Camp Good Days and Special Times

30th Annual Dance for Love This Weekend!

2012-02-16T15:02:00.001-05:00

As I talked about in my last post, the 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love will be taking place this weekend, Friday and Saturday, February 17^th and 18^th, in the Student Life Center at St. John Fisher College. It is truly astounding to think that this special event has been going on for 30 years – nearly all of the years that Camp Good Days has been in existence.

I am so thrilled that my good friend, Lou Buttino, who helped to start the Dance for Love 30 years ago, is here in Rochester this week, to help us celebrate and commemorate this significant milestone, and that Lou Gramm, former lead singer of Foreigner, is joining us as well, as the Honorary Chairman.

For all of you in the Greater Rochester area, I sincerely encourage you, even if you only have a few spare minutes, to stop by St. John Fisher College this weekend, between 8:00 PM on Friday and 8:00 PM on Saturday and see firsthand the love, dedication, commitment, and courage displayed by all those taking part in the Teddi Dance for Love.

As part of our commitment to and involvement in the Teddi Dance for Love, we will be bringing a group of campers to the event on Saturday, from 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM. The campers will have the chance to meet the participants, take part in a kid’s carnival, and of course get some dancing in!

Following the Dance for Love, the campers will have an overnight slumber party at our Camp Good Days’ Headquarters, complete with movies, popcorn, and ice cream sundaes. On Sunday morning, the group will head to Buffalo and meet some of our campers from that area. All of the campers will be the special guests of the Canisius Women’s Basketball Team where they will have a Pizza Party together and then watch the team take on Fairfield in their 2:00 PM game. Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Terry Zeh, has been a great friend to the children at Camp Good Days, participating in the Annual Tournament of Love Golf Scramble and arranging for his team to visit the campers at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, located on the shores of Keuka Lake in Branchport, New York. During their visits, the players and the campers have lunch together and participate in a Basketball Clinic and other games.

Also, on Saturday morning, Wendy and I will be attending the St. John Fisher College Football Banquet. It will be great to see all of the players and coaches again and take some time to celebrate the successful 2011 Football Season.

In other news, we continue to make progress with CANCER MISSION 2020. I had the opportunity to speak with my Congressman, Tom Reed, this past Tuesday, and he and his staff are working diligently on important legislation to be introduced into Congress. More details on this legislation will be available in the coming weeks.

We are also looking forward to meeting with Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks, along with Monroe County Health Department Deputy Director, Dr. Byron Kennedy, and a group of doctors, support service representatives and government representatives, in the next couple of weeks, to talk about ways in which we can make finding a cure for cancer a priority in our community.

We are also working with our College Campus Advocates on a variety of activities and efforts, as they all work to spread the word about CANCER MISSION 2020 on their respective campuses.

Again, I urge you to check out www.cancermission2020.com, learn the facts about where we stand in the fight against cancer and if you feel the way we do, sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and share the site with your network of contacts.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend, and don’t forget, if you have time and are in the area, stop by the Teddi Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College!

February 2, 2012

2012-02-02T12:48:00.000-05:00

I know it has been some time since my last posting, but for the first time in 35 years, I had the opportunity to spend seven days with my wife, Wendy, doing something that had nothing to do with work…no cell phones, no computers, as we recently took a seven-day cruise on board the Royal Caribbean’s Oasis.

This adventure started a few years ago when I was honored to attend the wedding of Mike and Trish Bewley. Mike was of one of Camp Good Days’ Board Members and someone who had attended St. John Fisher College and played football for me for four years, and he and Trish were married on the beach in Ft. Lauderdale. While we were there for the wedding, the weather was so beautiful and each morning Wendy would go out and jog along the beach and I would get some coffee and the morning papers. On one of those mornings, we watched in complete awe as the largest cruise ship we had ever seen came into port. When we got back to our hotel room, Good Morning America, was broadcasting live on board the ship as it entered its port of call and was getting ready for its maiden voyage. The next morning, there was a feature article in USA Today about the new Oasis ship, which was the largest cruise ship in the world.

About a year ago, I was out at WYSL 1040AM / 92.1FM taping the monthly Camp Good Days’ Radio Show, with my co-host and NEWS10NBC Anchor, Rich Funke. Rich had just returned from a cruise vacation and was telling me that they were already planning another one. Rich asked if I had ever been on a cruise and I told him I had not and that I really had no desire to go on one. He told me that he and his wife, along with several other couples were planning a cruise on the Oasis for January 2012. When I told him the story about being in Ft. Lauderdale when the Oasis originally came into port, he told me that there might still be room if I wanted to book the trip and join them. I thought what a great gift for Wendy’s birthday and our anniversary so I took Rich up on his offer and booked the cruise.

I can tell you that this was truly one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. My favorite part was that at the end of each day, when we returned to our room, I would sit out on our balcony, in the pitch black, just looking at the stars and the moon and listening to the waves on the ocean. It made me realize the power of Mother Nature and the power of God and gave me a much needed opportunity to just relax and think. I was reminded once again that it is not how long we are blessed to be on this earth that is most important, but it is how we live our lives while we are here and the memories we leave behind.

After being back in the office this past Monday and going home in the evening, I can honestly say it felt like I had never left, as we have so much going on at Camp Good Days and there is much work to be done as we strive each day to fulfill our mission and provide the most meaningful experience for all those we serve.

One of the neatest things that Camp Good Days has the opportunity to be a part of each year is the Annual Teddi Dance for Love, a 24-hour dance marathon, at St. John Fisher College. This February 17 & 18, 2012 will be the 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love. Think about that – this is the 33^rd year of Camp Good Days and the 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love; the 30^th year that the students, administration, faculty, staff, and alumni at St. John Fisher College have helped Camp Good Days to be able to be there for every child and family that needs us.

No matter how cold it is outside on that Friday and Saturday, and even though the weather has been pretty good, I can guarantee that weekend will be cold, there is always an overwhelming amount of love and warmth inside. It is amazing that these students, on their own, began planning this event the day following last year’s, and that they are committed to weekly meetings, planning, and all of the logistical details of making this a great success.

Even though we will have some of the campers from Camp Good Days at the event on Saturday, February 18^th for a few hours, to spend some time with the students, so many of the campers never have the opportunity to meet and thank these special students, so my job is to be there at the end of the event and thank them for all they have done to help support Camp Good Days and to help keep alive the memory of a very special little girl, my daughter, Teddi.

I am so thrilled that Dr. Lou Buttino, who not only was an integral part of the formation of the Teddi Dance for Love 30 years ago when he was a professor at St. John Fisher College, but wrote the book, For The Love of Teddi: The Story Behind Camp Good Days and Special Times, is coming back to Rochester, from his current home in North Carolina where he is now a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, to help commemorate this amazing anniversary. I am also excited that Lou Gramm, rock legend of Foreigner fame, who was part of the Teddi Dance for Love in the early years, will be joining us this year as our Honorary Chairman.

When Lou Buttino wrote For the Love of Teddi, he stated that, “immortality is to be loved by anonymous people.” It always amazes me how much of Teddi’s spirit is at St. John Fisher College, especially during the 24 hours of the Teddi Dance for Love and as her father, it is beyond words to describe the feeling of having all those students calling her name – students who were not even born when Teddi died. As Teddi’s Dad, I can never thank these students enough for the gift they give to me.

As a coach, you always hope that at the end of each contest, on the field or on the court, that your players gave it everything and left nothing behind. If they have, they will have that really good feeling of knowing that they gave it their all, despite their exhaustion. That is how much each and every one of these students give and how they feel at the end of the Teddi Dance for Love.

If you want to truly see the good in the world, have your faith restored in young people, and if you really want to see the human spirit soar, come to the Student Life Center on the campus of St. John Fisher College on Saturday, February 18, 2012 for the final hour of the Teddi Dance for Love, from 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM. You will experience this special atmosphere firsthand, because when the Teddi Dance for Love ends, after those 24 hours, you will see students who are exhausted, with sore feet and aching backs, but who have such great satisfaction of knowing that they gave it their all to help some very special children and families in our community.

If you have never been to the Teddi Dance for Love or would like to help the students in their efforts, check out http://home.sjfc.edu/teddi/ or contact the committee at teddi@sjfc.edu.

Camp Good Days has been so blessed to have so many young people throughout the year support our children and families. In addition to the Teddi Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College, the high school students at Fayetteville-Manlius High School host an Annual Dance Marathon, which will take place this year on Saturday, March 3, 2012. Not only have these students done an extraordinary job raising money to support the children and families we serve – reaching the one million dollar mark last year – but so many of them take time out of their summers to volunteer during our residential camping programs. And just last year, students at Ithaca College, for the first time, held the Dance for Courage to benefit Camp Good Days. The Second Annual Dance for Courage will take place this year on Saturday, April 14, 2012.

All of these young people have helped in tremendous ways so that we can continue to be there for all those children and families who need our programs and services. As I am sure many of you who are reading this know, all of our programs and services are provided free of charge for the participants, so as not to place any additional financial burden on those families served. We could not continue to do this without the generous support from so many, like all of these students.

It is often said that the greatest gifts we as human beings can give to one another are our time and our love and all those involved with the dance events at St. John Fisher College, Ithaca College, and Fayetteville-Manlius High School give so much of both and for that we are forever grateful!

I hope that you will share these blog postings with your family, friends and colleagues and we are about to start something new…if you have questions about anything that Camp Good Days is doing – our programs, our services, our special events, our volunteer opportunities, our donation options, or CANCER MISSION 2020 - which is also so important and let me ask you again to please, if you have not yet done so, check out www.cancermission2020.com, learn the facts about where we stand in the fight against cancer and if you feel the way we do, sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and share the site with your network of contacts – feel free to leave your comment or question via the comments section of the blog. I will be taking questions and selecting a few to answer each time I blog.

Finally, keep in mind the many ways you can stay in touch with Camp Good Days and stay up-to-date with all we have going on:

Check out our website, www.campgooddays.org

Become our fan on Facebook, www.facebook.com/CampGoodDays79

Tune in to the monthly Radio Show, “Good Days & Special Times” the first Thursday of every month, at 6:30 PM on WYSL 92.1 FM AND 1040 AM.

Happy New Year

2012-01-09T12:26:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope that the Holiday Season treated everyone well! Here at Camp Good Days, New Year’s Eve found us in Downtown Rochester, first at the Blue Cross Arena for the Rochester Razor Sharks home-opener. The Razor Sharks were kind enough to provide us with a table to sell kazoos to game attendees and to share some information about CANCER MISSION 2020. It was a great start to the season for the team as they started off with a victory. We also had tables set up at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, as part of the City of Rochester’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations. It was a great event with a great crowd and a number of family-friendly events and activities. Joining us were Bill and Desi Benet, as they usually do. Bill’s father, Joe Benet, started the Kazoo Fest some 66 years ago just a few blocks from where we were, at Sibley’s. It is amazing to see this holiday tradition still going strong so many years later, and what a blessing that this event benefits the children and families at Camp Good Days. The evening concluded as Bill and I were invited to join Rochester Mayor, Tom Richards and City Council Member, Dana Miller, on the stage outside to lead the crowd in Auld Lang Syne on the kazoos, which was then followed by a beautiful fireworks show. Wendy and I then headed home and watched the ball drop on TV, her sipping on some champagne and me sipping my diet coke.

Overall, we had a phenomenal Holiday Season and a special thank you goes out to the thousands of community members, many, many volunteers, as well as the managers and employees of the JC Penney stores at Eastview Mall, Marketplace Mall, and Greece Ridge Center Mall; as well as those at the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo; the Carousel Mall in Syracuse; and the Old Navy Store at The Shops at Ithaca, who all helped to make the 2011 Camp Good Days and Special Times’ Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest a resounding success generating more than $113,000 to support the children and families at Camp Good Days!

On New Year’s Day, I was looking forward to spending the day watching some football, only to be presented with Wendy hollering that she had stabbed herself while shucking oysters. So off we went, first to the Urgent Care in Pittsford, which was very crowded, and then to the Urgent Care in Henrietta. Everyone there was so nice and got Wendy’s injury cleaned and stitched up.

With the start of the New Year, we had for the first time in some weeks, all of our staff members back in the office and we had a Staff Meeting to get everyone caught up. On Wednesday, we hosted our Annual Open House and it was so nice to see so many friends, both new and old, who took the time out of their busy schedules to come and break bread and spend some time with our staff members and fellow visitors at our Mendon Office.

On Thursday we had our first Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting of the year and then I headed to the Monroe County Sports Commission Meeting, where I was elected to serve as Secretary of the Board for another term. On Thursday evening we had the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition & Auction Dinner Committee Meeting.

I am excited about the coming year and all that we have planned. We are now in the process of beginning to lay out the program schedule for 2012 and to put together our Camper Registration Forms and Volunteer Applications. We are fully committed to providing the best programs we can for all the children and families we serve and doing so at no cost to the participants. I continue to marvel at what a great community we have and the fact that we are able to generate the financial support necessary to provide our programs free of charge. Where else can you go where prices are the same that they were 33 years ago – that price being free?

In the coming year we want to expand our Young Adult Program. When we initially began offering this program, it was for those young men and women ages 18-29 dealing with cancer. We expanded the program to include ages 18-39 and we now will expand further by opening the program to those young men and women along with their significant other / friend.

We will also look at offering a Cycling Program for the women who participate in our Women’s Oncology Program, as well as to look at offering a Sailing Program for the women and the Young Adult Program participants.

We are in the full planning process for many of our special fundraising events and for a complete listing of these events as well as the details on how you can get involved, check out our website, www.campgooddays.org. You can also stay up-to-date with all that is going on at Camp Good Days by tuning into the Camp Good Days’ Radio Show, the first Thursday of each month on WYSL News Power 1040AM / 92.1 FM or online at www.wysl1040.com.

We are working full steam ahead with CANCER MISSION 2020 and I am excited about the legislation being drafted now, which will be introduced into Congress by Congressman Tom Reed, co-sponsored by Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, Congressman Richard Hanna and Congresswoman Kathy Hochul. With this legislation we will begin the Call To Action phase of CANCER MISSION 2020. We have been meeting and talking with Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks, and Dr. Byron Kennedy, Assistant Director of the Monroe County Department of Health, regarding a Cancer Plan here in Monroe County. I also had the chance to speak briefly with Rochester Mayor, Tom Richards, about this plan and I am excited that we will be taking a leadership here in Monroe County and the City of Rochester to address this issue.

To kick off the New Year, I had a featured interview about CANCER MISSION 2020 with Norma Holland, which aired yesterday on her “Many Voices, Many Visions” program on 13WHAM TV.

We are also looking to make some updates to the CANCER MISSION 2020 website, www.cancermission2020.com, so be sure to check out the site again and as always, please share the website, the mission, and the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition with your colleagues, co-workers, family members and friends because if we are going to be successful it is going to start from the bottom and work up and it is going to take each and every one of us!

Father David Ambuske

2011-12-21T18:21:00.000-05:00

The Camp Good Days and Special Times’ family lost a very dear and special friend today – Father David Ambuske – who has been a part of our family and my life since my daughter Teddi’s diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor 33 years ago.

No family is ever prepared to deal with the loss of a child, but when Teddi, as most nine-year-olds would do, started talking about and asking questions about what heaven was like and what was it like to die, it was a little beyond my abilities to answer those questions. At the time, David was the Executive Director of the Monroe County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and was an advocate for children in Family Court and knew my first wife. She thought that he would be the perfect person to talk with Teddi and to his credit he took the time out of his busy schedule a few times a week to come over to our house and help her deal with those difficult questions regarding faith.

I liked David from the moment I met him. He was ordained as a Catholic Priest and also had his MSW from Fordham University. He left the priesthood, but when he realized how much he missed that special calling he became an Anglican Priest and opened a small church in Webster, but his job and passion were always young people.

After spending time with Father Dave, Teddi decided that she wanted to be baptized and Father Dave baptized her. When Teddi died in February 1982, which was a very difficult year, Father Dave officiated at her funeral. That summer, of the original 63 campers, 28 had lost their battle to cancer, including Teddi. At that time, we had no offices, we had no staff members – everyone was a volunteer - and we were still utilizing Camp Eagle Cove, a private boys and girls camp, in Inlet, New York in the central part of the Adirondack Mountains. When we arrived for the start of camp that summer, there was a big cloud that hung over all of us, as volunteers were looking for the campers they had befriended previously, only to find out that they had lost their battle with cancer, and our campers from Rochester, Buffalo and Syracuse were looking for the friends they had made, only to find out that they had lost their battle with cancer.

One of the young ladies who was volunteering that summer at camp came up to me and said, Mr. Mervis we need to do something, we can’t pretend that these children didn’t exist. I told her that she didn’t need to tell me, as one of those children was Teddi. When I asked what she thought we should do, she said we should have a memorial service. Again, this was a little bit beyond my capabilities, so I called Father Dave who was in Downtown Rochester and told him I needed a favor. I explained what was happening and again to his credit he left work, got in his car, and drove all the way to Camp Eagle Cove. When he arrived, we gathered everyone together and had a memorial service. As soon as Father Dave completed the service it was as if everyone felt they had been granted permission to have fun and enjoy the good days and special times that we had planned for them.

This service became a tradition and a part of our culture here at Camp Good Days and to this day, on the opening evening of each session of camp, we hold an optional memorial service at the beautiful and peaceful Outdoor Chapel at our own Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake. Father Dave never let us down, continuing to conduct these services each week, throughout the summer.

Over the years, I have watched this kind, gentle, and caring man officiate at the funerals of our campers and volunteers and seen him marry volunteers, baptize children of volunteers, and provide the blessing and invocation at so many Camp Good Days’ functions and special events. Father Dave married my children, baptized my grandchildren, and even married my current wife, Wendy and I some 16 years ago.

Over the years, Camp Good Days has served more than 43,000 campers from 22 states and 27 foreign countries and Father Dave was the spiritual advisor to Camp Good Days. We never could have become the organization that we are today if it were not for his willingness to always be there, sharing his skills as a clergyman and social worker.

The loss of Father Dave will be a huge void, one that will be very difficult, if not impossible to fill. I am so deeply saddened and my heart is broken, especially as it is so close to Christmas, but I take comfort in knowing that the memories I have of David and the example he always set of kindness and compassion will remain with me forever. Father Dave walked the walk and he did God’s work here on earth. All of us whose lives he touched will be forever grateful for having had the blessing of knowing him.

Update & Happy Holidays!

2011-12-14T10:58:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the delay in updating my blog, but it has been quite hectic here at Camp Good Days the past few weeks!

At the beginning of this month, we marked the one year anniversary of announcing and launching CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE. We have worked very hard over the past year to move this initiative forward and we have made some real progress. We now have a one-year report compiled, which has been shared with all those who have joined us in this effort through signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and / or attending one of the three Congressional District Cancer Summits that we held in August. In order to obtain a copy of this report, we only ask that you visit www.cancermission2020.com and join us by signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition.

As I have shared with all of you, CANCER MISSION 2020 is being built upon three key components – INFORMATION – CALL TO ACTION – ACCOUNTABILITY – and we will continue with the Information and Call to Action components during 2012. We met in early November with representatives from Congressman Tom Reed’s Office, Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle’s Office, Congressman Richard Hanna’s Office and Congresswoman Kathy Hochul’s Office, as a follow-up to the CANCER MISSION 2020 Congressional District Cancer Summits and to review the valuable input that came out of the Cancer Summits and determine which recommendations we would move forward with as legislative items that will be introduced into Congress. Congressman Reed and his staff are currently working on drafting the legislation, as a direct result of the Cancer Summits, which will be reviewed by and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Richard Hanna and Congresswoman Kathy Hochul and introduced into Congress, hopefully by Valentine’s Day.

One of the good things that has come out of CANCER MISSION 2020 is that representatives from both sides of the aisle – Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, new and seasoned veterans have all come together, showing that our government can work in a non-partisan way and that some issues, like cancer, have no room for partisan politics. We will be sure to keep everyone informed about the introduction of this important legislation as we move forward.

We are also in the process of making some changes and updates to the CANCER MISSION 2020 website, www.cancermission2020.com, so be sure to keep coming back and checking it out and sharing it with those you know.

