Kolton Reibel, 7, crosses an obstacle course at Urban Air Adventure Park in Cranberry Township. Kolton participated in this year’s annual Camp KOALA on Tuesday, June 6, hosted by the Allegheny Health Network West Penn Hospital’s Burn Center. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle

CRANBERRY TWP — Over a dozen children treated at West Penn Hospital’s Burn Center gathered at Urban Air Adventure Park on Tuesday, June 6, to run, bounce and swing.

“Part of our company mantra is that we are here for kids to celebrate, connect and escape,” said Naomi Hardy, the park’s general manager. “And I think that’s what they’re doing today.”

The playful excursion was part of the Allegheny Health Network’s Camp KOALA — kids overcoming, adapting, learning and achieving — for victims of burn injuries.

Linda Leonard, director of the West Penn Burn Camp and a nurse at the burn center, said the program has been ongoing for nearly 40 years.

“Back in the ’80s, many burn centers were starting pediatric programs, because we were seeing that kids weren’t being kids after their burn injuries,” Leonard said. “So we thought we would start having a camp where the kids could be normal kids and do ‘normal’ stuff.”

Leonard said the camp was regularly the best time of the year for the kids and the staff.

“You know, you took care of the kids earlier in the year and burns are painful, burns are difficult, and you have to make them exercise and it’s not pleasant,” Leonard said. “But once you get to see them at camp, they’re regular kids doing regular stuff.”

The five-day long camp was held at Camp Kon-O-Kwee this year in Zelienople, and is free of charge for children ages 7 through 17.

“They did fishing, they did swimming, we did scuba-diving ... crafts, all kinds of games, team-building,” Leonard said.

Additionally, she said that the group ran a relay with City of Pittsburgh Firefighters on Monday and regularly holds peer groups for youths to share their experiences with their injures.

“The kids all sit around and kind of just talk about what’s going on in their lives,” Leonard said. “It kind of helps with, ‘Oh, I’m not the only one experiencing what I’m experiencing.’”

Leonard said, “the kids come back year after year” for the camp, with many of them becoming counselors at the camp.

“They become friends,” she said. “A lot of them become friends for life.”

Kylie Phillips, 10, makes her way through the rope course Tuesday, June 6, at Urban Air Adventure Park in Cranberry Township as part of Camp KOALA . Austin Uram/Butler Eagle

According to Leonard, the camp takes on a new theme every year.

“And then depending on our theme of the year, we will try to do something different, so this year’s theme is ‘Meet the Challenge,’” she said. ”This is challenging for some of us, and so I contacted Urban Air about the cost and if they would be able to accommodate us.

“Generously, they donated this private party time, so this has been awesome.”

Camper Shann Israel, 15, said he liked playing gaga ball — a blend of dodgeball and soccer — and he also said he liked his experience at Urban Air “a lot.”

“My favorite part was probably the jousting,” Shann said.

And in his jousting duels on the park’s ‘Battle Beam,’ Shann said he always came out on top.

“We try to provide a safe environment where kids can seek out adventures that they wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to do in the normal course of their day,” owner John Wambold said.

While the park has participated in a variety of community and charity events since its opening in 2017, Wambold said this was the first year they had worked with the West Penn Burn Camp.

“We’d welcome the burn camp back, and we’d be open to talking to any community groups that exist on the philanthropic gifts of others in the community,” Wambold said.

He said the event really did prove to be an escape for the laughing and jumping kids of the West Penn Burn Camp.

“They forget about it while they’re here, and they have a great time,” Wambold said. “And it just lets kids be kids.”

As the group’s private party came to a close, Leonard said the camp still had one major activity planned for the day: Pittsburgh Pirates tickets.

“So we’re going to eat in the city — and then we’re going to go over to the park,” Leonard said.

The Pirates game versus the Oakland A’s will be the camp’s closing activity she said, as events end Wednesday.

“So, they better win,” Leonard said, chuckling. “That’s all I have to say.”

As part of Camp KOALA, Skylah Wolfe, 11, swims in the ball pit Tuesday, June 6, at Urban Air Adventure Park in Cranberry Township. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle

Madelyn Helms, 16, swings over the ball pit at Urban Air Adventure Park in Cranberry Township as part of Camp KOALA on Tuesday, June 6. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle

Cash Redford, 14, makes his way through the rope course Tuesday, June 6, at Urban Air Adventure Park in Cranberry Township as part of Camp KOALA. Austin Uram/Butler Eagle