C.O.C.A. Conference

As the Chairman & Founder of Camp Good Days, I have had the privilege of meeting some amazing individuals and speaking at various different conventions. Last weekend, I spoke to an audience I felt compelled to write about. For the first time in far too long, I reconnected with Children’s Oncology Camping Association (C.O.C.A.) at their International Conference that took place in Niagara Falls, Ontario. With the company of a few members of our staff, we spent a few days interacting and networking with other camps from around the world.

C.O.C.A. is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart. In 1982, C.O.C.A., Children's Oncology Camps of America was founded by a dozen pioneer oncology camps. The personnel from these twelve camps found the lives of children with cancer were immeasurably enhanced by camping. Noting their similar experiences, these visionary souls believed a forum should be created to share their ideas and experiences. That forum known as C.O.C.A. currently consists of over 65 member camps from within the United States.

One of my most fond memories of C.O.C.A. was when we hosted the Annual C.O.C.A.-I Conference in Rochester, NY in November of 1990. Much like when we hosted in 1990, this conference reminded me of why I had helped to start C.O.C.A. It was great to reconnect with some old friends, and share information and stories. It was truly a nice opportunity to see how much C.O.C.A. has grown for children and families battling cancer.

Lastly, it was an honor to speak to the audience about Cancer Mission 2020, an initiative of Camp Good Days to make cancer a chronic illness by 2020, where one can still maintain a decent quality of life. The main point of emphasis that I touched on was the importance of clinical trials. Clinical trials are where the answers to cancer are going to come from.

As we approach the Holidays and are gearing up to send Holiday cards, we’d ask that you make Cancer Mission 2020 a part of your traditions this year. Have your family sign the petition, share it with your friends on Facebook. What better gift could you give than helping us find the answers to cancer?