It is amazing to think that we are less than two weeks away from Christmas and the end of our Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest. But there is still time for you to stop by and visit one of our Kazoo Fest locations at the mall entrance to JC Penney at Marketplace Mall, Greece Ridge Center Mall, and Eastview Mall, as well as at the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo, Carousel Center Mall in Syracuse, and The Shops at Ithaca. You can pick up some last minute gifts and stocking stuffers, get some information about our programs and services and volunteer opportunities, and know that you are helping to provide some good days and special times to the children and families at Camp Good Days.

In the Rochester area, we will once again Kazoo in the New Year as part of the City of Rochester’s New Year’s Celebrations at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center and at the Rochester RazorSharks Basketball Game at the Blue Cross Arena. If you would like to Kazoo in the New Year with us, please contact us at 585-624-5555.

Last Tuesday evening we hosted the Holiday Night to Remember, here in the Mendon Office, which was created in 2007 and is an opportunity for a small group of campers, families and special friends who have been facing an extraordinarily difficult time over the past year to come together and have an evening that celebrates them and the holiday season and helps to generate some beautiful memories. The Holiday Night to Remember also provides the staff members at Camp Good Days a unique and more personal way to help make the Holiday Season a little bit more special for these families. Everyone has the chance to take a moment away from the hustle and bustle and truly appreciate what the holiday season is all about. Everyone had a wonderful evening together and we want to extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to the employees who work in distribution and logistics at Wal-Mart in Marcy, New York, as they not only provide all the gifts for the children and family members but also join us for the evening, helping to serve dinner.

We had our last Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting of 2011 last Thursday and I was pleased to be able to present a plaque of recognition and appreciation to Mike Green who is the out-going Monroe County District Attorney and current nominee for US District Court Judge and to Doug Randall, former Assistant District Attorney and recently elected Monroe County Court Judge. Both Mike and Doug have been ardent supporters of and key partners with Project Exile and Project T.I.P.S. They will both be missed as part of the Project Exile Advisory Board but we all wish them the very best and know they will be successful in their new positions and will continue to make a difference in our community.

Yesterday afternoon we had a Board of Director’s Meeting. It was nice to see some of the Board Members during this Holiday Season and we look forward to a productive and active Board of Directors in the coming year.

As many of you know, my other love is serving as an Assistant Coach with the St. John Fisher College Football Team. This was one of those rare years where we as coaches take a step back and let the kids have a good time and play the game. I don’t think that any of us thought that we would be playing December football, in the Division III Playoffs, when we started camp back in August. It has been great to see this team make it all the way to the Elite Eight, out of 238 Division III football teams. Our magical season came to an end with a loss to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. For those interested, the Division III Championship Game will be played this Saturday and will feature the same two teams that have competed in the Stagg Bowl for a number of years.

As this year comes to a close and we look forward to 2012, please take a few moments to be thankful for the many blessings in your life, and remember the children and families at Camp Good Days. If you have had a prosperous year, please consider a donation to Camp Good Days as you make your year-end gifts. It is only through the generosity of so many that we are able to continue providing our programs and services free of charge for the many children and families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

I would also ask that you remember and give thanks for the many men and women in uniform who will not be able to spend the holidays with their families because they are helping to protect the freedom we hold so dear in this wonderful country of ours!

Wishing you all a beautiful and joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with good health, peace, happiness and much love!

Friday, November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T12:24:00.000-05:00

It has been a few days since my last post and it’s scary to think that as I write this Thanksgiving is less than a week away!

We have definitely been blessed with some good weather for this time of year and I know my old body certainly appreciates it at football practice every day, although last night was chilly and the first snow of the season is on the ground! Fortunately, the St. John Fisher College Cardinals received one of only six at-large bids for the NCAA Division III Playoffs and we are excited to play the Johns Hopkins Blue Jays in the first round of playoffs this Saturday, November 19^th at 12:00 Noon in Baltimore.

As many of you know, part of my job as an Assistant Football Coach at St. John Fisher College is to work with the kickers, punters, holders and snappers. So, with that in mind, Laura shared with me something from her friend, Brendan, who is the Special Teams Coordinator – Tight Ends at Northwestern State University of Louisiana – we liked it so much, that I shared it with the players at practice and I am sharing it with all of you…it’s a good little piece of advice…

In life, like football, sometimes you just have to punt. A job, a goal, a girl, a relationship, a friend, a dream, etc; sometimes it just isn't working and it comes time to punt...but life would be much easier if, like football, there was a scoreboard that told you the exact situation so it would be obvious whether or not it was time to punt...and while I am at it I would like 3 timeouts each half of life too!

I also serve as the Huddle Coach for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Huddle at Fisher and we meet on Wednesday evenings, right after practice. Each semester I try to choose a book that we can read and discuss together, that demonstrates the role that faith plays in life and athletics. I could not have picked a better book this time – Coach Wooden: The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours - we finished the book on Wednesday night and everyone truly enjoyed it.

On Wednesday evening I also had the opportunity, as I do each fall, to attend the Teddi Committee’s Dance for Love Meeting at Fisher. The only tough part is that their meetings start at 9:30 PM…only on a college campus do meetings begin that late! It was great to see so many kids on the committee and their excitement and enthusiasm. This coming February 17 & 18, 2012 will be the 30^th Annual Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College. The Dance for Love is a 24-hour dance marathon, held on campus from 8:00 PM – 8:00 PM. As Camp Good Days has just begun our 33^rd year, the Dance for Love has been a part of our culture and family for nearly all of our history. The support from the students, alumni, faculty, staff and administration has been and continues to be amazing. I am so excited that Dr. Lou Buttino, Professor – Film Studies Department at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, who helped to start the Dance for Love when he was a professor at Fisher and is also the author of For the Love of Teddi: The Story Behind Camp Good Days and Special Times, will be returning to Rochester for the Dance for Love. We are also thrilled that Lou Gramm, of Foreigner fame, will serve as the Honorary Chairman. Lou is a very special person and someone who supported the Dance for Love early on and has always been supportive of the children and families at Camp Good Days. I am sure many more exciting details will be revealed in the weeks and months to come and for more information about the Dance for Love, check out http://home.sjfc.edu/teddi/.

Earlier this week I had the chance to meet an old friend for breakfast. I first met Mary-Beth Cooper when she was working at St. John Fisher College many years ago. Mary-Beth is now the Senior Vice President for Student Affairs at the Rochester Institute of Technology. It was great to catch up with her and we are exploring ways in which the student athletes at RIT can help to share the message and help generate additional awareness for CANCER MISSION 2020.

In regards to CANCER MISSION 2020, our one-year anniversary of launching this important initiative is just two weeks away and we are busy working with the Congressional Offices on drafting legislation as a result of the recommendations that came out of the Congressional District Cancer Summits, as well as finalizing a CANCER MISSION 2020 Report. To keep up-to-date on our progress, and to join us as we work to put an end to cancer by the end of the decade, please check out www.cancermission2020.com, sign the petition and share it with your network.

In other news, the dormitory building being constructed at the Recreational Facility is coming along great! It has been amazing to see this all come together so quickly and they are making great progress. I know it is going to mean a lot, to a lot of people, when we have the official ribbon cutting next spring.

We are also very busy putting the final details into place for the Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest, which begins next Friday, November 25, 2011. We will have Kazoo Fest tables set up in the Greater Rochester area at the mall entrance to JC Penney at Marketplace Mall, Greece Ridge Center Mall, and Eastview Mall, as well as at the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo, Carousel Center Mall in Syracuse, and The Shops at Ithaca. The Kazoo Fest goes through Friday, December 23, 2011 and the tables are open on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and will be open Monday through Friday the week of December 19^th. Please stop by and visit our Kazoo Fest locations – we have some great gifts and stocking stuffers; you can sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition; as well as pick up some information about our programs, services, and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers are still needed at all locations, to help make this another successful Kazoo Fest! Volunteers can choose their preferred location, date and time to help out. Kazoo Fest volunteer shifts are only three or four hours so if you are looking to give back this Holiday Season, we are always looking for some good volunteers. You can get some of your shopping done before or after your shift and at the same time, you will know that you are helping us to provide some good days and special times for some very special children and families in our community! If you or someone you know is interested in helping out with this fun and important fundraising event, please contact your local Camp Good Days’ Office for more details (Rochester: 585-624-5555; Buffalo: 716-206-0709; Syracuse: 315-434-9477; Ithaca: 607-266-9180). The Kazoo Fest Volunteer Form can also be found on our website, www.campgooddays.org.

Today I am looking forward to meeting Doug Randall for lunch. Doug was recently elected to Monroe County Court Judge and I have had the chance to work with him through Project Exile and Project T.I.P.S. Doug has served as a representative for the Project Exile Advisory Board from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, which has been a key partner in Project Exile since its implementation 13 years ago. Doug has also been a part of the many Project T.I.P.S. (Trust, Information, Programs & Services) events that we have held. Although we will miss him as part of the Project Exile Advisory Board, I am confident that his wealth of experience and his commitment to the community will ensure that he is a welcome addition to County Court.

This coming Monday, I am meeting with Sandra Doorley, who was just elected as Monroe County District Attorney. Sandra is the first female District Attorney in Monroe County history and she has also been an active partner with Project Exile, Project T.I.P.S., and a strong supporter of CANCER MISSION 2020. Sandra has big shoes to fill as District Attorney, but I am confident that she will continue the good work of her predecessor, Mike Green, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with Sandra and the men and women of the District Attorney’s Office, in our efforts to make our a community a safer one in which to live, work and raise a family.

There are many ways that you can stay up-to-date with all that is going on here at Camp Good Days. Check out our websites, www.campgooddays.org and www.cancermission2020.com; follow us on Twitter; become our fan on Facebook; and tune in to “Good Days and Special Times” our Radio Show which I co-host with NEWS10NBC Anchor, Rich Funke. The show airs the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM on WYSL NewsPower 1040AM and 92.1 FM. You can also get the podcast of the show at www.wysl1040.com.

As we approach this special time of year, I would like to thank all of you for all that you have done, in big ways and small ways, to help Camp Good Days accomplish all that we have for the children and families we serve. I wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving and a season filled with good health, peace, happiness and much love!

November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T16:43:00.001-05:00

It is a new week and it’s going to be another busy one here at Camp Good Days. We had a lunch meeting this afternoon, with representatives from Congressman Tom Reed’s Office, Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle’s Office, Congressman Richard Hanna’s Office and Congresswoman Kathy Hochul’s Office, as a follow-up to the CANCER MISSION 2020 Congressional District Cancer Summits held this past August.

The goal of this meeting was to review the valuable input that came out of the Cancer Summits and determine which recommendations we would move forward with, in terms of making those recommendations legislative items that will be introduced into Congress, hopefully by the end of this calendar year. It was a very productive meeting and we have a lot to get done by the end of the year, but we are confident in our ability to continue moving forward with this important initiative.

PLEASE check out CANCER MISSION 2020, www.cancermission2020.com, sign the petition and join us in this important initiative. And please, share the site with your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, etc. It is going to take all of us, together, to finally find the answers and put an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

I am sure that by now most of you have heard the news that the University of Rochester Yellowjackets have announced that they will play in Courage Bowl VIII in 2012, but will then no longer play the St. John Fisher College Cardinals. I will be meeting with the Athletic Director of the University of Rochester tomorrow afternoon, so that we can begin to put the plans into place for Courage Bowl VIII, which will be played on Saturday, September 15, 2012. We are also busy looking for another local team to play in this special game. I have had some great conversations with the Athletic Director at SUNY Brockport, and we hope to be able to have the Brockport Golden Eagles play the Fisher Cardinals in future Courage Bowl games.

This Thursday we have our monthly Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting at the Federal Building and everyone involved continues working to keep illegal guns off of the streets of our community and out of the hands of those who have lost their right to possess them.

Also on Thursday, Lisa Donato, Regional Director of our Buffalo Office will be recognized and honored as one of the Buffalo Business Journal’s 2011 40 Under Forty Award recipients. CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa for all that she does to help us provide some good days and special times for the many children and families we serve!

In other news, Laura was out of town last week so my schedule was a bit lighter than usual and I had the opportunity to head out to the Recreational Facility and see the progress that is being made on the new Dormitory Building. The building looks fantastic and is going to be beautiful. This new building will not only provide us with some much-needed, additional accommodations, particularly since we tore down the old motel building, but it is going to be very special, as it is being built in memory and honor of Lyle Corey. Lyle, as many of you know, was a very special friend to the children at Camp Good Days and a steadfast supporter of all that we do, especially the Kids Adjusting Through Support (KATS) Program. We want to thank LeChase Construction, where Lyle worked, for all of their help and support in making this project possible, as well as all of the individuals and companies that are donating so much of their time, talents and materials.

I recently received a letter from the American Camp Association (ACA) with the official scores from the re-accreditation we had this past summer. We have been so pleased to be an ACA Accredited Camp, as this is like the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval for the camping industry. Every three years we have to go through a re-accreditation process and our accreditation demonstrates and confirms that we are following the accepted standards of practices and policies to ensure the continued safety and security of our many, many campers, volunteers and staff. I am thrilled to report that we passed the re-accreditation with flying colors – receiving the highest possible scores.

Some final thoughts for this week…

The Fisher Cardinals took a tough loss this past weekend to Salisbury and we will play our final regular season game this coming Saturday at Hartwick College. Fingers are crossed for a victory to cap off the regular season and the opportunity to move on to some post-season play!

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8, 2011 is ELECTION DAY. Don’t forget to vote! It only takes a few minutes of your time and your vote is important.

I also encourage everyone to take a few moments this week, especially this Friday, November 11, 2011 to honor and remember all of our veterans who have served and all those men and women who continue to serve our country, putting their lives on the line everyday to ensure our continued safety and freedom.

October 28, 2011

2011-10-28T16:30:00.001-05:00

It is hard to believe that we are heading into November already! But, with the chill in the air and snow flurries in the forecast it appears that we are definitely entering the winter season and the special time of year when we all can take some time to give thanks for our many blessings and think about those who are less fortunate and how we might be able to make a difference in their lives.

As many of you know, all of the programs and services we provide here at Camp Good Days, for so many children and families whose lives have been touched by cancer, are offered free of charge for the participants. This is because I made a promise 33 years ago when I started Camp Good Days, that no family would be faced with the decision between paying their bills on time and sending their loved one to Camp Good Days. However, the only way we are able to continue fulfilling this promise is because of the assistance of thousands of volunteers and the generous support of so many individuals, businesses and organizations and the success of our many special fundraising events and activities.

One of our largest fundraising activities is the Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest, which has become a long-standing holiday tradition, and was started more than 60 years ago by Joe Benet outside the Toy Department of the Sibley’s store on Main Street in downtown Rochester. Following Joe Benet’s death from cancer, his son, Bill, contacted me to see if the Kazoo Fest tradition could be continued, staffed by volunteers, with proceeds benefiting the programs and services at Camp Good Days. Since 1984, Camp Good Days, with help and support from various retail locations and thousands of volunteers, has continued the Kazoo Fest. The 2011 Kazoo Fest will kick off on Black Friday – November 25, 2011 – in the Greater Rochester area at the mall entrance to JC Penney at Marketplace Mall, Greece Ridge Center Mall, and Eastview Mall, as well as at the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo, Carousel Center Mall in Syracuse, and The Shops at Ithaca. Hundreds of volunteers are needed at all locations, to help make this another successful Kazoo Fest! If you or someone you know is interested in helping out with this fun and important fundraising event, please contact your local Camp Good Days’ Office for more details (Rochester: 585-624-5555; Buffalo: 716-206-0709; Syracuse: 315-434-9477; Ithaca: 607-266-9180). The Kazoo Fest Volunteer Form can also be found on our website, www.campgooddays.org.

In addition to the many events that Camp Good Days hosts, we oftentimes have groups that hold events to raise funds to support the children and families we serve. I recently had the pleasure of attending the Hockey Versus Cancer event, which was a fun evening with some great people. This afternoon, some of the organizers of that event, along with their children visited us here at the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters to present us with the proceeds from their event. We are so thankful to all those that helped to plan and coordinate the Hockey Versus Cancer event, and all those who attended. For more information about their program, check out www.hockeyvscancer.com.

There are so many ways that you and your family and friends can be involved with and support Camp Good Days and I encourage you to check out our website frequently, as well as our facebook page and to follow us on Twitter, so you can stay up-to-date with the many different activities, events, and volunteer opportunities that are available.

We also had a meeting of the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL Committee this afternoon, to review Courage Bowl VII, which was played on September 17, 2011 and to begin to lay the groundwork for Courage Bowl VIII in September 2012. Although there have been some rumblings about the future of the Courage Bowl and who will be participating, I can assure all of you that there will be a Courage Bowl VIII in 2012! We will be sharing plans and details about the Courage Bowl, as they are made and become available, so stay tuned! And let us never forget that the Courage Bowl was established to be more than just a football game – it is an opportunity for some very special children who are dealing with cancer to have the chance to be a part of college football team or cheerleading squad and to create some outstanding memories from that experience.

Another of our major fundraising events, and the largest in the Greater Rochester area, is the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction Dinner. The Committee for this enormous event will be meeting next Tuesday evening to start to put together all of the details for both the 12^th Annual Wine Competition, which will be held March 24-25, 2012 and the 12^th Annual Wine Auction Dinner, scheduled for Saturday, May 5, 2012. We have announced a new Art Contest as part of this event. The Wine Cover Art Contest will serve to select the artwork that will be used and displayed on the various promotional and printed materials, including the cover artwork for the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition Entry Form and Finger Lakes International Wine Auction Dinner Program Book.

The Wine Cover Art Contest is open to anyone ages 18 and older. Artwork submissions must be original work and must be a painting, drawing, high resolution original photograph, or sketch. All of the details, entry rules and prize information, as well as the Official Entry Form can be found on our website, www.campgooddays.org. All submissions will be reviewed and evaluated and the top 10 finalists will be announced on Friday, December 16, 2011. The top 10 finalists’ submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges and the winning submission will be announced on Wednesday, January 4, 2012.

On a personal note, the St. John Fisher College Cardinals Football Team will host Utica College tomorrow evening at Growney Stadium and we are looking for another big win in conference play, so here’s hoping for a nice evening without rain or snow, and another victory for the Fisher Cardinals!

Wishing all of you a safe and happy weekend and Halloween!

October 18, 2011

2011-10-18T15:42:00.000-05:00

Once again, the Camp Good Days’ family, along with the Rochester Institute of Technology community, and the Greater Rochester community, lost a very special soul to cancer with the passing of Donna Scheid on Monday morning. Donna leaves behind her husband, Pete, and her beautiful children.

Over the past 11 years, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction Dinner has become the single largest fundraising event for Camp Good Days in the Greater Rochester area and Donna was one of the people who committed and devoted so much of her time, talent, and many volunteer hours to help this event become so successful. The logistics of an event of this magnitude require the hard work, effort and dedication of hundreds of volunteers and even with her diagnosis and battle with cancer, Donna was always smiling and always willing to do whatever she could to help.

This brings me back to when are we going to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH?! When are we, as Americans, from the greatest nation on earth, going to say that we need to do more? More not only for the 11,000 Americans who die from cancer every single week, but more for the world we will leave behind. What greater gift could we give to the world than to find the answers that have been eluding us in this fight against cancer?

In the past month alone, Walter Mondale’s daughter, Eleanor, died from cancer; Ted Kennedy’s daughter, Kara, died as a result of the cancer treatments she went through; Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer; and Donna lost her battle. These four individuals were under the age of 60, and all of their deaths have occurred since September 17^th. These are only four of the 44,000 Americans that have died as a result of cancer during the past four weeks. These people should have had so much more life to live and so much more ahead of them.

On December 2^nd, we will commemorate the one-year anniversary of announcing and launching CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE. When we announced CANCER MISSION 2020 at Frontier Field in Rochester, we said that our effort would include a three-pronged approach – Information, Call to Action, Accountability.

