Lasting impression: Bartlette presented Luz Legacy Award
Dr. Don Bartlette, left, receives the Luz Legacy Award from Camp Luz Director Andrew Michaels as Camp Luz board member Jacqui Hershberger watches.
When Dr. Don Bartlette has come to Camp Luz to share his life story, even the most rambunctious junior high kids have been so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
For the past 30 years, Bartlette has spoken at the camp on the corner of state Route 30 and Kidron Road over 10 times, leaving a lasting impact on the camp and hundreds of children.
Because of the legacy he has left, he was awarded the Luz Legacy Award.
“The Luz Legacy Award was created as a way of showing appreciation to those who have made a significant contribution to furthering the ministry of Camp Luz,” Camp Director Andrew Michaels said. “Recipients of the award have given sacrificially through volunteer work, financial contributions, extraordinary service or some combination of the above.
“These are the people, whether seen by others or working behind the scenes, who have ensured that the camp’s mission to ‘promote the ministry of the church by providing a camp setting that exalts Jesus Christ’ is being carried out and will be carried out for generations to come.”
Bartlette has shared his story over 20,000 times across America and Canada since 1972. A French Canadian Native American, Bartlette was born with a cleft palate, and the doctor suggested to his mother that she let him die.
She didn’t, but he grew up in poverty as a Chippewa Indian with emotional, speech and physical disabilities in an environment of poverty, family and school violence, juvenile delinquency, homelessness, child abuse, racism, and alcoholism. It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that a woman in the community took him under her wing and helped him, teaching him how to talk and read.
His book, “Macaroni at Midnight,” shares his story. A shortened version of it can be found on YouTube, and he’s working on a movie.
After a very dysfunctional and sad childhood, Bartlette went on to be one of his high school valedictorians, got his degree in social work, and then worked with minority children, abused clients, disabled persons and low-income people through city, county, state and national organizations.
A special award ceremony to present Bartlette with the Luz Legacy Award happened April 19 at Camp Luz. His friend and co-worker for 38 years, Doug Pugh, proprietor of Chick-fil-A in Canton, was present and provided meals for the nearly 50 guests.
When Bartlette speaks, he usually offers CFA coupons as prizes, and Bartlette wanted to honor Pugh.
“In the Native American culture, we have a ceremony called an honored ceremony when we honor non-native people who have become special through our lives,” Bartlette said. “Doug never told me ‘no’ anytime I wanted to share Chick-fil-A. He has a heart of compassion.”
After receiving the award, Bartlette, 85, presented Pugh with some special Native American handmade gloves that were given to him in an honors ceremony 30 years ago in the uppermost part of Canada.
“I don’t know how many more years we’ll have to do this together, but the years we have had have been special and precious,” Pugh said.
Camp Luz awarded Bartlette an oil lamp from Lehman’s Hardware, a certificate and a placard to add to its Wall of Legacy.
On June 28 a public event is being planned at Camp Luz for the unveiling of the Next Generation Initiative. Bartlette, one of the honorary chairs of the initiative, plans to attend.