Click photo to enlarge
Andrew Winston who appeared in High School Musical 1 and 2 leads kids in a group dance at a motivational summer camp called "Keep the Dream Alive Summer Camp" held at the Adventure Church in Draper. The camp is "to help all kids especially the ones who have lost their way or [are] underprivileged." It involves lots of activities, including motivational speeches. Through workshops, mentorship, events, and training, the camp tries "to inspire the next generation to use their talents to make a difference in the world." Throughout the week, there will be several celebrities making appearances, including "High School Musical" stars, Mrs. Utah, David Osmond and others.

For 33 years, singer Angela Winston has entertained audiences with her voice.

Along the way, the Salt Lake City vocalist has opened for Dave Matthews, Brooks and Dunn and Kenny Loggins.

She sang for George W. Bush, and 35,000 others, in Austin, Texas on election night in 2000, and she's performed in concert alongside Thurl Bailey and David Archuleta.

Singing, Winston believes, is why she was put on this planet.

Now her goal is to help others -- especially youngsters -- discover their own dreams.

So, Winston founded the Keep the Dream Alive Summer Camp. In the first year of what Winston hopes becomes an ongoing event, the Draper camp drew about 110 kids -- ages 9-16 -- last week from across the valley.

The Christian-themed camp took place at the Adventure Foursquare Church. The fee was $180, but many students were sponsored or allowed to come for free.

Throughout the week, campers took singing, dancing and acting classes. They heard from motivational speakers, including former pro football player Damon Dunn. They met "High School Musical" actors and former "American Idol" participants David Osmond and Taylor Vaifanua.

"I just really feel that we have a lot of young people that don't know where they're going, what they want to do," said Winston, who shared her own story with campers.

At 9, she lost her father. Her mother struggled with alcoholism. Life was hard, but she kept her dream alive,

Advertisement
finding strength and purpose from Patsy Charles, a teacher she met in Lawton, Okla., who encouraged her to cultivate her musical gifts.

"I think throughout your life, God will send you somebody to help you get over the hump," Winston said.

Now she wants to perform Charles' role to someone else, perhaps to many people.

A few years ago, Winston began asking everyone she met: "What is your dream?"

"I found out even grown people, 50, 60 [years old] to young [people] have no idea, and it really bothered me," Winston said. "There's no reason anyone should walk through life -- see, I don't want to start crying -- walk through life without knowing the very reason for which they were born."

When Butterfield Canyon sixth-grader Bella Manuel was asked her favorite part of the camp, she was quick to respond: "Angela," said the Herriman student. Bella is amazed Winston -- who has never organized a major event -- was able to pull off such an elaborate camp.

For Tara Kelso, 17, visiting from Nebraska, the camp has helped her discover her "higher power."

"It's been really inspiring to have help, just to know that there's help out there," Tara said. "You feel free to be yourself here. Automatically on the first day, everyone's just crazy and out there."

Thomas Jefferson Junior High Colton Levanger was skeptical of the camp at first. Singing and dancing?

No way, Colton thought.

"Actually, I was more into video games," said Colton of West Jordan, adding he believed performing arts were a "sissy sport."

His opinion has changed.

"I found out it actually feels pretty good," Colton said. "It's like football. It gets your heart pumping fast."

Winston says the camp was such a success, she is planning several more events, such as Saturday barbecues and more full-blown camps.

"We don't just want this to be a one-time thing," Winston said. "We want to follow up and make an impact in these kids' lives."

ndicou@sltrib.com