We have been and continue to share information with people about where we currently stand in our fight against cancer. 11,000 Americans die from cancer every single week, which is as if one of the Twin Towers was falling every single day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. One in three American women and one in two American men will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime. If you are 85 years old or younger, cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States and many believe that by 2016 cancer will be leading cause of death in the United States, regardless of age. In 2010, the World Health Organization announced that cancer was not only the most economically devastating disease, but for the first time had become the number one disease killer.

We have to go about finding the answers in a completely different way. The one area in which we have had some success is in pediatric cancer research. This success has come about because of the fact that approximately 60-70% of pediatric cancer patients are actively involved in clinical trials. However, when it comes to adults, currently only 1-3% of adult cancer patients, of which there are many more than pediatric patients, are actively involved in clinical trials. If only 1-3% of adult cancer patients are involved in clinical trials, it is easy to see why 11,000 Americans are dying every single week. This needs to change because the answers are going to be found through clinical trials and no matter how good something appears with animals in a lab, it has to also be shown to have a positive impact on human beings, otherwise it will never get into the hands of those who could most benefit.

When we announced CANCER MISSION 2020, we shared this information and asked people to visit our website, www.cancermission2020.com and I am pleased that thousands and thousands of people have visited the site and have joined us by signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition.

We also shared the belief that in order to be successful in this effort, it would have to be a cooperative and collaborative one involving government and the private sector. Cancer is an issue that affects all of us and has brought together representatives from all sides of the aisle…freshman and experienced, Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, Independent, Tea Party, etc. Cancer is an issue of the people and it crosses all lines. This past August, we held three Congressional District Cancer Summits. These Cancer Summits, held in the 25^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, the 28^th Congressional District with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, and the 29^th Congressional District with Congressman Tom Reed, brought together several hundred people, as well as some of the most prominent cancer physicians in Upstate New York. Dr. Stephen Edge of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Executive Committee, Dr. Leslie Kohman, Distinguished Service Professor, Medical Director of Surgery, and Medical Director, Upstate Cancer Center at Upstate University Hospital, Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director, Chair, Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Wallace Chair in Translational Research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Lydia C. Pan, Director of Worldwide Policy at Pfizer, Inc. shared their expertise, research, comments and ideas with attendees.

We are now in the process of compiling all of the information that came out of the Congressional District Cancer Summits and preparing a CANCER MISSION 2020 Update & Report. We are also pleased to report that Congressman Richard Hanna of New York’s 24^th Congressional District and Congresswoman Kathy Hochul of New York’s 26^th Congressional District have committed their support and have expressed their willingness to host additional Congressional District Cancer Summits.

When my granddaughter asked me why at my age, I was taking on the CANCER MISSION 2020 effort, as she said that it seemed like a daunting task, I answered her that yes it is a daunting task, but I am tired of going to funerals.

In my role as Chairman & Founder of Camp Good Days, which just began its 33^rd year of operation, I have had the opportunity to work with thousands of cancer patients and their families and I have gone to way too many funerals, probably more funerals than some clergy members.

If we are going to be successful in this effort it is going to take all of us! PLEASE, if you have not yet checked out CANCER MISSION 2020, www.cancermission2020.com, please go to the site, sign the petition and join us in this important initiative. And please, share the site and the initiative with your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, fellow parishioners, etc. It is going to take all of us, together, to finally find the answers and put an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

October 13, 2011

2011-10-13T12:56:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year to all of us here at Camp Good Days! As I noted in my last posting, our fiscal year came to a close on September 30, 2011, so we are now in the beginning weeks of our 2011-2012 Fiscal Year. We have many things going on, being planned, discussed and reviewed.

We held our semi-annual Staff Retreat last Thursday. We do these Staff Retreats twice a year, one in the Spring before Camp officially opens for the summer and one in the Fall and we end one Fiscal Year and begin a new one. We all came together and spent the day reviewing and reflecting on the past year – our programs and services, our special fundraising events, our recruitment and outreach efforts for new volunteers and program participants, and our exposure and awareness throughout the communities we serve. We also discussed our plans for the coming year in regards to what we think we want to continue offering, what things might need to be changed or reevaluated, and some new ideas for fulfilling our mission to improve the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer. In addition, we took some time to hear from Mark Kreydt from Tompkins Insurance Agencies and Jared Lusk from the Nixon Peabody Law Firm to learn more and gain a better understanding of some of the current and relevant concerns and challenges we face as an organization in regards to insurance and legal issues. Overall the Staff Retreat was very informative and productive for all of us and will help enable us to continue making a difference in the lives of those we serve, doing so in the safest and most efficient and effective ways possible.

We hosted our final session of the Women’s Oncology Programs for the 2011 season this past weekend at the Recreational Facility. Approximately 50 women who are all dealing with cancer had the opportunity to spend a fun-filled, supportive weekend at Camp Good Days, in the company of those who can truly understand what they are going through as a woman dealing with cancer – other women with cancer. We were blessed with some beautiful weather and the women had a fantastic time at the many activities available throughout the weekend. Special thanks goes out to all of the volunteers who gave so much of their time, talent and love to make this weekend memorable for these women!

Unfortunately, I personally was not able to attend the Women’s Oncology Program as I was in Ithaca for the St. John Fisher College Football game. For those of you who have been following this blog, we came out victorious two weekends ago against longtime rival, Alfred, after a tough loss to Hobart the week before, and I am pleased to report that although it came down to the wire and wasn’t the prettiest game to watch, we were triumphant against Ithaca! With this win we are now in a position to really make a run for the Empire 8 Conference Championship. This Saturday we take on Frostburg at home at 12Noon, so again, keep your fingers crossed that we walk away with another one in the win column!

Back to Camp Good Days…and our new Fiscal Year…as we lay the groundwork and plans for the coming weeks and months, a key part of that process is our Board of Directors who help us to fulfill our mission and serve to provide guidance and direction for our long-term strategic plans. We are looking forward to our next Board of Director’s Meeting this coming Tuesday, October 18, 2011 and to getting to work with all of the Board Members on how they can best help us to continue fulfilling our mission and vision.

Also coming up soon is the Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest! I am so pleased that here in the Rochester community, our local JC Penney Store Managers at Eastview Mall, Greece Ridge Center Mall, and Marketplace Mall have generously and graciously agreed to allow us to hold the Kazoo Fest at the mall entrances to their stores. Their continued support for this important annual fundraising event is beyond measure and so much appreciated! We are also excited that we will once again have the Kazoo Fest at the Walden-Galleria Mall in Buffalo; the Carousel Mall in Syracuse; and the Shops at Ithaca. This year’s Kazoo Fest will kick off on Friday, November 25, 2011 and go through Friday, December 23, 2011. The Kazoo Fest has become a great Holiday tradition in all of these communities and provides us with a fantastic opportunity to be out in the community during the busy shopping season to share all of our programs and services with potential participants and volunteers and to raise some of the much needed funds that are necessary for us to be able to continue offering our programs and services free of charge.

We need HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS to help make the Kazoo Fest a success! We only ask for people to commit a few hours (or as many as they would like) and volunteers can choose their preferred location, date and shift. If you or someone you know is interested in helping out with this fun and important fundraising event, please contact your local Camp Good Days’ Office for more details (Rochester: 585-624-5555; Buffalo: 716-206-0709; Syracuse: 315-434-9477; Ithaca: 607-266-9180).

Another exciting event is the upcoming World’s Largest Disco, put on by Conesus Fest for Charity, which will be held on Saturday, November 26, 2011 at the Buffalo Convention Center from 9:00 PM – 1:00 AM. This year’s event is SOLD OUT, as it is every year and those who are fortunate enough to attend always rave about what a fabulous time they have. Proceeds from this amazing event benefit the children and families at Camp Good Days. For more information and to see some great photos, the history and to learn how to be a part of the World’s Largest Disco in the future, check out www.worldslargestdisco.com.

We are continuing to work and move forward with CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE. Taking the information, suggestions, ideas, discussions, and comments that came out of the Congressional District Cancer Summits held in August, we are putting together an Update / Report / Newsletter, highlighting what took place and where we are headed. We are also setting up a meeting with representatives from the district offices of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Congressman Tom Reed, Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, Congresswoman Kathy Hochul and Congressman Richard Hanna in order to identify some of the items from the Cancer Summits that can be developed into actual legislation, as well as a statement to be read, jointly, by these representatives, into the official Congressional Record. We are also working on developing some new media concepts and staying in touch with our College Campus Advocates. We will keep you posted on these plans and please, check out www.cancermission2020.com, join us and thousands of others by signing the petition, and share the site, information and petition with your network of contacts.

Last, but certainly not least, we would like to offer our heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS to Lisa Donato, our Regional Director in our Buffalo Office on her recent engagement! We wish Lisa and Jonathan a long life together filled with good health, happiness and much, much love!

September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T14:02:00.001-05:00

It has been a little while since my last post, and I apologize for the delay, but again, the days just go by so fast!

In my last post I told you all about the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL, which is the annual football game between the St. John Fisher College Cardinals and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets. Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII was played on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester and I am happy to report that we had another fantastic event! We had a great night, with perfect football weather, we were able to generate some revenue to support our programs and services, and most importantly, it was an exciting and memorable experience for the campers from Camp Good Days who served as Honorary Coaches and Honorary Cheerleaders with each team.

A special thank you to all those who supported the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL through their partnership, generous sponsorship, program book advertisements, in-kind donations, and volunteer service. We would never be able to have such a successful event without all of them!

Well on the subject of football, I had the opportunity last Thursday to attend the St. John Fisher College’s Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner, with some of our former players, as the 2006 Fisher Football Team was inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with the teams from 1971, 1981, and 1996. Congratulations to all of the inductees! On Friday, I stopped by the St. John Fisher College Alumni Golf Classic and was given the opportunity to speak to all of the participants and share CANCER MISSION 2020 with them.

Now that the Courage Bowl has been played for this year, we will be focusing more on CANCER MISSION 2020 and developing action steps and plans for moving this important initiative forward, based on comments and discussions that came out of the Congressional District Cancer Summits held in August. Stay tuned for more and please join us in this effort by visiting the website, www.cancermission2020.com and signing the petition!

As part of my role here at Camp Good Days and specifically our Partners Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) Initiative, I serve as the Chairman of the Project Exile Advisory Board and have been pleased to do so since the program’s implementation in Rochester on September 28, 1998.

We all celebrated the 13^th Anniversary of the Project Exile Program at the Project Exile 13^th Anniversary Report to the Community Breakfast yesterday at the Rochester Plaza Hotel.

Our Keynote Speaker was Joseph D’Amico, Superintendent for the New York State Police. Joseph A. D’Amico was nominated by Governor Andrew Cuomo on December 22, 2010, and was unanimously confirmed by the New York State Senate as the 14th Superintendent of the New York State Police on January 31, 2011. Prior to his confirmation as Superintendent, D'Amico served as Chief Investigator for the Office of the New York State Attorney General, and had a 27-year career with the New York City Police Department, where he served in many patrol and investigative assignments in the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, ultimately rising to the rank of Deputy Chief.

Also providing remarks were William Hochul, United States Attorney for the Western District of New York; Sandra Doorley, Assistant Monroe County District Attorney; Patrick O’Flynn, Monroe County Sheriff; William Taylor, Special Counsel for the County of Monroe, and James Sheppard, Chief of the Rochester Police Department.

Project Exile was started in Rochester in 1998, when I was asked to attend a meeting in a Federal Judge’s chambers, where I met then Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, Denise O’Donnell. At the time, the Rochester community was desperately searching for a means in which to address the crime and violence plaguing our community, as Rochester’s homicide rate was around 70, giving us the distinction of having the highest per capita homicide rate of any city in New York State. In addition, the previous holiday season three uniformed Rochester police officers were shot and wounded, but thank God were not killed. At the meeting, I learned about the highly successful Project Exile program that had been implemented in Richmond, Virginia by an Assistant United States Attorney.

As a result of that meeting, Project Exile was implemented in the Rochester community on September 28, 1998. Project Exile operates under the direction of the Project Exile Advisory Board, comprised of representatives from local, state and federal prosecutors and law enforcement, as well as businesses, clergy, and community organizations, who meet once per month throughout the year, at the Federal Building, to share information and improve communications among those who are waging the battles against illegal guns and drugs in our community.

The Project Exile program has continued to thrive and grow through three administrations; five United States Attorneys for the Western District of New York; two Law Enforcement Liaisons; four FBI Special Agents in Charge; two County Executives; two District Attorneys; two Sheriffs; three Mayors; and four Chiefs of Police.

Under the leadership and direction of Camp Good Days’ PAVE Initiative, the Project Exile program in Rochester has been recognized and highlighted at various local, regional and national seminars and conferences; and has served as the impetus for other community-based initiatives such as the Rochester Youth Violence Partnership at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Project T.I.P.S., which stands for Trust, Information, Programs & Services and includes community agencies and law enforcement personnel working in selected neighborhoods to rebuild trust amongst residents and share information.

According to the most recent statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms and the Rochester Police Department, over the past 13 years, the Project Exile program has helped to remove more than 13,000 illegal guns from the streets of our community, and the homicide rate has not reached the high levels we saw prior to Project Exile.

One can only imagine the devastation and despair that could have come as a result of these illegal guns remaining in the hands of those who ought not to have them. The collaboration and cooperation amongst and between all of the Project Exile partners is truly unique and exemplary and it is because of their continued and diligent efforts that we are able to improve the quality of life for some of our fellow citizens and strive to make the Greater Rochester community a safer place in which to live, work and raise our families.

In other news, our current fiscal year is coming to an end, as our year goes from October 1^st through September 30^th so we are now in the process of planning and budgeting for what will be our 33^rd year of providing programs and services for children and families touched by cancer. There is much to be done, but we are all taking this time to reflect and develop the plans that will enable us to continue being a premier service organization that truly makes a difference in people’s lives.

We do have one remaining program for this current camping season and we will host the Women’s Wellness II Program, for women dealing with any form of cancer, next weekend, Friday, October 7^th through Sunday, October 9^th. We will also be having a Yard Sale at the Camp that Friday and Saturday from 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM so if you are in the Branchport area, stop by and get some great deals and help out the children and families we serve!

On a personal note, the Fisher Cardinals took a tough loss to Hobart College last Saturday, so I hope that practice goes well this week and we can come back this Saturday and defeat Alfred!

COURAGE BOWL WEEK!

2011-09-14T10:41:00.001-05:00

The days just keep flying by and here we are in the middle of COURAGE BOWL WEEK! The Courage Bowl is the annual football game between the St. John Fisher College Cardinals and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets, to benefit the children and families at Camp Good Days.

For those of you who don’t know, in addition to my work with Camp Good Days, I am also an Assistant Football Coach at St. John Fisher College, a small, Division III college here in Rochester. In the summer of 2005, while driving home from our Recreational Facility, I was stopped at a red light and heard a mother yelling at her children. When I looked to see what she was yelling about, I saw that the kids were throwing a football around the van. I realized that it was that time of year when every red-blooded American boy and even girls, are anticipating the upcoming football season and dreaming about scoring the winning touchdown or making that winning kick. I also realized that the children with cancer whom I had just been with at camp could never have those dreams or the opportunity to play organized football, as any doctor in their right mind would never sign off on a child having been treated for cancer to play a contact sport, like football, and the opportunity for them to ever play football at the college level would be beyond their wildest imagination.

At our next coaches’ meeting at St. John Fisher College, I suggested the idea of taking our annual game against cross-town rivals, the University of Rochester, and turning it into the Courage Bowl, dedicated to the children of Camp Good Days, as our theme here is, Where Courage Has No Boundaries. The coaches from both schools were on board with the idea and the Inaugural Courage Bowl was played in September 2005 at Growney Stadium on the campus of St. John Fisher College. After five very successful years playing the game on alternating campuses, in front of record crowds, we decided to move the game to Downtown Rochester last year. The COURAGE BOWL moved to the neutral, downtown venue, Sahlen’s Stadium, in September 2010. Moving the COURAGE BOWL to Sahlen’s Stadium provided an extra special atmosphere for all involved. The players from both teams have the opportunity to play on a neutral field, and the components have been put into place to make the Courage Bowl a true community event, with two local institutions of higher education and Camp Good Days being a strong community organization that was founded right here in Rochester more than three decades ago. The move also provides the space for many more alumni from both schools and community members to attend the game, and be a part of this extraordinary event.

Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII will be played this Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Sahlen’s Stadium, 460 Oak Street, Downtown Rochester, with kickoff slated for 7:00 PM. Gates will open at 5:30 PM. As part of the festivities at Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII, musical groups, Measure 13 from St. John Fisher College and After Hours from University of Rochester will perform the National Anthem together. Jennifer Dinolfo will sing God Bless America, the Army National Guard will Present the Colors and at halftime, the John Marshall High School Urban Steel Band will perform.

At the conclusion of the Courage Bowl, the Teddi Trophy, named in memory of my daughter, Teddi, the inspiration behind Camp Good Days, will be presented, which will later be inscribed with the date of the game, final score of the game, names of the six Honorary Coaches and the names of one player from each team who displays exceptional leadership and sportsmanship.

Each year we select young boys who have been battling cancer to serve as Honorary Coaches for the Courage Bowl with each team and young girls who have been battling cancer to serve as Honorary Cheerleaders with each squad.

The Honorary Coaches and Honorary Cheerleaders were introduced at the Courage Bowl Community Luncheon, which took place yesterday and was hosted by Dr. Donald Bain, President of St. John Fisher College. In the tradition of The Masters, it was determined that the previous game’s winning school would host a luncheon the following year.

The Honorary Coaches for the St. John Fisher College Cardinals for COURAGE BOWL VII are: Philip “PJ” Baldo, from Rochester; Adam Turner, from Rochester; and Gryphon Akridge-Phillips, from Williamson. The Honorary Coaches will attend practice with the St. John Fisher College Cardinals on Friday, September 16, 2011 from 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM at Growney Stadium on the campus of St. John Fisher College. On game-day, the Honorary Coaches will meet the Cardinals at St. John Fisher College for the pre-game meal. They will ride the bus with the team to Sahlen’s Stadium, be in the locker room with the team, lead their team on to the field, be at mid-field for the coin toss, and coach from the sidelines during the game.

The Honorary Cheerleaders for the St. John Fisher College Cardinals are: Mallory Wojcinski, from Dunkirk; Sara Bischoping, from Rush; and Kayla Gregg, from Tully. The Honorary Cheerleaders will attend practice with the squad on Thursday, September 15, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM in the Student Life Center at St. John Fisher College. On game-day, the Honorary Cheerleaders will meet their squad at Sahlen’s Stadium to prepare and will cheer from the sidelines for the game.

The Honorary Coaches for the University of Rochester Yellowjackets for COURAGE BOWL VII are: Robert Brock, from Rochester; Simon Fendinger, from North Evans, and Nolan Redhead, from Victor. The Honorary Coaches will attend practice with the University of Rochester Yellowjackets on Friday, September 16, 2011 from 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM at Fauver Stadium on the campus of the University of Rochester. On game-day, the Honorary Coaches will meet the Yellowjackets at the University of Rochester for the pre-game meal. They will ride the bus with the team to Sahlen’s Stadium, be in the locker room with the team, lead their team on to the field, be at mid-field for the coin toss, and coach from the sidelines during the game.

The Honorary Cheerleaders for the University of Rochester Yellowjackets for COURAGE BOWL VII are: Haley Smith, from Henrietta; and Stella Usiak, from North Tonawanda. The Honorary Cheerleaders practiced with their squad on Monday, September 12, 2011 at the University of Rochester. On game-day, the Honorary Cheerleaders will meet their squad at Sahlen’s Stadium to prepare and will cheer from the sidelines for the game.

Tickets for Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII are on sale now. General Admission Student Tickets are available for a donation of $5.00 each and General Admission Adult Tickets are available for a donation of $7.00 each. Tickets are available via www.ticketmaster.com or at the Sahlen’s Stadium Box Office, which is open Monday – Friday from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. More information is also available on our website, www.campgooddays.org.

