For 12-year-old Anna Marie Watts, Camp BB Riback is more than a summer camp.

Living in Lacombe, she does not have the same opportunities to participate in Jewish community life that many Edmonton Jewish youth enjoy. For the past several summers, camp has been a place where she has built friendships, created memories, and spent time with other Jewish children who share her experiences and traditions.

"She loves it so much," says her father, Jamey Watts. "All the friendships she makes, the memories."

Anna Marie has attended Camp BB Riback for five or six years. She was first introduced to camp through one of her best friends, Maya, whose family encouraged the Watts family to explore the opportunity. What began as a summer experience quickly became an important part of Anna Marie's connection to Jewish community.

The friendships she formed at camp extended well beyond the summer months. Through those relationships, she has attended friends' bar and bat mitzvah celebrations and become connected to a broader network of Jewish peers.

"Definitely Jewish connections," Jamey says when asked about the impact camp has had on his daughter.

Over the past several years, Jamey has worked to rebuild his life following a difficult divorce. As a single parent raising Anna Marie, he faced significant financial challenges, including selling his home and starting over with a reduced income.

"It drained me financially," he says.

Despite those challenges, Jamey was determined to keep camp within reach for his daughter. But as registration approached this summer, the cost became increasingly difficult to manage.

"We were well prepared and expected, unfortunately, that she just might not be able to attend this year," Jamey says.

That's when Jewish Federation of Edmonton's Integrated Bursary Program made a difference.

Funded through donations to the United Jewish Appeal Campaign, the program helps individuals and families access Jewish experiences that might otherwise be out of reach financially. For Anna Marie, that support meant another summer at Camp BB Riback and another opportunity to strengthen the friendships and community connections that have become so meaningful to her.

The bursary covered most of her camp fees, helping remove a significant financial barrier for the family.

"When we got the word, we were floored," Jamey says.

For Jamey, the bursary represented far more than assistance with a camp registration fee. It meant knowing his daughter could continue participating in an experience that helps her feel connected to other Jewish youth.

When Anna Marie learned that the bursary support came from community donations, she understood that people she had never met were helping make her camp experience possible.

"She's got a big heart," Jamey says. "We try to pay it forward as much as we can, whenever we can."

As Anna Marie looks ahead to celebrating her own bat mitzvah, the friendships and experiences she has gained through camp continue to shape her connection to Jewish life.

Through gifts to the United Jewish Appeal Campaign, donors help young people access meaningful Jewish experiences, build lasting friendships, and stay connected to community, regardless of where they live.

"I can't express hers and my gratitude enough," Jamey says. "Words don't explain it or do it justice."

For Anna Marie, camp remains a place where friendships are strengthened and community is built. For Jamey, knowing she can continue to be part of that experience is something for which he is deeply grateful.