`HOMETOWN HERO' COULD WIN NATIONAL AWARD.

Byline: CAROL ROCK Staff Writer

VALENCIA -- A Valencia mother dedicated to helping children affected by HIV/AIDS has been recognized by an international automaker as a ``hometown hero'' for the second year in a row.

Eva Payne, who created Camp Kindle nine years ago for children infected with or affected by the disease, is a finalist in the 2006 Volvo For Life national competition. Earlier this year, she was awarded $25,000. Now she's eligible for other financial rewards as well as a new car.

Soren Johansson of Volvo said Payne was nominated out of 16,000 heroes from the previous five years' ceremonies.

``It was a complicated process; we had three juries who scored all of the names in the database to come up with five nominations from each state,'' he said. ``It's a hard call because each one of the nominees is so deserving.''

Payne said the $25,000 award is going toward the purchase of a camp in Frazier Park that her group used last year. The 22-acre site, the former Camp Tecuya at the base of Mt. Pinos, now owned by the Tres Condados Council of the Girl Scouts, is on the market for $850,000.

``We only need to raise $150,000 more to gain site control, with the Volvo money and a $20,000 commitment from our board of directors,'' she said. ``We can pay the balance over the next five years.''

Payne said having their own facility saves money in several areas, one of the biggest being meal service. Last year's camp was held at Big Bear.

This summer, 45 children and their families benefited from Camp Kindle's programs in California and 100 more participated in Nebraska. Payne is working on involving more parents in the camp experience to give them a break.

``We would still do traditional stuff, with our education and recreational programs, but we'd also offer them a chance to be out in nature with their children.

``When we look at our kids, we know they are dealing with so many other issues, their HIV/AIDS is a small portion. They live each day just trying to get by, making sure they have food on the table, living in poverty and trying to stay in school.''

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 1 million Americans are living with AIDS and 40,000 will become infected within the next year. A significant number of those will be under 25.

Payne is encouraged by the fact that prenatal education and medical treatments have lowered the number of babies being born with HIV/AIDS, but said it changes the dynamic of her group.

``We need to develop programming for 16- to 21-year-olds. Children are living now who used to think they'd never see adulthood,'' she said. ``We need to give them life skills classes; how to apply for college, fill out a job application, write a r(hrt)sum(hrt) and have a successful life.''

She and a college friend who writes children's plays are working on a musical play about Camp Kindle that Payne dreams will make it to Broadway.

``We hope it's going to be the next `Rent,''' a musical based on a community of friends dealing with HIV/AIDS, she said.

Along with running the summer camps, Payne and other volunteers do outreach programs that meet the health curriculum requirements for junior high and high schools.

Finalists will be selected by online voting, available at www.volvoforlife.com. Only the top winners will be chosen by the panel of celebrity judges and previous winners.

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(color) Eva Payne is a ``hometown hero'' in the 2006 Volvo For Life national competition.

David Crane/Staff Photographer