During yesterday’s luncheon, we also announced the recipient of the Second Annual Courage Award. The Camp Good Days’ Courage Award was established in 2010 and is presented each September at the Camp Good Days’ COURAGE BOWL. The Camp Good Days’ Courage Award is presented to someone who displays courage, strength and determination in a time of great struggle. The Inaugural Camp Good Days’ COURAGE AWARD was presented on September 18, 2010 to Dr. Bradford Berk, CEO at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

The 2011 Camp Good Days’ Courage Award, being made possible through the support of Gary Passero and Passero Associates and Salvatore’s Old Fashioned Pizzeria, will be presented on Saturday during the pre-game ceremonies.

The Second Annual Courage Award will be presented to Joseph Szafranksi of Buffalo, New York. Joe Szafranski is a Buffalo Police Officer and New York State National Guard Staff Sergeant who served in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. While overseas, Szafranski received the news that his 12 year-old nephew, James “Jimmy” Szafranski had been diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. Joe and Jimmy were very close – Jimmy was more like a son than a nephew to Joe and more like a brother than a cousin to Joe’s daughter, Jasmine.

Jimmy lost his battle to cancer in January 2011 and Joe turned his anger, frustration, grief and pain into something positive. Joe has pledged that every June until 2020, he will personally ride his bike from Buffalo, NY to Albany, NY and back to raise awareness of childhood cancer within the United States. Joe kept true to his promise, completing his first Ride for Cancer 2020 this past June. In addition to raising awareness, Joe is also endeavoring to raise funds to support the children and families at Camp Good Days and CANCER MISSION 2020, our most recent initiative to call for a cohesive and collaborative plan and set of actions to help put an end to cancer by the end of the decade. You can join Joe and all of us in this effort by visiting the website, www.cancermission2020.com and signing the petition!

Given Joe’s courage displayed every single day, as a Buffalo Police Officer and a member of the United States Military, combined with his personal strength and determination through his nephew’s battle with cancer and subsequent efforts to turn something so terrible into something positive, I was absolutely thrilled when the Courage Award committee shared his nomination and selection with me. Joe personifies all that the Courage Award means and we are so pleased that Joe and his family will be joining us on the field at the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL to personally receive his award.

In tribute to Joe and his selection as the Second Annual Courage Award recipient, and in honor of all those who work and serve to protect our streets, our communities, our neighbors and our country, all Military, Law Enforcement, Fire and Emergency Services Personnel who attend the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL on Saturday in uniform or with appropriate credentials, will receive a complimentary ticket to the game. These tickets will be available, on game-day, outside of Gate D at Sahlen’s Stadium, beginning at 4:30 PM.

And since we have to get the game balls to the stadium on Saturday, what better way can there be than to have a relay-style event on Saturday afternoon! Carry the Ball for Courage, will take place on Saturday and is an Olympic-Torch style relay, during which the Courage Bowl Game Balls will be transported to Sahlen’s Stadium, arriving for kick-off.

Special thanks to our Carry the Ball for Courage sponsors, 13 WHAM TV, St. John Fisher College, Advantage Federal Credit Union, Karpus Investment Management and Excellus.

We are asking community members to donate some of their time and energy, as well as the support of their friends and family, to carry one of the “official” game balls for approximately one quarter of a mile en route from the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon to Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester on Saturday. Routes have been mapped out from Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, to St. John Fisher College, to Sahlen’s Stadium; and from Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, to the University of Rochester, to Sahlen’s Stadium.

Participants may register to Carry the Ball for Courage for a minimum donation of $25.00. Additional donations may be obtained via pledges. Participants may register as an individual or as a team, and may indicate their preferred route and preferred quarter-mile area. Registration forms may be obtained online at www.campgooddays.org or www.13whamtv.com or by contacting Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135.

Another exciting new component of the Courage Bowl this year is the Courage Bowl Car Raffle!

The prize is a 2011 Toyota Corolla-S, valued at approximately $20,000.00, which has been made available through the generosity of Vanderstyne Toyota/Scion, led by Jay Vanderstyne and his son, Jay Jay Vanderstyne, who played in the early Courage Bowl games, as a standout member of the University of Rochester Football Team. The Courage Bowl Car Raffle is also being made possible through the support and generosity of Toyota Motor Sales. The Toyota Corolla is overall about three features…Performance. Style. Safety. One of the best selling cars in the world, it has agile handling, excellent fuel economy and a smooth comfortable ride.

The drawing for the Courage Bowl Car Raffle will take place as part of the Halftime Show on Saturday.

Courage Bowl Car Raffle tickets are available for $25.00 each, for those ages 18 and older, and may be purchased by contacting Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135. More information may also be found at www.campgooddays.org. Each ticket will include a ticket to Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

As you can see, the Courage Bowl is truly so much more than just a football game and we hope that you will be able to be a part of this very special and memorable event, whether you purchase a raffle ticket for the car, help Carry the Ball for Courage, and / or come out to the game, you won’t want to miss this extraordinary event!

Summer Coming to an End...

2011-08-30T10:48:00.000-05:00

Here we are just a couple of days from the beginning of September – how did we get here so fast? I know that for me and all of us at Camp Good Days, we are still in shock about the untimely deaths of Ron Federico, Elizabeth Messick, Conner, Karl’s father, and Mark’s father. But, all in all, as I drove home last Thursday evening, after spending three days at the Recreational Facility, I thought that it has been a really good summer. I always measure the success of the summer by the reaction of our campers on the day it is time for them to head home. If we can send them home in the same condition they arrived in, and if they are not in a hurry to board the buses or vans to go home, then I am confident that we have done a good job!

As I think back over this summer, it is truly amazing how much has happened in so short a time. We had the NAVY Northeast Band visit the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, where the campers got to listen to the band and dance and play in the interactive demos and exhibits and I had the chance to meet Rear Admiral Quinn. Some of the campers got to attend the final practice, prior to the ESL International Air Show, of the Blue Angels at the Greater Rochester International Airport. Our campers from the Doing A World Of Good Program were the special guests of Trackmasters, Inc., spending a thrilling day at Watkins Glen International meeting the drivers and getting rides around the track in some fabulous cars. Campers had the chance to attend the Buffalo Bills Training Camp at St. John Fisher College, where they were the special VIP guests in the Buffalo Bills Community Relations Tent. We had the opportunity to take campers to the Western New York Flash game when they played Abby Wambach’s team, MagicJack, and to the Rochester Rhinos game.

A large number of visitors joined us for the Annual Summer Open House and although it rained, the skies cleared for the most important parts of the day – the Ring of Honor Induction Ceremony, and the Fireworks, which Young Explosives did an amazing job with again this year.

We also had a number of special guest visitors who took time out of their busy schedules to come to the Recreational Facility and be a part of all that makes Camp Good Days so special. We had performances from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra ensembles and the Finger Lakes Chamber Orchestra; we had our friends from the Aquatic Center teach the campers how to scuba, and we had the lovely ladies who come and help the campers bake cookies. The Rochester Rhinos soccer team came out and conducted a clinic with the campers and then spent some time just enjoying Camp Good Days, particularly the slip & slide. Other special guests included United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, Bill Hochul and Assistant US Attorney, Bret Puscheck; United States Marshal, Charles Salina; FBI Agent, David Zariczny; Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks; Monroe County District Attorney, Mike Green; Rochester Police Chief, James Sheppard; Keuka College’s new President, Jorge Diaz-Herrera; Rochester City School District Interim Superintendent, Bolgen Vargas, and many, many more.

The past week was our last official week of summer here and we began the week with the Corey-Coffey Golf Classic on Monday, held at Penfield Country Club. It was a tremendous event and the response was so overwhelming we had to have a morning and afternoon flight of golfers. There were 300 plus attendees at the dinner, held under the tent outside, and the day was a wonderful tribute in honor and memory of Lyle Corey and Bill Coffey, both of whom were such good friends and wonderful supporters of the children and families we serve. It was so nice to have Lyle’s wife, Joanne, and her children in attendance, and we want to give special thanks to Wayne LeChase, Bill Goodrich and the entire LeChase family; our great friends, Terry Clifford, Steve Hausmann and Newman at WBEE 92.5; and to Nicole Jones, the entire organizing committee and the staff members at Camp Good Days who all helped to make this a great event.

Last Monday we also kicked off our final week of programs for children at the Recreational Facility, hosting children who have or have lost a parent or sibling to cancer. It was an exciting week for these campers as on Tuesday the University of Rochester Football Team came to visit and on Wednesday, the St. John Fisher College Football Team came to visit. Players and Coaches from both teams had a great time and I always enjoy taking everyone on a tour and answering their questions about Camp Good Days and the many programs and services we provide. Both teams make this annual visit to Camp Good Days, in preparation for the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL, which is the annual football game between the St. John Fisher College Cardinals and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets, to benefit Camp Good Days. This year’s Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL will be played on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester. General Admission tickets are on sale now for a donation of $5.00 per student / youth and $7.00 per adult. Tickets can be obtained at the Sahlen’s Stadium Box Office, through www.ticketmaster.com, or by contacting us at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 or www.campgooddays.org.

If you want to see just a glimpse of the fun that was had during the team visits, check out www.YouTube.com/CampGoodDays79 for a video of the St. John Fisher College players joining the campers for a camp song!

In the early hours of Thursday morning, I was awoken at 3:00 AM by hail hitting the roof of our cabin and the crack of lightening, which hit and split the tree between the cabin I stay in and one of our boys’ cabins. The tree came down on the roof and we had to have that removed quickly on Thursday, but fortunately no campers were staying in that cabin at the time and everyone made it through the storm safe and sound, albeit a bit tired. It was a clear reminder of how powerful Mother Nature truly is!

Last Thursday, we held our third CANCER MISSION 2020 Congressional District Cancer Summit, with New York’s 29^th Congressional District Representative, Tom Reed, and I was so pleased we could host this Cancer Summit at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, which is located in the middle of the 29^th Congressional District. Our Keynote Speaker was Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director, Chair, Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Wallace Chair in Translational Research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute and we were also fortunate enough to have special Guest Speaker, Lydia C. Pan, Director of Worldwide Policy at Pfizer, Inc. In addition to the Cancer Summit held last Thursday, we also held the 25^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle on Monday, August 15, 2011 at Upstate Medical University’s Weiskotten Hall, with Keynote Speaker, Dr. Stephen Edge, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Executive Committee., and the 28^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter took place on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo, with Keynote Speaker, Dr. Leslie Kohman, Distinguished Service Professor, Medical Director of Surgery, and Medical Director, Upstate Cancer Center at Upstate University Hospital.

The Congressional District Cancer Summits brought together leaders in government, health care, cancer patient groups and support service agencies, and other fields to discuss and plan how we can be a part of a larger, more collaborative and cooperative movement to cure cancer. Some of the topics discussed at the Cancer Summits included: educating ourselves and those around us about taking advantage of what we know now (screenings, diet and lifestyle changes, etc.); increasing the knowledge of and patient participation in clinical trials, especially in the cases of young adults and adults with cancer; having patients be able to participate in clinical trials without the fear or possibility of having their health insurance canceled as a result; publicly sharing the results of cancer research – we can’t afford to duplicate research efforts; converting the healthcare system from one that is illness-based to one that is wellness-based; calling for a National Cancer Summit, following a number of Congressional District Cancer Summits; and rekindling the belief and the will in the American people that cancer is a disease that will not be tolerated any longer and can be defeated! A report will be issued by Camp Good Days and CANCER MISSION 2020, which will compile and summarize the many topics, suggestions, ideas and recommendations that came out of the Cancer Summits.

PLEASE, if you have not yet checked out CANCER MISSION 2020, www.cancermission2020.com, please go to the site, sign the petition and join us in this important initiative. And please, share the site and the initiative with your family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, co-workers, fellow parishioners, etc. It is going to take all of us, together, to finally find the answers and put an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

During the Cancer Summit at Camp Good Days, we also taped our monthly Radio Show, “Good Days & Special Times”, hosted by NEWS10NBC Anchor, Rich Funke and myself, which will air this Thursday, September 1, 2011 at 6:30 PM on WYSL NewsPower 1040AM and 92.1 FM. If you miss this show or any of the shows, just check out www.wysl1040.com for the podcast.

This past weekend, I spent both Friday evening and Saturday afternoon at Sahlen’s Stadium, for the final weekend of professional soccer this summer. The Rochester Rhinos continued their playoff run on Friday night, but unfortunately, despite playing hard, came up short. However, the Western New York Flash won the Women’s Professional Soccer Championship Game on Saturday, defeating Philadelphia in a game that came down to penalty kicks. Our congratulations go out to our good friend and Western New York Flash Goalkeeper Coach, Scott Vallow for a fantastic inaugural coaching season!

I am now back in Rochester and yesterday headed over to Irondequoit Country Club to tape a video clip for my good friend and our community’s good friend, Mike Green, and to have lunch with other friends, I.C. Shah and former Buffalo Bills standout Special Teams Player, Steve Tasker. Last night I was at Midvale Country Club to attend the Friends of Ramon Golf Tournament Dinner, where I had the chance to thank all those who participated for not only helping to keep Ramon Santiago’s memory alive but also supporting Camp Good Days. This tournament was one of a variety of special fundraising activities being coordinated by a group of friends of Ramon’s, and any proceeds will go to support the Arts & Crafts Program at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility.

The rest of this week is filled with meetings, catching up on things in the Mendon Office, and some football practices and photos over at St. John Fisher College. Getting back to the topic of football and the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL, please, check out our website, www.campgooddays.org for all of the information about this year’s event, as we have some new and exciting things taking place!

We are thrilled to be partnering with Vanderstyne Toyota/Scion on the exciting Courage Bowl Car Raffle! The prize is a 2011 Toyota Corolla-S, valued at approximately $20,000.00, which has been made available through the generosity of Vanderstyne Toyota/Scion, led by Jay Vanderstyne and his son, Jay Jay Vanderstyne, who played in the early Courage Bowl games, as a standout member of the University of Rochester Football Team. The Courage Bowl Car Raffle is also being made possible through the support and generosity of Toyota Motor Sales. The Toyota Corolla is overall about three features…Performance. Style. Safety. One of the best selling cars in the world, it has agile handling, excellent fuel economy and a smooth comfortable ride. The drawing for the Courage Bowl Car Raffle will take place as part of the Halftime Show at Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII on Saturday, September 17, 2011 at Sahlen’s Stadium. Courage Bowl Car Raffle tickets are available for $25.00 each, for those ages 18 and older, and may be purchased by contacting Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135. More information may also be found at www.campgooddays.org. Each ticket will include a ticket to Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL VII on Saturday, September 17, 2011.

New to the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL this year, Carry the Ball for Courage, sponsored by 13 WHAM TV, Advantage Federal Credit Union, Karpus Investment Management, and Excellus, will be held on Thursday, September 15, 2011 and is similar to the Olympic Torch Relay. Camp Good Days is asking community members to donate some of their time and energy, as well as the support of their friends and family, to carry one of the “official” game balls for approximately one quarter of a mile en route from the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon to Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester. Routes have been mapped out from Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, to St. John Fisher College, to Sahlen’s Stadium; and from Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, to the University of Rochester, to Sahlen’s Stadium. Participants may register to Carry the Ball for Courage for a minimum donation of $25.00. Additional donations may be obtained via pledges. Participants may register as an individual or as a team, and may indicate their preferred route and preferred quarter-mile area. Registration forms may be obtained by calling Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135 or online at www.campgooddays.org, or www.13whamtv.com.

I am signing off now, as I am getting tired just writing this, but check back for another update next week. In the meantime I wish you all a safe, healthy and happy Labor Day Weekend!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

2011-08-11T16:16:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of spending the past couple of days at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, where we have been hosting the Rochester City School District Leadership Program, for children from the district who will be making the transition from elementary school to middle school. The program went really well, with a great group of students and a few special guests. On Tuesday, Rochester City School District Interim Superintendent, Dr. Bolgen Vargas came to visit with the students and see the program in action. Later that afternoon, Monroe County District Attorney, Mike Green came and had the chance to speak to the students and answer their questions. On Wednesday, United States Attorney, Bill Hochul, along with Sam and Barb from his office, came to visit, take a tour of the facility and Bill also spoke to the students and answered their questions. This special program concluded earlier today and I am confident that the students who participated are better prepared to successfully head into middle school next month.

I returned home to Rochester last night and this morning we had our monthly Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting. Despite many members being on their end of the summer vacations, we had a productive meeting and are looking forward to finalizing plans for our Project Exile 13^th Anniversary Report to the Community Breakfast, which has been scheduled for Tuesday, September 27, 2011. It is hard to believe that the Project Exile program has been going strong for 13 years and the cooperation, collaboration and partnerships amongst the many law enforcement, prosecutorial, and service agency members is truly remarkable and not seen in many communities.

Today also concludes our Junior Good Days Program, here in Rochester. The campers have had a fantastic week filled with fun activities including visiting Strong National Museum of Play, seeing a movie, spending an afternoon at the beach, walking with the whitetail deer, visiting Lollypop Farm, and spending today at Seabreeze Amusement Park. Check out our website, www.campgooddays.org and facebook, www.facebook.com/CampGoodDays79 for photos coming soon!

Tonight, Thalia Hayden, a reporter with NEWS10NBC will be interviewing me, as she called me this afternoon to see if she could talk with me about the recent research and treatment results from the University of Pennsylvania regarding cancer and specifically leukemia.

Tomorrow we will have a Staff Meeting as we have a variety of activities and events that are taking place this weekend. Tomorrow evening some of our staff and Cancer Mission 2020 College Campus Advocates will be attending the Rochester Red Wings’ doubleheader at Frontier Field where we will have a table to share information and materials about our many programs and services, as well as have the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petitions for game attendees to sign.

This weekend, from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning, we will host a special group of participants from School of the Holy Childhood at the Recreational Facility. Camp Good Days has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with School of the Holy Childhood over the years, as they allow us to hold our sessions for the Kids Adjusting Through Support (KATS) Coping Support Groups at their school and in turn, we provide them with the opportunity to bring some of their participants to Camp Good Days to enjoy a fun weekend!

On Saturday and Sunday, some of our staff and volunteers will head out to Ontario Beach State Park for the Soccer in the Sand Tournament, coordinated by Scott Vallow, former Goalkeeper for the Rochester Rhinos, current Goalkeeper Coach for the Western New York Flash, and longtime supporter of the children at Camp Good Days. Proceeds from the Soccer in the Sand Tournament benefit the children and families we serve and we are so pleased that not only has Scott selected Camp Good Days as the beneficiary again this year, but that the event has grown and expanded and is now a two-day tournament!

Speaking of soccer, we will also have some staff and volunteers at our Quarters for Cancer table at Sahlen’s Stadium for the last regular season home game for the Rochester Rhinos on Saturday night and for the Western New York Flash home game on Sunday night. Bill Sedgewick, Assistant Coach with the Rochester Rhinos selected Camp Good Days again this season to be the beneficiary of his Quarters for Cancer promotion and we are so thankful for his support and for giving us the opportunity to be a part of all the Rochester Rhinos and Western New York Flash home games and share Camp Good Days with all of the fans, while at the same time raising some of the much needed funds to support our programs and services.

On Saturday evening, we will also be a part of Stack Your Rack, which is a casual and fun event held at Cobblestone Creek Country Club in Victor. Each attendee brings two bottles of wine, one to share as part of the wine tasting and one that is stored in a beautiful wine cooler. The full wine cooler then becomes one of our live auction items for the Finger Lakes International Wine Auction Dinner, held each May. In addition to the wine tasting, guests will have the chance to bid on silent auction items and enjoy some great food, an evening with old and new friends, and know that they are helping us to provide some good days and special times for our campers.

This coming Monday, we head to Syracuse for the first CANCER MISSION 2020 Congressional District Cancer Summit, which we are hosting with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle, Representative for New York’s 25^th District. We have had a great response to this Cancer Summit and I am very much looking forward to hearing from our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Stephen Edge of Roswell Park Cancer Institute and member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Executive Committee, as well as meeting all of the attendees.

Next Thursday, we head to Buffalo for the 28^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter and Keynote Speaker, Dr. Leslie Kohman, Distinguished Service Professor, Medical Director of Surgery, and Medical Director, Upstate Cancer Center at Upstate University Hospital.

The 29^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congressman Tom Reed and Keynote Speaker, Candace Johnson, PhD, Deputy Director, Chair, Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Wallace Chair in Translational Research at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, will take place on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility.

