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>> WELL, AS YOU KNOW, SUMMER
CAMPS ARE IN FULL SWING ACROSS
THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
WE WANT TO TELL BUT ONE IN THE
NEW YORK AREA THAT IS HAVING A
LASTING IMPACT ALL YEAR LONG.
IT IS THE VISION OF ONE MAN AND
IT PROVES THAT A GUY WITH A
GREAT IDEA CAN REALLY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE.
>> FAR, FAR FROM THE CITY, IN A
PEACEFUL PLACE I UPSTATE NEW
YORK, THERE IS A CAMP FOR
CHILDREN, NAMED FOR A RABBIT.
PFEIFFER WAS A VISIONARY WHO LED
HIS COMMUNITY AWIE FROM DANGER
TO A SAFE PLACE.
>> LOOK, YOU CAN SEE THE WHOLE
WORLD.
>> TOM TUCKER HAD A SIMILAR
VISION.
TO PROVIDE A SAFE HAVEN FOR CITY
KIDS LIVING AT OR BELOW POVERTY
LEVEL.
KIDS WITH FEW OPPORTUNITIES, AND
MANY CHALLENGES.
>> WHAT I WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH
FOR KIDS WAS TO GIVE THEM ALL A
CHANCE.
ALLOW THEM TO DREAM.
>> SO AT 51, HE LEFT A
SUCCESSFUL FINANCE CAREER IN NEW
YORK CITY.
BOUGHT A 1129 ACRE FARM.
AND STARTED CAMP PFEIFFER, FOR
CHILDREN FROM 8 TO 17.
BUT THE CAMP IS REALLY THE
CATALYST FOR CHANGE IN THEIR
LIVES.
>> I LIKE THAT WE LEARN A LOT OF
THINGS LIKE SWIMMING, AND ART,
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> KIDS AND COUNSELORS ARE HAPPY
HERE.
DOING THE FUN THINGS CAMPERS DO,
SWIMMING, KAYAKING, WEAVING,
WRITING.
THERE IS MORE HAPPENING HERE.
>> WE'RE GOING TO WRITE WORDS
THAT WE THINK/÷ ABOUT WHEN WE HR
THE WORD INJUSTICE.
>> WHERE FOUR SESSIONS OF
CHILDREN COME FOR TWO WEEKS EACH
SUMMER.
>> WE HAVE A CHARACTER EDUCATION
PROGRAM AT CAMP THAT IS THE
FOCAL POINT OF THE TWO-WEEK
EXPERIENCE AT CAMP.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR THE
KIDS TO DEVELOP OVER TIME IS
THAT CHARACTER.
>> SO EVERY DAY, THE CHILDREN
ALSO FOCUS ON VALUES.
>> IT'S THE THOUGHT OF THE DAY,
AND IT'S GOING TO BE COURAGEOUS.
>> AND LEARN WHAT THEY REALLY
MEAN.
>> IT TAKES A LOT TO BE
COURAGEOUS.
LIKE YESTERDAY I JUMPED IN THE
LAKE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
>> AND THEY'VE GIVEN MORE
MEANING TO THE NAME FIVE.
>> IT MADE ME WHO I AM.
TO TRY TO HAVE THE FIVE
CHARACTERS OF FIVER.
A FRIEND, AN INDIVIDUAL, AN
ENVIRONMENTALIST, AND A RISK
TAKER.
>> THE KIDS CAN COME BACK YEAR
AFTER YEAR FOR TEN YEARS, FREE
OF CHARGE.
>> AT FIRST I JUST THOUGHT IT
WAS A CAMP, NOW IT'S MY HOME.
>> OH, BOY, A CAMP WHERE KIDS
PLAY?
>> AND THE OTHER 50 WEEKS A
YEAR?
>> FIVER FOUNDATION STAFF
MEMBERS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH
OF THEM.
PROVIDING YEAR LOCK ACADEMIC,
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT.
>> IT'S ABOUT SERVING THE WHOLE
CHILD.
WE SUPPORT THE FAMILY, WE
SUPPORT THE CHILD NOT ONLY
THROUGHOUT ONE YEAR, BUT
THROUGHOUT TEN YEARS.
>> 85% OF THE KIDS COME BACK AND
GROW UP HERE.
EARNING MORE RESPONSIBILITY
ALONG THE WAY.
CHILDREN LIKE DANIEL, LAUREN,
AND FRANCIS.
NOW TEENAGERS, AND COUNSELORS IN
TRAINING.
>> THE COUNSELORS WERE ALWAYS
THERE FOR ME.
I WAS NEVER HOME SICK.
THEY WERE LIKE MY BIG SISTER,
AND NOW I'M GIVING BACK, BECAUSE
I'M LIKE THEIR BIG SISTER.
>> STAFFERS AND COUNSELORS ARE
CHOSEN CAREFULLY, TO BE STRONG
ROLE MODELS.
>> IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN
EVERYONE.
IT LETS EVERYONE SEE EVERYONE
HAS POSITIVE ATTITUDES AND
POSITIVE THINGS ABOUT THEM.
>> LARRY GELLER IS A RETIRED
JUDGE WHO WORKS HERE EVERY
SUMMER.
HE TEACHES SWIMING AND MORE.
HE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING BETTER
HE COULD DO WITH HIS TIME.
>> HI, LARRY GELLER.
>> TERRY CARPENTER.
>> PLEASE SAY HELLO TO STACEY.
>> EVERYONE SEEMS TO BE CHANGED
BY THIS PLACE.
BILL GRIFFITH WAS A HIGH SCHOOL
PRINCIPAL, WHO BELIEVES
PFEIFFER'S LONG-TERM COMMITMENT
TO THESE KIDS IS -- FIVER'S
LONG-TERM COMMITMENT TO THESE
KIDS IS WHAT MAKES IT MAGIC.
>> WE SEE THE 8-YEAR-OLDS MATURE
IN 12, 14, 16, NOW THEY'RE
SPEAKING TO US ABOUT THEIR
THOUGHTS ABOUT COLLEGE.
>> THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT,
AND THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING THAT
WE DO WITH THEM IS OUR HALLMARK.
>> SO TOM TUCKER'S DREAM IS
SPAWNING OTHER DREAMS.
>> I WAS BASICALLY JUST IN THE
SHADOWS, BUT NOW LIKE I PROJECT
MYSELF BETTER.
I WANT TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
>> I THINK IT'S GOOD HEARTED
PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS WORK.
I THINK IT'S PEOPLE THAT BELIEVE
THAT THERE IS GOOD IN EVERY
CHILD, AND THAT YOU CAN BRING
THAT OUT BY PROVIDING A REALLY
COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT FOR EACH
KID.
>> THE OLDEST FIVER KIDS ARE OFF
TO COLLEGE THIS FALL.
SO LIKE WHAT FIVER EXPECTED, A
SAFE PLACE CAN CHANGE LIVES.
♪ IT'S ALL ABOUT LOVE ♪
>> LOOKS LIKE A GREAT PLACE.
IF YOU'D LIKE MORE INFORMATION
ABOUT THE FIVER FOUNDATION, YOU
CAN FIND IT AT OUR WEBSITE AT
TODAY.MSNBC.COM.
WHEN WE COME BACK, A TEENAGER
WHO HAS HIS CAREER COOKING ON
THE FRONT BURNER.
WE'LL EXPLAIN THAT.
BUT FIRST, THIS IS "TODAY" ON
NBC.