legacy with the next generation of pilots. On Friday, they conducted a flyover before Stewart was laid to rest. "It's an honor for me, I really appreciate the opportunity to do this," said student pilot Angel Araus. Museum vice president Larry Sargent says the students taking flight are just some of the incredible young people who are part of the airmen's enduring legacy. "We still have a ceiling here yet to break, and here we're instrumental in doing it," said Sargent, Vice President. Surrounded by aircraft that have flown throughout history, Sargent remembers the lessons he learned from Stewart and the men who flew alongside him. "We must do a job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn couldn't have done a better job to be accepted, because they'll challenge us in everything that we do. But if we got that covered, nobody else can top us," said Sargent.
Boston Globe
05-02-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
Decorated pilot Harry Stewart, Jr., one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen, dies
Stewart earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for downing three German aircraft during a dogfight on April 1, 1945. He was also part of a team of four Tuskegee Airmen who won the U.S. Air Force Top Gun flying competition in 1949, although their accomplishment would not be recognized until decades later. Advertisement 'Harry Stewart was a kind man of profound character and accomplishment with a distinguished career of service he continued long after fighting for our country in World War II,' Brian Smith, president and CEO of the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Born on July 4, 1924, in Virginia, his family moved to New York when he was young. Stewart had dreamed of flying since he was a child when he would watch planes at LaGuardia airport, according to a book about his life titled 'Soaring to Glory: A Tuskegee Airmen's Firsthand Account of World War II.' In the wake of Pearl Harbor, an 18-year-old Stewart joined what was then considered an experiment to train Black military pilots. The unit sometimes known as the Tuskegee Airmen for where they trained in Alabama or the Red Tails because of the red tips of their P-51 Mustangs. 'I did not recognize at the time the gravity of what we are facing. I just felt as though it was a duty of mine at the time. I just stood up to my duty,' Stewart said of World War II in a 2024 interview with CNN about the war. Having grown up in a multicultural neighborhood, the segregation and prejudice of the Jim Crow-era South came as a shock to Stewart, but he was determined to finish and earn his wings according to the book about his life. After finishing training, the pilots were assigned to escort U.S. bombers in Europe. The Tuskegee Airmen are credited with losing significantly fewer escorted bombers than other fighter groups. Advertisement 'I got to really enjoy the idea of the panorama, I would say, of the scene I would see before me with the hundreds of bombers and the hundreds of fighter planes up there and all of them pulling the condensation trails, and it was just the ballet in the sky and a feeling of belonging to something that was really big,' Stewart said in a 2020 interview with WAMC. Stewart would sometimes say in a self-effacing way that he was too busy enjoying flying to realize he was making history, according to his book. Stewart had hoped to become a commercial airline pilot after he left the military, but was rejected because of his race. He went on to earn a mechanical engineering degree New York University. He relocated to Detroit and retired as vice president of a natural gas pipeline company. Stewart told Michigan Public Radio in 2019 that he was moved to tears on a recent commercial flight when he saw who was piloting the aircraft. 'When I entered the plane, I looked into the cockpit there and there were two African American pilots. One was the co-pilot, and one was the pilot. But not only that, the thing that started bringing the tears to my eyes is that they were both female,' Stewart said. The Air Force last month briefly removed training course s with videos of its storied Tuskegee Airmen and the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs in an effort to comply with the Trump administration's crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The materials were quickly restored following a bipartisan backlash. Advertisement