PLEASE – If you have not done so already, check out www.cancermission2020.com and join us in this important initiative to end cancer by the end of the decade by signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition. All of the information about our Congressional District Cancer Summits is also available on the website and stay tuned next week for photos and updates from the Cancer Summits taking place in Syracuse and Buffalo.

Wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe weekend!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

2011-08-09T10:25:00.000-05:00

The past week has been filled with many fun activities! Last Wednesday, we hosted our Annual Summer Open House at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, which is an afternoon when some of our committee members, supporters and volunteers, who are not able to spend a whole week at Camp, are able to come out and see the facility, meet some of our campers, volunteers, and staff, have dinner and enjoy some music, dancing and fireworks. Despite the rain that day, we had a great turnout. Some of our special visitors included Jorge Diaz-Herrera, the new President of Keuka College who I had the opportunity to meet with a couple of weeks ago. I am so happy that he had the chance to come over and I was able to personally show him around the facility. The US Marshal, Charles Salina also came to visit, as did some of the members of the Corning-Elmira Board of Realtors, and many others.

We also held our Ring of Honor Induction Ceremony that evening. The inductees for the Ring of Honor, which was established as part of our 25^th Anniversary Celebration in 2004 and includes those who are selected for their outstanding dedication, commitment and support of the thousands of children and families served over the years, were announced at the Night of Gratitude this past March, but we always have a special ceremony at Camp, where we recognize the inductees and they and their families can see their bricks in the permanent Ring of Honor area. I was so pleased that so many of our inductees and their family and friends were able to be there and the rain cleared up in time for the ceremony and the fireworks! Special thanks to Young Explosives for the fantastic fireworks display and to DJ Dr. Sweetback for providing our musical entertainment for the evening.

Due to the fact that some of our campers and chaperones from the visiting countries had to leave on Thursday, we held our very special Candlelight Ceremony on Wednesday evening, after our Open House concluded. The Candlelight Ceremony is a tradition at Camp Good Days and a time in which the campers and volunteers and staff can come together and share and reflect on their time spent at Camp Good Days. I was so happy that Wendy and I could be a part of this along with the campers and chaperones from the visiting countries and our American campers and volunteers.

On Thursday and Friday, some of the visiting countries had to depart to return home and we had a number of logistics to put together for getting them where they needed to be. A few of the visiting countries, Mexico, one of the groups from the Bahamas, and Turks & Caicos were not scheduled to leave until Saturday so we decided to take them to the Rochester Rhinos game on Friday where they had the chance to see the players they had met on Monday, when the team visited Camp, in action on the field at Sahlen’s Stadium. It was a fun night, even though the final score of the game was not what we had hoped for.

We had the chance to see Chris Keyes on Wednesday at Camp. Chris has been involved with Camp Good Days for a number of years as a committee member for the Teddi Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College and chaired the event in his Senior Year. Chris was also a member of the St. John Fisher College Football Team and after serving as an intern at Camp Good Days, we were pleased to be able to bring him on board in a part-time capacity where he helped with the planning of the Camp Good Days COURAGE BOWL and other special fundraising events. Chris is now pursuing his dream of being a football coach, having recently accepted a position at Hartwick College. We all wish Chris the very best in his new position and as he begins this new chapter of his life and we wish Hartwick the best of luck in the upcoming season – except when they play St. John Fisher College!

I had the chance to relax a little bit this weekend and catch up on some chores around the house, since Wendy and I have both been spending so much time out at Camp. On Sunday we went to visit Wendy’s Grandmother and her step-Grandfather, who are 94 and 104 respectively. We also went to the cemetery to pay our respects to Wendy’s Mom and to Ron. On Sunday evening, we took Tammy out to dinner.

On Monday, I spent the day in Buffalo, first having lunch with an old friend, Mike Lawandus, who is recently retired as the Special Agent-in-Charge for the Bureau of ATF and his wife. I then met with Kathy Hochul, Congresswoman for the 26^th Congressional District of New York and her District Director, Joan Kesner. I had the chance to share some information about CANCER MISSION 2020 with them and I am so happy to report that they have given their full support of CANCER MISSION 2020 and are willing to help us reach our goal of ending cancer by the end of the decade.

The Rochester City School District Leadership Program, which we host at Camp Good Days in cooperation with the Rochester City School District, for children who are transitioning from elementary school to middle school began yesterday and the Junior Good Days Program, a day-camp program for children ages 4-7 who would qualify for any of our programs but are still too young to attend residential camp also began yesterday in the Rochester area. I am sure our little campers will have as much fun this week as their counterparts in Buffalo had last week!

Today I will stop in the office in the morning and then head down to Camp for Tuesday and Wednesday. We have some special guests coming to visit and speak to the students, including, Monroe County District Attorney, Mike Green; former Monroe County Attorney, Bill Taylor; United States Attorney for the Western District of New York, Bill Hochul, and First Assistant United States Attorney, Bret Puscheck. I will return to Rochester for our monthly Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting on Thursday.

On Friday, we were originally planning on hosting the 24^th Congressional District Cancer Summit in Utica, however, after much discussion and reflection, we have decided to postpone that Cancer Summit, as a Friday at the end of summer is not the best day for people to attend an event. We are currently working with Congressman Hanna’s Office to select a new date for that event and will keep everyone posted on the plans for that. Meanwhile, we have had great response thus far for the three other Cancer Summits being held in the 25^th, 28^th and 29^th Congressional Districts. For all of the information about the Cancer Summits, and to join us in the important CANCER MISSION 2020 initiative, check out www.cancermission2020.com!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

2011-08-02T16:47:00.000-05:00

I am back in the Mendon Office today, and we have begun our second week of the Doing A World Of Good Program, in which children with cancer from countries around the world spend two weeks at our beautiful Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake and are joined by two different groups of campers from the United States.

We have been extremely busy since my last post. Friday afternoons are always a tough day, as this is when the majority of our residential camping programs come to an end, and this past Friday was no exception. The campers all hugged each other goodbye, knowing that they may not see each other again, as the international campers will be returning to their home countries, and particularly with the programs for children who are dealing with cancer, the campers know that unfortunately they may not see each other again. Some campers will age out of the program, and while we certainly hope that some of them will return as volunteers in the future, some will go on to begin the next chapter of their life. Some campers will not be able to return due to a recurrence of their cancer and / or the treatments, and sadly, some campers will lose their battle with this horrific disease.

The end of a program is an emotional time, but I always tell the volunteers that if at the end of the week, when the buses and vans arrive to take the campers home, and the campers do not want to leave, that when they do actually get on the bus and depart, the volunteers will feel so good about all that they helped to make possible for these special campers.

Since the international campers and chaperones stay for two weeks, we always try to plan some activities and outings for them during the weekend in-between the two programs. On Friday evening, they headed out to Ponderosa in Geneva for dinner, followed by some shopping at the Waterloo Premium Outlets. On Saturday, we had to do some adapting and adjusting, for which we have become famous! Our original plan was to take our guests to Eastview Mall and Wal-Mart in Victor for some additional shopping, but as everyone got ready to leave, there was no bus to take them. So, we made some arrangements for a different bus and although they did not have time to go to the mall, we did bring everyone into Rochester for a Picnic and the Rochester Red Wings baseball game at Frontier Field. It was a beautiful evening and everyone had a great time. It was the first time, in a long time, that I stayed for the entire game and even the fireworks. It was so exciting to be with these special campers, like the young man from Ethiopia who had the experience of attending his first baseball game and seeing fireworks for the first time! I am not sure who was more excited…him or me! The Red Wings won the game, which was icing on the cake and we want to give special thanks to our friend and Board Member, Peter Parts, who graciously bought all of the campers Dippin’ Dots Ice Cream. Towards the end of the evening, we saw Red Wings General Manager, Dan Mason, who has been a very good personal friend of mine and friend to the children at Camp Good Days. He took the time to meet some of the campers and made sure that everyone left with a souvenir baseball.

To make up for Saturday’s missed shopping trip, we brought all of the international campers and chaperones to Eastview Mall and Wal-Mart on Sunday. They returned in time to meet the volunteers arriving for the second week of the Doing A World Of Good Program. All of our volunteers are required to attend two training sessions, the second of which takes place the evening prior to start of each program.

Yesterday officially began the second week of the Doing A World Of Good Program with a flurry of activity. The American campers arrived at the Recreational Facility around 11:30 AM, and met their fellow campers and volunteers and got settled into their cabins.

Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks, who has been a longtime friend of Wendy and I, came to visit on Monday morning and she had the chance to see the many improvements and changes we have made at the Recreational Facility. In addition, she had the opportunity to see her old NEWS10NBC colleague, Joe Paglia, who has been a volunteer at Camp Good Days for the past 30 years, and old friend, Mike Falvo, who has been a volunteer for the past 32 years. She also had the chance to meet some of our campers and volunteers and joined us for lunch.

The Rochester Rhinos Soccer Team made their annual visit to Camp Good Days! Everyone had lunch together and then had a blast playing soccer tennis, racing down the slip and slide, playing basketball and much more. The team ended their visit with an ice cream social, group photo and the Rhinos, led by Head Coach, Bob Lilley, were kind enough to give a Rochester Rhinos Program to all of the campers who were able to get autographs from the players.

As we do the first evening of each program, we held a special prayer service, in our beautiful Outdoor Chapel, which provides everyone with the chance to reflect and remember those who are not able to be with us. Father David Ambuske and Sister Fran Quinn were on hand, as they have been for the past 30 years, to preside over the service. The campers completed their first day of the program with dinner and a Camp Fire.

I headed back to Rochester late last night, as I have some meetings today. This afternoon I taped an interview with Katrina Irwin at WROC TV-8 / FOX Rochester regarding the progress we have been making with CANCER MISSION 2020 and the upcoming Congressional District Cancer Summits. Tonight we have a training for the volunteers who will be helping out with the Junior Good Days Program in Rochester, which is a day-camp program for children ages 4-7 who would qualify for any of our programs but are still too young to attend residential camp. The Junior Good Days Program, which is always great fun, will take place next Monday, August 8, 2011 through Thursday, August 11, 2011 and the campers will have the chance to visit Seneca Park Zoo, Seabreeze, Strong Museum, and more. From there I will head to East High School in the city to attend the Parent / Guardian Meeting for those children who be attending the Rochester City School District Leadership Program, which we host at Camp Good Days next Monday, August 8, 2011 through Thursday, August 11, 2011, in cooperation with the Rochester City School District, for children who are transitioning from elementary school to middle school.

Tonight I will stay in Rochester and then get up bright and early tomorrow morning to head back to the Recreational Facility. Our Mendon Office will be closed tomorrow, as we will be having a Staff Meeting and our Annual Summer Open House at Camp. The Summer Open House is always a great afternoon and evening, especially if we are blessed with some good weather. The Open House gives us the chance to show the facility to some of our friends and supporters who help throughout the year to make all that we do possible. We will also have a special induction ceremony for those who are being inducted into the Camp Good Days’ Ring of Honor. The Camp Good Days’ Ring of Honor was established as part of our 25^th Anniversary Celebration in 2004 and includes those who are selected for their outstanding dedication, commitment and support of the thousands of children and families served over the years. We look forward to honoring and recognizing these outstanding volunteers and supporters and having their bricks permanently placed into the Ring of Honor. We will also have a cookout dinner, music and dancing, and will conclude the evening with fireworks.

On Thursday we are looking forward to having some new friends visit the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, who are part of the Hockey vs. Cancer group and are working on a special fundraising event in the fall to support Camp Good Days. I will also have one last chance to spend some time with some of our international guests, as they will be departing to return home on Friday.

I will be back in Rochester on Friday for some meetings and will then be heading to the Rochester Rhinos game at Sahlen’s Stadium, where we will be bringing those international campers and chaperones who do not depart until Saturday, to see the game and the players they got to meet yesterday.

It’s another busy week but a good one and I am looking forward to the weekend and the start of next week, when we will put the finishing touches on the plans for the four Congressional District Cancer Summits coming up, as part of CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE.

For all of the up-to-date information CANCER MISSION 2020 and the Congressional District Cancer Summits, including dates, locations, guest speakers and more, please visit www.cancermission2020.com and please join us in this important initiative by signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and sharing the site with your network of contacts. We can only succeed in putting an end to cancer by the end of the decade, if we all come together in a cooperative and collaborative way!

Friday, July 29, 2011

2011-07-29T09:56:00.001-05:00

All of a sudden it is Friday and another week has quickly gone by here at Camp Good Days! I just returned home last night from spending most of the week at our beautiful Recreational Facility, where we are in the midst of the two-week Doing A World Of Good Program. It has been so nice to get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee and sit on the deck of my cabin, watching the world wake up and looking out over Keuka Lake and thinking that there isn’t a more beautiful place to start each day.

Our Doing A World Of Good Program is in full swing now, with campers and their chaperones here from Mexico, Bahamas, Germany, Turks & Caicos, Dominican Republic, and Ethiopia. Our international guests were joined by one group of American campers this week, who will head home today and a new group of American campers will begin their week on Monday.

We have had a week full of fun and exciting visitors and activities. On Tuesday, the campers had the chance to meet and learn some basketball skills from Rochester Razor Sharks Team President and Co-Owner, Orest Hrywnak, Head Coach, Rod Baker, Assistant Coach, Chris Iversen and Guard and All-time Razor Sharks Leading Scorer, Keith Friel. The Razor Sharks have been and continue to be great friends to the children at Camp Good Days and great supporters of all that we do and we thank them for taking the time to come out and spend the morning with our campers! Also on Tuesday, I had the pleasure of welcoming a group of visitors from the Syracuse and Central New York area. I showed them around the facility, they had the chance to meet the campers, volunteers and staff, and it is always nice to see some old friends and be able to share Camp Good Days with some new friends.

On Wednesday, we filled up three buses and took everyone to Watkins Glen International Raceway, where we were the special guests of Trackmasters, Inc. Each summer, children from Camp Good Days are invited to this very special event, which is held in memory of Michael Francesco, Jr. who was a shareholder in Trackmasters, Inc. and a major supporter of the event and passed away suddenly on April 17, 2000 at the age of 41.

The campers had the chance to see a variety of sports cars up close and personal including, BMWs, Corvettes, Porsches, Aston Martins, and more. The campers got to ride in the different cars with the drivers and then everyone had lunch together. We have truly been blessed that Trackmasters, Inc. continues to invite our campers to be a part of this special day. It is a wonderful opportunity for these children to be able to participate in this exciting and thrilling event and it is always one of the highlights for the campers who have the chance to attend.

Check out these links, http://www.the-leader.com/features/x1704352378/Camp-Good-Days-kids-take-a-ride-at-WGI and http://centralny.ynn.com/content/all_news/southern_tier/551450/camp-good-days-visits-wgi/ for some great stories about our visit to Watkins Glen and keep checking out our website, www.campgooddays.org, and our facebook page, www.facebook.com/CampGoodDays79 for photos from our trip!

On Thursday, I did an interview with Henry Dormann from WETM-TV for his Friends & Neighbors Show, which airs on Saturday mornings at 9:00 AM. I then spent some time with a group of visitors from the Buffalo and Western New York area, who like the Syracuse area visitors, were able to see the facility and meet the many campers, volunteers and staff. I then headed over to Keuka College, our neighbor across the lake, and had the pleasure of meeting with the new President, Jorge Diaz-Herrera. We had a great conversation and I truly look forward to working with him in the months and years to come. Camp Good Days has long enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the many administrators, faculty, staff and students from Keuka College and in fact, Melissa Cappelluti, our Program Assistant & Ropes Course Instructor is a graduate of Keuka.

This morning I had an interview with Virginia Butler at YNN Rochester to share some of the updates about CANCER MISSION 2020 and the upcoming Congressional District Cancer Summits. For all of the up-to-date information on the Congressional District Cancer Summits, including dates, locations, guest speakers and more, please visit www.cancermission2020.com and as always, please be sure to sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and share the site with your network of contacts. We can only succeed in this important initiative to end cancer by the end of the decade, if we all come together in a cooperative and collaborative way!

This afternoon I am going to head out to Waterloo and meet our international campers and chaperones at the Waterloo Premium Outlets where they will be getting in some shopping and dinner. Tomorrow, they will spend some time at Eastview Mall and then we will all head to Frontier Field for a Picnic Dinner and to watch the Rochester Red Wings take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

We are looking forward to welcoming a new group of campers on Monday, as well as to having the Rochester Rhinos Soccer Team, led by Head Coach, Bob Lilley, visit for lunch and some soccer games!

Stay tuned for the full update on next week’s exciting activities and events and I wish you all a healthy, happy and safe weekend!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

2011-07-21T11:06:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to give you all a quick update before I get on the road and head down to Camp to spend the day with the campers and volunteers, which I am sure will be a day filled with beach, aquatics and pool activities since we’re supposed to be close to 100 degrees today!

As I mentioned yesterday, Mark Antonucci and I had the chance to go out to the KOA Care Camp in Farmington to receive a donation to benefit our many programs and services, from the KOA Care Camp Owners. We met with Victor Arsenault and some of his staff members who were so gracious and kind. They showed us around the property and we were able to get to know each other a little better. The photo from our visit is included with this post. I would like to publicly thank Victor and all of the KOA Care Camp Owners for all of their support and generosity over the years, which has helped us to continue providing our many programs and services free of charge for the participants.

Last night we took all of the campers, volunteers and staff to the Western New York Flash game, as they took on Abby Wambach’s Magicjack team. It was a record-breaking, sell-out crowd at Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester and a great opportunity for the campers to see some of the best women soccer players in the world, up close and personal.

The next few days we will be busy with Project T.I.P.S. and picking up some of our international guests arriving this weekend for the Doing A World Of Good Program. There are many exciting things planned for the campers in the coming weeks, so please keep checking back for updates.

As always, I wish all of you a safe and enjoyable weekend!

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

2011-07-20T08:38:00.000-05:00

Here we are…midway through another week already! Last Friday it was such a thrill for the campers from Rochester and Buffalo, who were participating in the Childhood USA Program, to be able to attend a special practice of the Blue Angels, courtesy of the ESL International Air Show. They got to see the pilots and planes up close and personal and I am sure will carry those memories with them for a long time to come. They were truly treated like the VIPS that they are and our thanks go out to ESL and to Jim LeBeau for making this opportunity possible for some of our campers. You can check out photos from this special activity on our website, www.campgooddays.org or via our facebook page, www.facebook.com/CampGoodDays79. I think that most of us can agree that when you see the Blue Angels flying in formation, our hearts beat a little faster and surge with pride in being an American.

On Saturday morning, we held a meeting and training session for some of our CANCER MISSION 2020 College Campus Advocates. Mark Antonucci on our staff put in a lot of time and effort into the meeting agenda and materials so that these young advocates would be adequately prepared to share CANCER MISSION 2020 with their fellow students in September. We met with students from St. John Fisher College, Nazareth College, University of Rochester, SUNY Oswego, John Carroll University, and Houghton College, and overall it was a really productive meeting. I am convinced more than ever that much of the efforts in our quest to find the answers to cancer will rest on the shoulders of young people and I am so thrilled to have these students on board and willing to help us. We are in the process of planning another meeting and training session for other College Campus Advocates who are on board but were unable to attend on Saturday. Once again, if you know someone who would be interested in joining us in this initiative by serving as a CANCER MISSION 2020 College Campus Advocate, please have them check out www.cancermission2020.com or contact Mark directly, here at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 or mantonucci@campgooddays.org.

On Saturday evening, Wendy and I had the pleasure of attending Julia Vosburgh’s wedding. It was a beautiful evening and I was so honored to have been asked to provide the blessing at the reception. We wish Julia and her new husband, Adam, the very best as they begin their new life together.

Like most Americans, and most people around the world, on Sunday we were glued to the TV watching the US Women’s Soccer Team take on Japan for the World Cup Championship. We really thought that our hopes would be fulfilled with a game winning, header goal by Abby Wambach, and for awhile it seemed that dream would come true, but it was not to be. It was sad and tough to watch the US lose, but I think deep down we can all be happy for Japan, as the citizens of that country have been through so much this past year and they truly played their hearts out.

