Nikki Blonsky, the star of ABC Family’s breakout hit “Huge” which chronicles the experiences of a group of overweight teenagers at the fictional Camp Victory, made a surprise visit to its real-world counterpart — Camp Shane, the longest-running weight loss camp for kids in the country.
Blonsky was there to announce a scholarship–The Camp Shane Nikki Blonsky Scholarship–which will be awarded to one lucky teen to cover a nine-week session at Camp Shane in the summer of 2011. The scholarship is valued at $8300.
Blonsky will pick the winner herself from essays in which teens will write why they want to attend Camp Shane and why losing weight and getting healthy is important to them. The essays may be submitted via email or regular mail. Contest rules and further information are available at the Camp Shane website (www.campshane.com), or Nikki Blonsky’s website (www.officialnikkiblonsky.com).
During her appearance at Camp Shane, Blonsky got personal with the audience talking about how she overcame a negative self-image to become the happy young woman she is today.
“I do march to the beat of a different drummer, but I am now comfortable in my own skin.” She urged the teen audience to make use of their stay at Camp Shane to learn about healthy eating, nutrition, exercise and most-importantly, self acceptance–urging them to not judge their insides by other people’s outsides. “I am proud of myself for being me, an individual,” Blonsky said. “You should be proud of yourselves too.”
Asked by a camper how Blonsky felt having to pose for publicity photos in a bathing suit, Blonsky smiled and said, “I feel awesome and there is no better way to show off my confidence, is there? I love my body.”
The teens, who love the actress too, screamed with delight as clips of her as “Will” (the blue-haired rebel on “Huge”) played on screens just before she hit the main stage of Camp Shane.
Blonsky thanked the campers for their exuberant welcome and told them that she is glad “Huge” is such a hit, resonating with teens everywhere. “We deal with body issues and eating disorders and popularity and sexual orientation and all the things that teenagers are dealing with everyday,” she says. “The show, just like the program here at Camp Shane, isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about finding out who you are as a person.”
The founders and owners of Camp Shane, David Ettenberg and Ziporah Janowski, were thrilled with Blonsky’s visit and very excited about the scholarship. “Nikki is a great role model for our kids,” said Ettenberg. “She’s a successful, confident, and energetic young woman who learned to believe in herself and let nothing stand in her way. Now another teen will have a chance to join us here at Camp Shane next summer and learn how to empower themselves to lose weight, get healthy, and start on their own road toward a happy future and a long life. We thank Nikki Blonsky for making that possible.”
Tags: Camp Shane, Huge, Nikki Blonsky, weight loss camp
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