On Monday evening, Wendy, James and I met with the parent / guardians of those children who will be attending Camp FACT, which is for children ages 8-13 who are currently in the Monroe County Foster Care System. It was a full house and another good meeting in which we could share what campers and parents / guardians can expect from their experience at Camp Good Days, as well as what we expect from them.

Yesterday we started the day with some good news! Laura received an email from Dr. Tere Lanche, the doctor who has been chaperoning campers from Mexico for the Doing A World Of Good Program for many, many years. One of the children she planned to bring this year, Maria, was originally denied her Visa to travel and we were saddened and upset that Maria would not be able to have the experience of attending Camp Good Days. However, on Tuesday morning we learned that through the diligent efforts Dr. Tere, Camp Good Days, and Congresswoman Louise Slaughter, Maria was granted a second appointment and did in fact receive her Visa! So we very much look forward to seeing Dr. Tere and Maria and all of our special international visitors as they begin to arrive this coming weekend.

Tuesday afternoon, Rich Funke and I taped our monthly radio show, Good Days and Special Times, and this was a very important show as we focused on CANCER MISSION 2020 and the upcoming Congressional District Cancer Summits we will be holding next month. Don’t forget, you can tune in to the show the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM on News Power 1040 AM WYSL and 92.1 FM and if you miss the show you can get the podcast at www.wysl1040.com. I am very excited for next month’s taping, as we will be doing that from the 29^th Congressional District Cancer Summit, being held on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility. If you want more information about any of the upcoming Cancer Summits, check out www.cancermission2020.com.

More good news came along on Tuesday afternoon when Chrissy Woods, our Camp Director called me to let me know that the ACA (American Camp Association) Re-Accreditation had gone very well and we passed with flying colors! The ACA Accreditation process is something that we go through every three years and for residential camps, being accredited by the ACA is like having the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. Our successful re-accreditation is a true credit to Chrissy and the other staff including Amanda Anderson in the Kitchen; Mark Serrett, our Facility Manager, Melissa Cappelluti who coordinates our Adventure Ropes Course, Michelle Roach who oversees the Infirmary, and last but certainly not least, Wendy, who has provided her leadership, assistance and guidance to all of the staff who were a part of this process.

Last week, the campers had the exciting opportunity to visit with the Navy Band Northeast and attend the ESL International Air Show Blue Angels practice and this week the campers who are attending Camp B&ST, which is for children ages 8-17 who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer or sickle cell anemia within the past three years, will have the amazing opportunity to attend the Western New York Flash Women’s Soccer game tonight, when they take on Magicjack. The game is sold out at Sahlen’s Stadium in Downtown Rochester and the campers are going to be able to see some of the best women soccer players in the world with Marta and Alex Morgan playing for the Flash and Abby Wambach playing for Magicjack. It is supposed to be a beautiful night and should be a really fun time for all of the kids...and the adults!

Prior to the game, we have a Staff Meeting to touch base on all that is going on and speaking of Staff…it has been so nice, especially after some really tough weeks, to have Tammy and Karl both back in the office! I think that Grace, the office cat, is really happy to have Tammy back! After the Staff Meeting, I am going to the KOA Kampground in Farmington to receive a check for a donation from KOA Kampgrounds of America, to support the many programs and services we provide. KOA has been longstanding and very generous supporters of Camp Good Days and in fact were one of the earliest to support Camp Good Days and other children’s oncology camps.

On Thursday, I am going to head down to Camp and spend some time with the campers, volunteers and staff and on Friday, we have our third Project T.I.P.S. event for this year, which will take place from 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM in the Jefferson Avenue neighborhood, at Iceland Park. Project T.I.P.S. stands for Trust, Information, Programs & Services, and includes community agencies and law enforcement personnel working in selected neighborhoods to rebuild trust amongst residents and share information. It’s always nice to see the residents, especially the children, interacting with the members of the law enforcement agencies and improving trust and relationships. This Project T.I.P.S. promises to be as good as the previous events and we look forward to another successful community building afternoon. If you are interested in learning more about Project T.I.P.S., please contact James McCauley, Jr. here at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 or jmccauley@campgooddays.org.

As I mentioned earlier, the weekend is going to be busy as the campers and chaperones who will be participating in the Doing A World Of Good Program will be arriving and we are excited for that program, which is two weeks long for our international guests, who are joined by two different groups of campers from the United States, one group per week. We have many fun and exciting things planned for these two weeks, so keep checking this blog, our website and facebook for all of the updates, photos, and more!

July 14, 2011

2011-07-14T16:02:00.001-05:00

Another week is flying by here at Camp Good Days and once again, our thoughts and prayers go out to one of own, as Karl Rudolfs, who is our Information Technology Coordinator and helps to coordinate the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction Dinner, which is our largest fundraising event in the Rochester area, lost his Dad this past Sunday. We also are keeping Mark Serrett, our Recreational Facility Manager, in our thoughts and prayers, as his father is in critical condition at the hospital.

One of the reasons I am so proud to lead this organization is because I have such a wonderful and dedicated team of staff members. We have a very small staff but they have all continued to dig deep over these difficult past few weeks and pitch in and step up wherever and whenever needed. It is because of this that we have not missed a beat during what is our busiest and most important time of the year.

A new group of campers headed to the Recreational Facility on Monday morning, for the Childhood USA Program, which is for children ages 8-17 who have a parent or sibling that has been diagnosed with cancer within the past three years and / or who is actively undergoing treatment. Nearly 80 children are enjoying a fun-filled week at Camp Good Days and enjoying the beautiful weather we continue to be blessed with. The all-beach and pool activities are definitely favorites in this weather!

On Tuesday, the campers all boarded the buses and came to the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters in Mendon, as we had a very special visit and performance from the Navy Band Northeast, as part of Navy Week here in Rochester. I was pleasantly surprised and so pleased that Don Quinn, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Commander, Navy Personnel Command and Deputy Chief of Naval Personnel was able to join us. Admiral Quinn is a Rochester native and his Dad, also Don, was a longtime football and wrestling coach in East Rochester and someone I have always admired. I had the chance to talk with Admiral Quinn and share some information about Camp Good Days with him, and all that we have accomplished over these 32 years, which he was interested in learning about since he left Rochester prior to Camp Good Days being formed. The campers had a fantastic time and the Navy personnel could not have been any nicer. Their kindness, courtesy and professionalism are all a true credit to the United States Navy. As another special highlight to their week at Camp Good Days, the campers from Rochester and Buffalo will have the chance to attend a special practice and rehearsal of the Blue Angels on Friday, courtesy of the ESL International Air Show.

It was exciting to watch some of the Women’s World Cup game on Wednesday afternoon, when the United States took on France and came away with the win, 3-1. Many of us in the Rochester area know Abby Wambach, as she too is a Rochester native, and we can all take great pride in the US Women’s Soccer Team and we wish them the very best as they head into the finals this Sunday!

We are still working on finalizing details and plans for the four Cancer Mission 2020 Congressional District Cancer Summits, which are all taking place next month. I had the chance to speak with Dr. Leslie Kohman, Distinguished Service Professor, Medical Director of Surgery, and Medical Director, Upstate Cancer Center at Upstate University Hospital, on Wednesday morning, and I am so pleased she has agreed to serve as our special Guest Speaker for the 28^th Congressional District Cancer Summit, which will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2011 at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. Dr. Kohman is a true pioneer in her field and I am very much looking forward to spending some time with her at the Cancer Summit.

We will be having an informational and training meeting for our Cancer Mission 2020 College Campus Advocates, here in the Mendon Office this Saturday and we are looking forward to getting these young people on their way to helping us in this important initiative.

Don’t forget to check out www.cancermission2020.com for all of the up-to-date information on the Congressional District Cancer Summits and the Cancer Mission 2020 College Campus Advocate Program, and please share the site with your contacts, encouraging them to join us by signing the Cancer Mission 2020 petition, so that we can all come together to put an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

Today brought a full day of meetings. We had the Project Exile Advisory Board Meeting followed by a planning meeting of the Project T.I.P.S. Committee. Project T.I.P.S., as I have mentioned previously, stands for Trust, Information, Programs and Services, and we will be holding a Press Conference regarding our next event, tomorrow morning. James McCauley, Jr., our Partners Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) Initiative Coordinator and I met with Carlos Cotto this afternoon in regards to the Leadership Program we host at Camp Good Days, in cooperation with the Rochester City School District for students transitioning from Elementary School to Middle School. Tomorrow, after the Project T.I.P.S. Press Conference I am looking forward to meeting our campers over at the Greater Rochester International Airport for the Blue Angels practice.

In addition to all of the challenges we have been dealing with – there is the saying that it takes a village to raise a child – well, it apparently takes Camp Good Days to raise a kitten. We are all helping and supporting Ryan in her quest to save and nurture “Peter” the two week old kitten she is rescuing!

There is certainly never a dull moment here!

It is hard to even believe that we are heading into mid-July already – the summer is going way too fast – and hard to believe it is already Thursday again! But, we continue onward and wish all of you a healthy, happy and safe weekend!

PS: If you’re not a fan of Camp Good Days on facebook, like us at www.facebook.com/CampGoodDays79. You’ll be privy to all of our updates, photos, and more!

Friday, July 8, 2011

2011-07-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

It’s hard to believe that as I write this it is already July 8^th. It feels like the summer is zooming by, but maybe that’s because we didn’t have much of a spring – we went from constant rain to beautiful summer, but it does feel as if it is going quickly.

Earlier this week I had the opportunity to chat with Dr. Lee Helman, Scientific Clinical Director for the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute. I truly enjoyed my conversation with him and one thing he mentioned, which oftentimes is forgotten, is that while yes, we have made progress in the area of some forms of childhood cancer, some of those who survive their battle continue to spend an inordinate amount of time in pain, in the hospital, and dealing with respiratory or kidney problems as a result of their treatments. We often think that when someone is told there is no sign of cancer in the body that the battle is over and they will go on to live a full life free of pain and hospital visits, but with remission sometimes comes a high price to pay, not only economically, but physically and emotionally as well. We still have a ways to go before we can say we have been truly successful and I look forward to helping Dr. Helman promote the important work that he and his colleagues are doing.

Through our conversation we realized that we knew a number of the same people and Dr. Helman mentioned that he had recently had dinner with Dr. Harvey Cohen. Dr. Cohen was Director of Pediatric Hematology / Oncology at University of Rochester Medical Center in the 80s and early 90s. Dr. Cohen is a great friend and was one of our doctors at Camp Good Days who now is Professor of Pediatrics and Medical Director of Palliative Care at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at the Stanford University School of Medicine. After chatting with Dr. Helman, I decided to send a note to Dr. Cohen and was so excited to have a note back from him yesterday morning. It was great to catch up with him and he even sent me a photo of him, his wife, and their grandchildren – wow how the time flies!

On Thursday morning, Julia Vosburgh came to see me at the office. I have known Julia since she was four years old, as her Dad, Paul, is my boss at St. John Fisher College, where I am an Assistant Football Coach. I have watched Julia grow into a beautiful young lady – both on the outside and inside - and I was so honored that she came to see me to ask me if I would provide the blessing at her wedding reception next Saturday. Julia is a free spirit and marches to her own drum and I will tell her future husband, Adam that life with Julia will always be an adventure and she will keep him on his toes!

On Thursday afternoon I put the top down and drove down to the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility to spend some time with the campers in the Childhood USA/B&ST Alumni Program, which is a residential camping program for children, ages 8-17, who have a parent or sibling dealing with cancer, but whose last treatment was three or more years ago, or who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer three or more years ago. As this was the Alumni Program, I had the opportunity to see some campers who have been coming to Camp Good Days for many years and it’s so nice to have some of them grow up to become volunteers and even members of our summer staff. The campers were having a great time with each other and the volunteers and staff. The facility looks great and the highlight for me was having a front row seat for the Talent Show. It’s always amazing to see how happy the kids are at Camp Good Days, especially given the very difficult circumstances that they are dealing with.

On my drive home, I listened to “Good Days & Special Times” the Camp Good Days’ monthly radio show, which airs the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 PM on News Power 1040 AM WYSL and 92.1 FM. Rich Funke, Anchor at NEWS10NBC, and I have been hosting this show together for the past 11 years. Sarah Clapper has helped us to produce the show every month and with the folks at WYSL, we have a great team. The Camp Good Days’ Radio Show is another way to stay up-to-date with all that we have going on and if you miss the show you can get the podcast at www.wysl1040.com. This month was the first time since we have been doing this show that I was not able to be there, as I was dealing with family matters with Ron’s passing, but I listened with great interest as Rich interviewed Dr. Aram Hezel, Assistant Professor of Hematology / Oncology at the James P. Wilmot Cancer Center at the University of Rochester Medical Center, about the work they are doing at Wilmot and specifically about clinical trials.

This morning I had breakfast with an old friend and Camp Good Days’ supporter, Jim Mulley and one of his good friends, Bill Taylor and we chatted about our Partners Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) Initiative, Project Exile and Project T.I.P.S. Programs and CANCER MISSION 2020. I have spent the rest of the day catching up on mail and other items in the office and am deciding if I am going to head to the Rochester Rhinos game tonight at Sahlen’s Stadium, or spend a relaxing night at home with Rebel, my bull terrier, since Wendy and Elenore, our Irish terrier are down at Camp.

The Alumni Program campers returned home this morning and tonight a group of women dealing with cancer will arrive for the Women’s Oncology Adventure Program. Our staff has put together a full weekend for the women with activities ranging from nature hikes and the adventure ropes course to kayaking, canoeing and more. I plan to head back down to Camp this weekend, as the Women’s Program is one of my personal favorites. It’s so nice to be able to see these women, who give so much of themselves on a daily basis to their families, friends, and jobs, and who have all been dealing with this horrible disease, to have a few days to just focus on their own relaxation, enjoyment, and camaraderie with the only others in the world who can truly understand all that they go through – other women dealing with cancer.

We continue to work every day on putting the pieces into place for CANCER MISSION 2020 and specifically the four Congressional District Cancer Summits we have planned for this August. The 24^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congressman Richard Hanna will be held on Friday, August 12, 2011 in the Utica area. The 25^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle will be held on Monday, August 15, 2011 in the Syracuse area. The 28^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congresswoman Louise Slaughter will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2011 in Buffalo, and the 29^th Congressional District Cancer Summit with Congressman Tom Reed will be held on Thursday, August 25, 2011 at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility.

We also are looking forward to meeting with our CANCER MISSION 2020 College Campus Advocates next Saturday, for an informational meeting and training session, to help prepare them to serve as ambassadors for the initiative at their schools.

We will have many more details and information about these Cancer Summits, including locations, agendas and keynote speakers, as well as the College Campus Advocate Program to share with all of you in the coming days and weeks, but again I ask you to please check out www.cancermission2020,com, sign the petition and join us in this important initiative to put an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

As we head into next week we will have completed two full camping programs for children, two sessions of our Women’s Oncology Program, and our Young Adult Program. By the end of the season, based on participation and registrations, we will have served nearly 45,000 campers over these past 32 years, and if all goes well, we will have another country represented – Ethiopia – in our Doing A World Of Good Program, bringing the total number of countries to 27. Summer is definitely in full swing now!

Wishing all of you a wonderful and safe weekend!

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

2011-07-06T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Fourth of July Holiday Weekend began for us last Thursday. It was a beautiful day and more than 200 of Ron Federico’s family members and friends gathered on the lawn at Holy Cross Anglican Church in Webster to say goodbye this very special and gentle man. As one can imagine, I have been to way too many funerals, but Ron’s was so simple and elegant and is one that I will remember for a very long time.

To have Father David Ambuske, who is such a fine man and a blessing to everyone at Camp Good Days, preside over Ron’s funeral meant so much, and his wife, Linda, could not have been more helpful in accommodating all of us. Time and again it is apparent that working at Camp Good Days is so much more than just a job – we are truly a family. The staff at Camp Good Days has been tremendous, filling in for Tammy so that she could spend her time with Ron in his final days and take care of all the necessary things that must be done. They pitched in to help ensure that the services were what she wanted them to be, and the balloon launch was exceptionally beautiful. Daria Bour made the service extra special by playing the bagpipes, on very short notice. Mike Falvo – there just aren’t enough words to express what he means to the children and families at Camp Good Days and to all of us. His guidance, assistance and compassionate support during this difficult time were astounding. Tammy invited everyone back to her and Ron’s house that afternoon, as it is their beautiful home they made together and Ron was so proud of it.

On Friday, Wendy and I took my father-in-law, Tammy and Tammy’s daughters out to dinner and then we went to Sahlen’s Stadium, as it was Camp Good Days’ Night, and we watched the Rochester Rhinos take on the Richmond Kickers – it was great to see the Rhinos win!

On Saturday, I took some much needed time to think, reflect and grieve, while Wendy got some chores done around the house. On Saturday evening, Tammy and one of her daughters came over and joined us for a cookout.

On Sunday, we woke up to another beautiful day – the Lord has blessed us with some great weather recently – and Wendy and I drove out to the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake to see how things were there. As we walked around, I noticed the amazing new miniature golf course, which the family of Scotty Toombs, a former camper who lost his battle to cancer, has been not only raising the money to renovate, but has personally been coming to Camp Good Days to put the new course together. Like clockwork, every weekend they have been there getting the new course ready for the campers to enjoy. It dawned on me that the 2011 summer had already started and our first camping program, the Sharing & Caring / Do The Right Thing Program, which is for children who have lost an immediate family member to homicide or have been recipients of the Rochester Police Department’s Do The Right Thing Award, had already taken place. For the first time in 32 years, we held a program and I was not able to be there, even for a visit. However, in talking with Chrissy Woods, our Camp Director, and James McCauley, Jr. our Partners Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) Initiative Coordinator, it appears that we started out the season on the right foot with the campers having a great experience and no real problems arising.

On Sunday evening, we went to Chuck & Michelle’s for a cookout – as only Michelle can do! Sitting on their deck, only a few miles from Camp, I realized how blessed I have been to have Michelle in my life and how blessed all the children and families at Camp Good Days are to have Michelle as part of our family. I have known Michelle for 32 years, as she was one of Teddi’s nurses when Teddi was in the hospital. With the exception of when Michelle attended the University of Pittsburgh to obtain her advanced degree, she has been a part of the Camp Good Days’ programs for all these years.

Monday, the Fourth of July, would have been my Dad’s 100^th birthday, if he was still alive. We had a quiet day and went to visit Tammy, who as anyone can imagine is having a hard time. It is so hard to see this emotionally drained and devastated woman and you wish so much that you could just free her of all that pain, and hurt, and sadness. Unfortunately, we can’t do that, this is a part of life and all we can do is be there for her with our support and compassion. We took Tammy to dinner on Monday night and then went to the Red Wings game at Frontier Field with Wendy’s Dad, but our hearts just weren’t in it and we left before the end of the game.

A new week and a new program have begun here at Camp Good Days. Campers in the Childhood USA / B&ST Alumni Program headed to Camp; we had an All City Staff Meeting so that we can all catch up and make sure we are on track with all of our important work; and I had a phone call with Dr. Lee Helman, Scientific Clinical Director for the Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute, to share with him a little bit about CANCER MISSION 2020.

Going through these past few weeks has been emotionally draining, yet it has renewed my commitment and resolve about how important CANCER MISSION 2020 is. In the words of Jim Valvano – we can’t give up, we can’t ever give up!

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

2011-06-29T08:52:00.000-05:00

This past Monday, June 27, 2011 would have been my daughter Teddi’s 42^nd Birthday. As I do every year on this date, I think about all of the what ifs and what could have beens – what kind of young woman would she have grown up to become? What educational and career path would she have chosen? Would she be married and who would she have married? Would she have children? And, what would I have been doing all these years and these hours if my little girl had never gotten sick?

As many of you know, this has been a very sad and trying week for so many within the Camp Good Days’ family. Late Sunday afternoon, following a 15 month battle with multiple myeloma, a dear friend and volunteer with Camp Good Days and my brother-in-law, Ron Federico, lost his battle to cancer. Ron was surrounded by his family and friends in the ICU at Strong Memorial Hospital and everyone who was blessed to have known Ron is suffering a tremendous loss.

I met Ron some 31 years ago, when I was just a Dad desperately working to provide Teddi and other children with cancer with a residential camping experience not available to them at that time. For the next 20 years or so, Ron volunteered at the camping programs with the children and was an integral partner in planning the many camping programs and special experiences for the campers. Throughout the years, Ron also found the time to volunteer and help with many special fundraising events including Ridin’ for a Reason, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Wine Auction Dinner, Kazoo Fest, as well as Holiday Parties and other activities and events. Ron was a graduate of St. Bonaventure and spent his career working in government.

I was so thrilled that Ron met his wife, Tamara, at Camp Good Days. As many of you know, Tammy has been our Office Manager, Women’s Oncology Program Coordinator and such an important member of our staff here at Camp Good Days. Tammy and Ron were so good for each other and at the time that they got together, Tammy was a single mom, raising two young adolescent daughters and Ron became their rock. Anyone who knew Ron knows that he was as solid as an oak tree – always someone that could be counted on, and as the country song says, he was the kind of friend a friend would like to have. Ron was a great husband, a great step-father, a great brother-in-law, a great uncle, a great volunteer, a great brother, and a great son, as he would visit every Saturday and would take his Dad out to have a cigar. Ron retired from his career in December 2009 and sadly did not have the opportunity to enjoy that retirement as within a few months he was diagnosed with cancer. Ron was a gentleman in every sense of the word and words can’t truly express how much he will be missed.

Once again, I feel such great frustration and sadness, as we continue to watch and be affected by the complete devastation and toll that cancer takes on so many. It makes me that much more committed to CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE. Cancer is an equal-opportunity disease – it doesn’t care if you are a man or a woman, if you are white, black, yellow, brown or orange, and it doesn’t care if you are old, middle aged or if you are a young child. We DO have the ability and the means in this country to find the answers to this fight on cancer, we just need to create the will in the American people that we will no longer accept cancer and the devastation and pain it causes and that we must have cohesive, comprehensive and collaborative actions to truly put an end to cancer by the end of the decade.

If you agree – JOIN THE MISSION AND SIGN THE PETITION! Visit www.cancermission2020.com today and help us put an end to all of this pain and suffering and sadness.

As we bury Ron on Thursday, I ask that you keep Tamara and their entire family in your thoughts and prayers, not only this week but in the weeks and months to come. I know that Teddi will be there to greet Ron at the gates of heaven, along with all the loved ones, special friends and family members who have passed away over the years.

Despite all of our sadness, we continue on with our important work and our programs. I am happy to report that summer camp officially kicked off on Monday and all seems to be going well with the campers who are having a great experience at the Sharing & Caring / Do The Right Thing Program at the Recreational Facility, as well as the Junior Good Days Program in the Syracuse area, which is for those campers who are still too little to attend overnight camp.

I know that I am looking forward to having a nice night out at the Rochester Rhinos game, on Friday, July 1, 2011 to help take my mind off all of the difficulties this week. If you are available, please join Camp Good Days at the Rochester Rhinos game at Sahlen’s Stadium, 460 Oak Street, Downtown Rochester. The gates open at 6:30 PM, the game begins at 7:30 PM, and it is the Rhinos Give Back to Camp Good Days Night! The Rochester Rhinos have been such great friends and supporters of the children at Camp Good Days over the years and we are thrilled that they have chosen us as the beneficiary of this special evening. Camp Good Days will receive $1.00 from each ticket sold on game day, as well as have the Quarters for Cancer table set up where attendees can make donations, purchase a ticket for the Courage Bowl Car Raffle, and JOIN THE MISSION BY SIGNING THE PETITION for CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE!

Please remember to visit the Camp Good Days’ website, www.campgooddays.org, for all the information about our programs and special events and activities taking place and please take a moment to check out www.cancermission2020.com and join us in our important initiative to end cancer by the end of the decade, so that we no longer have to have such sad weeks as this one, losing someone so dear to us because of this dreadful disease!

Tuesday's Update

2011-06-21T16:23:00.000-05:00

This morning I had my first opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Rochester, Tom Richards, since he won the Special Election earlier this year and I had the chance to share with Mayor Richards a little bit about Camp Good Days, as well as our latest initiative, CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE and some ways in which we could work together on this important initiative.

I then had lunch with my longtime friend and Camp Good Days’ Board Member, Dick Kaplan, who as a very successful businessman with years of leadership and strategic management experience, is helping us to formulate a solid business plan as we move forward with CANCER MISSION 2020.

This evening we will be meeting with a large group of parents and some campers to inform them all about the programs their children will be attending this summer; share with them what we expect from them as parents and from their children as campers, as well as what they can expect from all of us at Camp Good Days. This is another way in which we are striving to have open lines of communication and ensure that all of our campers have the most wonderful and beneficial experience possible while they are at Camp Good Days. These meetings are also taking place in Ithaca, Syracuse and Buffalo and we hope that they will serve to further build and strengthen our relationships with the many families we serve.

Sadly, I learned today that Elizabeth Messick, one of our long-term campers and someone who has been a part of the Camp Good Days’ family for many years since she was a camper, passed away yesterday. I was so proud that after she was a camper, Elizabeth went on to become a nurse. Elizabeth had to deal with a variety of challenges as a result of the effects from her battle with cancer and the treatments, but she was always so excited to be a part of our summer camping programs and had many special friends at Camp and in fact I had just talked to her recently about how much she was looking forward to Camp this summer. Our hearts go out to the Messick family and Elizabeth will be missed by all of her Camp Good Days’ friends.

Once again, this dreadful disease has hit very close to home. Clouding everything this past weekend and this week has been the fact that Tammy, who has been a part of our staff for many years, and her husband, Ron, whom she met through Camp Good Days, as Ron has been a volunteer and involved with many of our programs and committees for the better part of 30 years, and has been facing his own battle with cancer since being diagnosed last year, were dealt a major setback this week. It’s hard to believe that just one week ago, we all had dinner and visited the cemetery together, as it was the fourth anniversary of Wendy and Tammy’s mom passing, after battling uterine cancer. Now, just a week later, Ron is in the hospital battling for his own life.

If you needed a reason to check out CANCER MISSION 2020 (www.cancermission2020.com) and join us in the important initiative to END CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE by all coming together to find a comprehensive, cohesive and collaborative way to end this disease, then I urge you to just think about Ron and all those who are battling this disease right now, and all those who will have to face a cancer diagnosis today.

Who knows what tomorrow will bring, but as of right now it’s looking like a day full of meetings, which I will update you all on in a future post and please keep the Messick Family and Tammy & Ron and their family in your thoughts and prayers.

Recap from the Weekend

2011-06-20T16:12:00.000-05:00

As I shared with you on Friday, it was a busy weekend with many things going on.

I had the opportunity on Friday afternoon to tour the new Saunders Research Building at the University of Rochester Medical Center with my old friend, Bob Witmer, and to meet Dr. Thomas Pearson, the Director of that facility. I was truly impressed with Dr. Pearson and the facility and was excited to learn about all that they will be doing at the facility to help generate much needed research and science to help us find the answers to cancer and other diseases. We are very fortunate, here in Rochester, to have been selected by Congress and the National Institutes for Health as one of the initial sites to build such a facility and to have Dr. Pearson providing the guidance and leadership for their work.

For those of you who have been involved with and following CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE, you know that I truly believe that if we are going to find the answers to cancer we need to educate the American public about the absolute necessity of research and clinical trials, especially for adult cancer patients. Currently in the United States, only 3-5% of adult cancer patients participate in clinical trials. Where we have made some real progress is in the area of pediatric cancers because 65-70% of pediatric cancer patients are participating in clinical trials.

For more information about CANCER MISSION 2020, please check out www.cancermission2020.com and JOIN THE MISSION BY SIGNING THE PETITION!

From the meeting with Bob and Dr. Pearson, I went straight to Clifford & Conkey Avenues in the City of Rochester for the Project T.I.P.S. (Trust, Information, Programs & Services) event. This was our second Project T.I.P.S. event for 2011 and the location was a new one for us. The weather held out and by all accounts it was another successful afternoon with many community residents sharing their thoughts, concerns and ideas through the anonymous community surveys. Residents then came and joined us for a cookout, with burgers, hot dogs and beverages all generously provided by TOPS Markets. A special thanks goes out to our good friends, Mike Lawandus and Velma Campbell, as well as some staff members from Camp Good Days’ and Rise Up Rochester who manned the grills all afternoon! Residents also had the chance to obtain valuable information from a wide variety of social service agency representatives including: Rochester / Monroe County Youth Bureau, City of Rochester Department of Recreation, Pathways to Peace, and many more. The Rochester Police Department had their Child Find area set-up; the Rochester Fire Department had their portable Fire House set up for the kids; A Horses’ Friend provided horse rides for the kids; the New York State Police did their car seat checks for parents; and DJ Dr. Sweetback kept everyone entertained with his music.

It was a great afternoon for the community and representatives from New York State Police, US Marshal’s Service, FBI, Rochester Police Department, Rochester Fire Department, Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, Monroe County Probation, the Youth Violence Intervention Partnership at Strong Memorial Hospital, all joined in to make it a success.

As a special highlight, Joe Szafranski, a Buffalo Police Department Officer and New York State National Guard Staff Sergeant rode to Project T.I.P.S. as part of his Ride 4 Cancer 2020. Joe spent some time at the event and was presented with a special Proclamation from Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks, proclaiming Friday, June 17, 2011 as Joe Szafranski Day in the County of Monroe.

On Saturday I was up early and proud to see my grandson, Shane, graduate from DeSales High School in Geneva. We also attended the Buffalo Creative Black Tie Gala on Saturday evening and I am happy to report that Joe made it back to Buffalo safe and sound and completed his Ride 4 Cancer 2020 and it was great to see him and his family recognized during the gala. Once again, Lisa Donato from our Buffalo Office, along with her staff, gala committee and the many, many volunteers did an outstanding job! What a great event, with attendees joining in on the Wizard of Oz theme – There’s No Place Like Camp! The decorations, designed by Mike Russo and his team truly brought us all into the Emerald City, Rob Lederman, once again, did an amazing job as Master of Ceremonies and Lindy Ruff graciously accepted the Spirit of Teddi Award, from his player and Honorary Chairman, Paul Guastad, for all that he and his family have done in support of the children and families at Camp Good Days. Special thanks to all those who attended on Saturday and to everyone who helped, in small ways and big ways, to make that event a wonderful success again this year.

On Sunday, I did, in fact, have the chance to relax a little bit, spending a beautiful Father’s Day at Frontier Field for the Red Wings game with Wendy and her Dad.

This week, we continue with our Summer Staff Training at the Recreational Facility, where this past weekend a group of 25 young men and women dealing with cancer had a wonderful retreat and I have a number of meetings scheduled regarding the many things we have going on and coming up including CANCER MISSION 2020, wrapping up the Tournament of Love, finalizing plans and details for the Corey-Coffey Golf Classic, and finalizing the plans and necessary paperwork for the new building being constructed at the Recreational Facility, promoting Courage Bowl VII, and more!

Busy Weekend for Camp Good Days!

2011-06-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to spend Thursday at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility and speak to all our Summer Staff members, who are in the midst of their two-week, intensive, Summer Staff Training session. Our Summer Staff members help to ensure that all of the programs are provided in a safe and supportive environment and that our campers have the most wonderful experience possible, helping to coordinate the Dining Hall and all of the meals; activity areas such as Arts & Crafts, Nature, Woodworking, Sports & Games, Adventure Ropes Course & Indoor Climbing Wall, and the Computer Shed; working as trained and certified Lifeguards, and helping to supervise and chaperone the campers in their cabins.

It’s going to be another busy weekend for all of us at Camp Good Days…this afternoon, through our Partners Against Violence (PAVE) Initiative, we will be participating in Project T.I.P.S. in the Conkey & Clifford Avenue neighborhood in Rochester. Project T.I.P.S. stands for Trust, Information, Programs & Services, and includes community agencies and law enforcement personnel working in selected neighborhoods to rebuild trust amongst residents and share information. From 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, groups, including one Police Officer, one Fire Fighter, and two volunteers, will visit residents within the neighborhood to create conversations about quality of life issues, as well as to obtain information about the crime and violence that has plagued the neighborhood, in an anonymous format for residents. Project T.I.P.S. will continue from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, with a community cookout and get together where residents can come and obtain more information from service providers and law enforcement agencies, as well as have some food and beverages, and have the opportunity to visit with their neighbors that they know and meet some neighbors they may not know.

I am so excited that Joe Szafranski, a Buffalo Police Department Officer and New York State National Guard Staff Sergeant will be stopping by Project T.I.P.S. around 4:00 PM, as part of his Ride 4 Cancer 2020. Joe lost his nephew to cancer this past January and over the last week he has biked from Buffalo to Albany and will return to Buffalo on Saturday. Through his ride, Joe is hoping to generate awareness and funds to help support Camp Good Days and CANCER MISSION 2020. Joe is a very special young man and I am thrilled that we can support and encourage him in this endeavor.

Also on Friday evening, a very special group of young men and women who are all dealing with cancer will arrive at the Recreational Facility as participants in the Young Adult Program. This program, open to young men and women ages 18-39, goes from Friday to Sunday and includes a Wine Class & Tasting with our good friend and Teddi Award recipient, Lorraine Hems; Tai Chi; Adventure Ropes Course; Arts & Crafts; Woodworking; Boat Rides; Camp Fire; Movie and more. Camp Good Days started the Young Adult Program in 2007 and it has continued to grow over the past few years, providing an opportunity for these young adults to be in a beautiful and safe environment, with the only people in the world who truly understand what they are going through…other young adults with cancer.

On Saturday, I will head to Geneva in the afternoon to attend my Grandson’s High School Graduation and then travel to Buffalo, along with my wife, Wendy, and a few of our Staff Members to attend the Buffalo Creative Black Tie Gala…There’s No Place Like Camp! Based on a Wizard of Oz theme this year, the Buffalo Gala is always a fantastic event and I am sure this year will not disappoint!

As a father, I am hoping to be able to catch up on some rest and relaxation on Sunday for Father’s Day…maybe catch a Red Wings game, before we return to the office on Monday for another busy week.

I hope you all have a safe and fun weekend – don’t forget to check out our website for more information about the many programs and services and special events and activities going on – please keep all those dealing with cancer in your thoughts and prayers - and I wish all of the dads out there a very HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Looking Like Summer!

2011-06-16T08:47:00.000-05:00

It’s beginning to look a lot like summer and here at Camp Good Days that means we are heading into the time when we really shine and when we do what is most important – provide all of our summer programs for the many, many children, adults and families we serve!

Who would have believed that what was started 32 years ago, to provide a residential camping experience not available in our area at that time for my daughter, Teddi, and 62 other children with cancer (21 from Rochester, 21 from Buffalo, and 21 from Syracuse) would grow to become one of the largest organizations of its kind. In 1979, Camp Good Days was the fourth organization of its kind and over the years many of the programs and services started right here have been used as models for other cancer treatment centers and organizations around the world. We can all take great pride in all that we have been able to accomplish!

Since our inception we have served more than 43,000 campers from 22 states and 26 foreign countries – and we will add to that this summer with campers registered to attend from at least one new country and possibly some new states. By all reports and accounts, this summer is shaping up to be one of our largest ever, with more campers and volunteers registered and a number of our programs filled to capacity.

I have been blessed over the years to have so many special people come into my life and share their talents, time, expertise and love to help keep Teddi’s dream and memory alive and I know that this summer many of those same people, and some new friends, will be a part of the magic and spirit that is Camp Good Days.

I want to apologize to those of you who think it is about time that I updated this blog, but for those of you who know me, you know that my computer skills are something that I am working on improving and I haven’t had much time to work on those skills, as we have been extremely busy. We have recently taken down the old motel building at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility and will soon begin construction on a new, small building on the main side of the property, which will provide some much needed additional accommodations. We are also working on making some improvements to one of the girls’ cabins and diligently preparing for our re-accreditation with the American Camp Association (ACA), which takes place every three years. Not to mention getting the facility ready for our campers and volunteers, training all of our volunteers and summer staff members, and holding special fundraising events, which help provide the funding to make our programs possible and available free of charge for the participants.

Some people have been asking why Camp Good Days has embarked on the initiative of Cancer Mission 2020…The End Of Cancer By The End Of The Decade, including my granddaughter who said to me, “Grandpa, isn’t that a daunting task?” and yes, it is a daunting task, but my response to her and to others is that I am sick and tired of going to funerals for people who have lost their battle to cancer. In 2009 I was shocked to have to attend nine funerals for our campers and I couldn’t understand why this was still happening. Why are 11,000 Americans dying from cancer every single week? These people don’t live in a vacuum, they are someone’s mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, and as was in my case – they are someone’s child! How is it that we have not found the answers to cancer? I started calling and talking to people from many of the major cancer treatment centers that I have met over the years and that I have great respect for and I was not prepared for what they were telling me. I started meeting with our Advisory Groups in the cities in which we have an office, as well as with members of our Board of Directors and we felt that there must be more than could be done and that we could help lead the way in finally finding the answers to this fight against cancer.

Recently, a group of MBA students from the Simon School at the University of Rochester completed a project on Camp Good Days regarding brand recognition and image and what they concluded was that while people know Camp Good Days and all the things we have done, we live in a much different world today than 32 years ago with the constant clutter of advertising, messaging, social media, etc. In their opinion, as an organization that has always been an industry leader, Cancer Mission 2020 was something that Camp Good Days could lead the way on and it would provide a new and unique way in which to break through that clutter and remain a leader and model well into the 21^st century.

We announced and launched the Cancer Mission 2020 initiative and website in December 2010 and over the course of just a few months we have made some great strides in taking Cancer Mission 2020 from just an idea to a true initiative that is going strong and growing every day. Thousands have visited the site and are signing the Cancer Mission 2020 Petition, joining us in the belief that finding the answers to cancer needs to be brought to the forefront of our nation’s attention and agenda and that the answers will come only through cohesive and collaborative actions.

We have an active and involved Cancer Mission Committee that is working hard on plans and strategies for the Congressional District Cancer Summits, of which we have four scheduled for this August throughout Upstate New York, and the Cancer Mission 2020 College Campus Advocate Program, which involves having college students serve as ambassadors and advocates for Cancer Mission 2020 on their respective campuses. Many students are signed up representing colleges across New York State and beyond and they will have their first training and informational meeting next month. One of the goals is to have representation from all colleges and universities in Upstate New York by the start of the 2011-2012 school year.

Cancer Mission 2020 is something that Camp Good Days can help to lead and spearhead, as we have demonstrated over the years our unique ability to bring people together and truly make a difference by making things come to fruition without bureaucratic obstacles.

I clearly remember when we opened our own Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake, I invited some special friends to join us for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. Murray Light, who at the time was the publisher of The Buffalo News, asked me afterwards what I wanted to do next and I responded that I hoped that one day we would be able to close the Camp because it would no longer be needed. That was in 1989 and as we look at the number of campers registered to take part in our programs this summer, the number of people being diagnosed with cancer, and the number of people losing their battle to cancer, the need for Camp Good Days has never been greater.

I know this post is long and I promise there will be briefer and much more frequent posts to come, but I wanted to take some time to not only update my blog, but share with all of you what is going on here at Camp Good Days and reiterate our commitment to our core mission and values. The mission of Camp Good Days and Special Times is to be internationally recognized as the premier service organization that enriches the lives of children and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life challenges. I want to assure you that all of us – our small staff and the thousands of volunteers who give so much of themselves in small ways and big ways to help make all that we do possible – are fully and completely committed to our mission.

Finally, please know that I have an open door policy – if you want to become involved in any of the programs, services, initiatives, volunteer opportunities, fundraising events, have ideas, suggestions, thoughts, concerns, or questions - my door and my phone line are open!

DO ME A FAVOR - JOIN CANCER MISSION 2020!

2011-05-05T08:19:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, this past December, we officially launched CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE and since that time a number of exciting activities have taken place, paving the way for a comprehensive, cohesive, collaborative way in which we will finally find the answers that have been eluding us in the war on cancer.

Recently, the CANCER MISSION 2020 website, www.cancermission2020.com, re-launched and features a very clean, simple, user-friendly, and easy-to-navigate format. Visitors will find startling information about where we currently stand in the United States in our fight against cancer and are asked to join the CANCER MISSION 2020 effort, to end cancer by the end of the decade, by signing the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition. CANCER MISSION 2020 is the movement to build awareness and create a call to action, to ensure collaboration and a coordinated effort between public and private sectors in cancer research. Those who sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition are joining, as concerned citizens who urge our nation’s leaders to act now to reevaluate where we stand in our fight against cancer and to make finding a cure for cancer, by the end of the decade, a top priority.

Where we currently stand in the fight against cancer is appalling: 11,000 thousand Americans die from cancer every week – the equivalent of one of the Twin Towers falling every single day; cancer is the leading cause of death of you are 85 years old or younger; One in every three women and one in every two men will face a cancer diagnosis; cancer treatment options have not changed in the past 40 years – the options are cut, burn, or poison.

This is not acceptable! We can no longer depend on others to do what needs to be done. We all need to become advocates for ending cancer by the end of the decade. If we don’t do something here in the United States, cancer will be the leading cause of death, regardless of age, by the year 2016. We are now in the position that it is not a matter of ‘if’ but just a matter of ‘when’ we ourselves or someone we love will have to battle this horrible disease, and those battling cancer do not live in a vacuum – they are our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and as in my case, they are our children. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results. It is time to do something different and actually obtain different results!

I AM ASKING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR…PLEASE JOIN CANCER MISSION 2020 TODAY! Visit www.cancermission2020.com and sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 PETITION!

Support for CANCER MISSION 2020

2011-04-18T12:12:00.001-05:00

Leaders are lending their support to CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE, helping to pave the way for a comprehensive, cohesive, collaborative way in which we will finally find the answers that have been eluding us in the war on cancer. CANCER MISSION 2020 is the movement to build awareness and create a call to action, to ensure collaboration and a coordinated effort between public and private sectors in cancer research. Those who sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition are joining, as concerned citizens who urge our nation’s leaders to act now to reevaluate where we stand in our fight against cancer and to make finding a cure for cancer, by the end of the decade, a top priority. Twenty-eight government, community, business, medical, and media representatives have generously given their support, time and talent to film short video segments for CANCER MISSION 2020, which can be found at www.cancermission2020.com. These supporters include: Louise Slaughter, United States Congresswoman; Tom Reed, United States Congressman; Robert Duffy, New York State Lieutenant Governor; James Alesi, New York State Senator; Maggie Brooks, Monroe County Executive; Michael Green, Monroe County District Attorney; Cheryl Dinolfo, Monroe County Clerk; Jeff Adair, Monroe County Legislature President; Elaine Spaull, Rochester City Council Vice President; Sandra Doorley, Monroe County Assistant District Attorney; David Koon, former New York State Assemblyman; Richard Constantino, MD, Rochester General Hospital; Louis Constine, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center; David Korones, MD, University of Rochester Medical Center; Arnold Klinsky, former General Manager, NEWS10NBC; Rich Funke, Anchor, NEWS10NBC; Ginny Ryan, Anchor, 13WHAM TV; John Kucko, Sports Director, WROC TV-8/FOX Rochester; Brother Wease, Morning Show Host, 95.1 The Fox and cancer survivor; Greg Smith, President of Jay Advertising and cancer survivor; Peter Parts, Owner, Peter Parts Electronics and cancer survivor; Soccer Sam Fantauzzo, Owner, Salvatore’s Pizza; Bishop Gregory Parris, Pastor, Church of Love Faith Center; Shari Hall Smith, cancer survivor; Dan Mason, General Manager, Rochester Red Wings; Rod Baker, Head Coach, Rochester Razor Sharks; Iris Zimmermann, medal-winning Olympic Fencer; and Bill Sedgewick, Assistant Coach, Rochester Rhinos. YOU CAN BE A PART OF HISTORY…JOIN THOSE WHO HAVE COMMITTED THEIR SUPPORT TO CANCER MISSION 2020! Visit www.cancermission2020.com and sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 PETITION!

The Power of Young People

2011-04-08T08:19:00.000-05:00

Over the past couple of months, I have been truly amazed by the support, generosity, dedication and hard work of so many young people across Upstate New York. Hundreds of high school and college students have recently spent countless hours and given so very much of themselves, all in an effort to help create some good days and special times for the many children and families who are a part of Camp Good Days. The Teddi Committee at St. John Fisher College held their 29th Annual Teddi Dance for Love, a 24-hour dance marathon held each February on the St. John Fisher College campus. The Dance for Love has been a part of the Camp Good Days’ history since almost the very beginning and remains one of the most special events held each year. New this year, a student committee at Ithaca College planned and held the Inaugural Dance for Courage on the Ithaca College campus. Then we have the unbelievable students at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, who have been hosting their Dance Marathon for many years and this year, reached the $1 Million mark of funds generated to support the children and families at Camp Good Days! In addition to many hours and many students dancing, a group of young people in the Rochester area planned and implemented the third annual HOPE JAM, a fun-filled day on the slopes for skiers and snowboarders of various ages and abilities, as well as a snowboarding and twin tip ski competition. A very heartfelt THANK YOU goes out to all the students and young people who have gone above and beyond to make a real difference in the lives of our campers here at Camp Good Days. It is because of these events and the students who coordinate them and participate in them that we know the real power of young people and the impact they can have on our community and our world, now and in the future. I am calling on all young people to help us in our newest endeavor, CANCER MISSION 2020…THE END OF CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE. Many are on board, but we need many, many more to reach our goal of having a comprehensive, cohesive, collaborative way in which we will finally find the answers that have been eluding us in the war on cancer. CANCER MISSION 2020 is seeking college students to serve as CANCER MISSION 2020 College Campus Advocates. To date, advocates from the following colleges and universities are already on board: St. John Fisher College, University of Rochester, John Carroll University, University at Buffalo, Hilbert College, Finger Lakes Community College, Utah Valley University, Keuka College, Niagara University and SUNY Oswego. I AM ASKING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU TO DO ME A FAVOR…PLEASE JOIN CANCER MISSION 2020 TODAY! Visit www.cancermission2020.com and sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 PETITION and learn more about how to join the CANCER MISSION 2020 effort as a CANCER MISSION 2020 College Campus Advocate.

CANCER MISSION 2020 - DO YOUR PART!

2011-02-03T09:21:00.002-05:00

It seems that in our society, we have come to accept that cancer is just a fact of life and we can do nothing about it. It has come to the point that it is not a matter of “if” you will get cancer, but just a matter of “when”. Recent research indicates that all of us have cells in our body that have the potential at some point to start growing erratically and haphazardly, turning into cancer, and once that process starts and is detected, we begin our battle with this horrible disease, and this is something that is just accepted.

I am convinced that the only way we can truly defeat cancer and put an end to it, is if we the people, all of us, decide and demand that more needs to be done and no longer just accept that cancer is something we or a loved one will have to deal with.

After talking to a number of people that I respect and admire, some of them physicians and researchers at some of the best cancer centers in the United States, I am sure that we can find the answers, but first and foremost we need to create the will in the American people that we want more done and we want it done now! Each of us has the ability to say that this is where we want our hard-earned dollars to go and we need to make finding the answers to cancer a topic of national discourse. The experts feel that there has never been a better time than now with all of the technology and tools available to us.

The first steps to finding a cure to cancer by the end of the decade are for all of us to say that this is what we want and then begin spreading the word. If you are satisfied with where cancer is today in the United States then we are never going to find the answers, at least not in our lifetime.

What happened to that belief, attitude and spirit that we, as Americans in this great country, can do anything if we put our minds to it?

I feel that it is unacceptable that 11,000 Americans die from cancer every week. These 11,000 Americans do not live in a vacuum, they are our mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandparents, and as in my case, they are our children. If you are 85 years of age or younger in the United States today, cancer is the leading cause of death and if you are between the ages of 30-65, cancer claims the lives of more Americans than the next three causes combined! One out of every three American women and one out of every two American men will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their life. Deaths from cancer in the United States today are equivalent to one of the Twin Towers falling every single day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! We can no longer depend on others to do what needs to be done. We all need to become advocates for ending cancer by the end of the decade.
If you feel as I do, please take a few minutes to visit our Cancer Mission 2020 website, www.cancermission2020.com and sign-up to be a part of this effort. You only need to give your name and email address. Once you have done that, please share the site with your family, friends, colleagues and co-workers and ask them to visit the site and sign-up and then share it with their network of contacts. If we each do these two simple things - sign-up and pass it along - we will create a movement and take the first significant steps in our journey to finding the answers and putting an end to cancer by the end of the decade!

We all know family members, friends, and colleagues who are dealing with cancer right now, and we ourselves may have to face that battle as well, but at least we will know that by signing up at Cancer Mission 2020, www.cancermission2020.com, we are trying to do our part to make ending cancer one of our nation’s top priorities, rather than sitting back and watching the continual devastation that cancer continues to plaque on our loved ones.

Yes, finding the answers to cancer is a daunting task, but the time to begin is now and I challenge each of you to do your part!

CANCER MISSION 2020!

2010-12-02T16:37:00.000-05:00

CANCER MISSION 2020…The End Of Cancer By The End Of The Decade

JOIN THE MISSION TODAY!

On June 22, 2009, Camp Good Days and I were pleased to host the 29th Congressional District Cancer Summit at our Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake and since that time have been working, planning, and putting the pieces in place to finally establish a coordinated, comprehensive, and cohesive effort to find the answers that have been eluding us in the fight against cancer. Today, Thursday, December 2, 2010, we officially launched Cancer Mission 2020…The End Of Cancer By The End Of The Decade!

There has never been a better time than right now, for all of us to come together, using the many tools, technology and resources available to us, to defeat this disease that is claiming the lives of some 11,000 Americans each week. It is as if one of the Twin Towers is falling every single day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. One out of every three American women and one out of every two American men will face a cancer diagnosis at some point in their lifetime and in the United States, if you are 85 years old or younger, cancer is the leading cause of death. According to a report earlier this year from the World Health Organization, not only was cancer proclaimed to be the most economically devastating disease, but it is now the number one disease killer in the world. If we don’t do something here in the United States, cancer will be the leading cause of death, regardless of age, by the year 2016. We are now in the position that it is not a matter of “if” but just a matter of “when” we ourselves or someone we love will have to battle this horrible disease. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting different results. It is time to do something different and actually obtain different results!

Cancer Mission 2020 brings together doctors, researchers and other medical practitioners, legislators and government officials, representatives from support and service agencies, cancer patients, and community members, to move forward with a goal of having 1.5 million voices, together as one, leading the way with a new game plan, with the ultimate mission to end cancer by the end of this decade!

The mission begins at www.cancermission2020.com, and includes educating ourselves and those around us about taking advantage of what we know now (screenings, diet and lifestyle changes, etc.); increasing the knowledge of and patient participation in clinical trials, especially in the cases of adults with cancer, where the current participation is only 3-5%; having patients be able to participate in clinical trials without the fear or possibility of having their health insurance canceled as a result; publicly sharing the results of cancer research – we can’t afford to duplicate research efforts; converting the healthcare system from one that is illness-based to one that is wellness-based; calling for a National Cancer Summit; and rekindling the belief and the will in the American people that cancer is a disease that will not be tolerated any longer and can be defeated!

Cancer Mission 2020 is the movement to demand action, results, and to ensure that the right hand knows what the left hand is doing so that we can be victorious, once and for all, in our fight against cancer.

Join me, join more than one million others, join Cancer Mission 2020 and know that you will be a part of a coordinated effort to END CANCER BY THE END OF THE DECADE!

A Whirlwind, Yet Wonderful Weekend!

2010-06-21T14:56:00.001-05:00

As I sat watching the Red Wings play yesterday afternoon, during a beautiful day at Frontier Field, I thought about how much had transpired over the past few days and what a whirlwind of a weekend it had been, but a wonderful weekend filled with great people all helping to create some good days and special times!

I started the weekend early, as I left the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters on Friday afternoon and headed over to Lakeshore Country Club for the Rich Funke, Jr. Memorial Golf Tournament. It was so nice to be able to spend some time with Rich and Pat, and to see some of Rich Jr.’s friends from school, who continue to come out each year to play in and support this special event. It was also nice to see Molly Dillon, whose brother, Mark, was one of the original campers at Camp Good Days. Wendy also had the chance to see some people she hasn’t seen since high school, and overall, it was a great day of golf and friends!

On Saturday morning, I got up early and headed down to the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, where the Young Adult Program was taking place, for those young men and women, ages 18-39 who are dealing with any form of cancer. What an extraordinary group of individuals! All of the young men and women were having a great time, in a beautiful environment, and sharing their experience with probably the only people in the world who can understand what they are going through – other young adults dealing with cancer. I am so pleased that we are able to provide this program for these young people, and that we are able to do so at no cost to the participants, as is the case with all of our programs.

In order for us to be able to provide our programs free of charge for the participants, we rely on the support and generosity of so many and the success of our special fundraising events. So, on Saturday afternoon, I left the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility and headed to Buffalo for the Camp Good Days’ Creative Black Tie Gala…Campers in Wonderland…which was a fantastic event coordinated by Lisa Donato in our Buffalo Office and her amazing team of volunteers and supporters. From the theme, to the decorations, the volunteers, campers, and guests, it was truly an evening in WONDERLAND!

In addition to raising some of the funds to support our programs and services it also provided the opportunity to spend an evening with some friends including Buffalo Sabres’ Head Coach, Lindy Ruff; Honorary Chairman, Paul Gaustad; outstanding supporters, Lorraine & Hormoz Mansouri; United States Attorney, William Hochul and his wife, Kathy; former United States Attorney, Denise O’Donnell and her husband, John; United States Congresswoman, Louise Slaughter and her husband, Bob; as well as longtime volunteers, Mike & Linda Spino, Larry Sicurella, Dick Esthimer, and so many more!

On behalf of all the children and families at Camp Good Days, I would like to thank all those who volunteered their time to make the Buffalo Creative Black Tie gala another wonderful success, and many thanks to all those who attended and generously supported the event!

As we begin a new week, during which we are all preparing for the start of the residential camping programs, I am looking forward to the week ahead and another whirlwind weekend, during which we will host the seventh of our Project T.I.P.S. (Trust, Information, Programs & Services) events, where we will join with local law enforcement and community agency partners to work in the Ontario & Scio Street neighborhood to help combat the crime and violence the residents there have dealt with; and to Saturday morning, as I have been invited to provide the Commencement Address at Gananda High School, where my granddaughter, Ryan, will graduate!

It is a busy time for sure, but as I reflect on the weekend past and think of what is coming this week, I feel blessed and honored to have such wonderful people and dear friends who all come together, in big ways and small, to help create some good days and special times that we all share!

Creating Memories

2010-05-14T15:23:00.002-05:00

When my daughter, Teddi, was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in 1979, it quickly became apparent to me that it was not the surgery, radiation or chemotherapy that was causing her the most pain, it was the loneliness and the fact that her battle with cancer was robbing her of her childhood. Therefore, one of my main objectives when starting Camp Good Days and Special Times 31 years ago, was to be able to provide an opportunity for children with cancer to regain some of that lost childhood, and have the chance to just be kids, with the only others in the world who could truly understand what they were going through – other children with cancer.

I also wanted Camp Good Days to be a place where children and families could create some wonderful memories and I chose the name because I wanted it to be GOOD DAYS when the children were at Camp Good Days, and the memories of the SPECIAL TIMES they had, would carry them through the difficult times. I hope that we here at Camp Good Days have been able to fulfill that commitment of creating memories, through the residential camping experiences and year-round events and activities. Sometimes, we are able to help make memories, through the support of those in our community, who offer the opportunity for some of our campers to be a part of something extraordinary.

This past Wednesday evening, I sat in the Rochester Riverside Convention Center, with some of our staff members, and watched with excitement as one of our campers, Matt Elkins, served as the Honorary Chairman for the Rochester Press Radio Club’s Day of Champion’s Dinner, alongside, Coca-Cola Sports Personality of Year Award Recipient, Super Bowl MVP, Drew Brees. Throughout the entire evening, Matt’s grin went from ear to ear, as he sat next to Drew Brees, in front of some 1200 attendees.

Matt is an eighth-grade student and has been a camper for the past six years, here at Camp Good Days, having battled cancer. In addition to attending Camp Good Days, Matt served as an Honorary Coach with the St. John Fisher College Cardinals for the Inaugural Courage Bowl, the annual football game between the St. John Fisher College Cardinals and the University of Rochester Yellowjackets, to benefit Camp Good Days.

Thanks to the Rochester Press Radio Club, we were able to provide an opportunity for Matt and his family to create some very special memories on Wednesday night. Despite the dais being two-tiered with award recipients and honorees, Drew Brees took a few moments to recognize Matt and to thank him for helping him out. I can only imagine how exciting that was for Matt, to have one of the most popular and successful NFL players take the time to not only take photos and sign autographs but to recognize him in front of all the other honorees and attendees.

It is opportunities and experiences, such as the one we were able to share with Matt on Wednesday, that truly exemplifies what Camp Good Days is all about and why we do all that we do for children and their families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life threatening challenges, and it is the memories carried away that are the “good days and special times”.

PHOTO: Matt Elkins served as one of the Honorary Coaches with the St. John Fisher College Cardinals, for the Inaugural Camp Good Days Courage Bowl in September 2005.

A Night of Gratitude!

2010-03-11T15:41:00.000-05:00

There are few places in which you can bring together a group of people, of varying age, race, gender, and life experience, and have them all be there for the same reason – to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate. I have been so blessed over the past 30 years that Camp Good Days is one of those rare places. We have had thousands and thousands of volunteers and supporters over the years that have all come to Camp Good Days with one common goal – to improve the quality of life for children and their families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Each year, we honor some of these men and women who have truly gone above and beyond in helping us to fulfill our mission. We have traditionally presented the Teddi Awards and the Ring of Honor inductees at our Annual Holiday Party, but we felt that these special people deserved a special night of their own, where we could take the time to really recognize and honor their endless hours of dedication, time and love to the children and families we serve.

This past Friday evening we held our first Annual Night of Gratitude and by all accounts it was a wonderful success! Some 200 guests including our honorees, their families, friends, and other volunteers and supporters of Camp Good Days gathered together at the Rochester Plaza in downtown Rochester.

During A Night of Gratitude, we recognized those individuals selected as recipients of the Teddi Award, named in memory of my daughter, Teddi, the inspiration behind Camp Good Days, who are all people who throughout the course of 2009 gave above and beyond to the children and families at Camp Good Days.

Some, like Frank Towner, Dave O’Brien, John Brown, Canandaigua National Bank and the Rochester Red Wings, stepped up in the past year to help us celebrate our 30th Anniversary Year; while others such as Stacey & Chris Ruisi, Lynne & Randy Stiefler, Tony Gasparre, Judy & Merrill Greenstein, Scott Vallow, Key Bank in Buffalo, and the managers and employees at JC Penney stores in the Rochester area, helped to ensure that our many special fundraising events were successful, enabling us to raise the funds necessary to continue providing all of our programs free of charge for the participants. The recipients like Tom Kelly, Bell Steffen, Lenny Craft, and Dawn Hezel are all volunteers who are there for us every time we ask, helping us to provide our campers with safe, fun and unique residential camping programs and year-round recreational and support activities.

THANK YOU to all of our Teddi Award recipients for all they did to help Camp Good Days and CONGRATULATIONS on your Teddi Award!

We also recognized those selected for induction into the Camp Good Days’ Ring of Honor. The Ring of Honor was established as part of Camp Good Days’ 25th Anniversary Celebration in 2004 and includes those who are selected for their outstanding dedication, commitment and support of the thousands of children and families served over the years. In addition to their award, inductee’s names will be included in the permanent Ring of Honor display, which is located at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility, in Branchport, NY, for all to see.

The Ring of Honor Inductees are: Lyle Corey, Eric Foster, The Gayden / Pettway Family, David Korones, MD, The Lederman Family, Sande Macaluso, Lorraine & Hormoz Mansouri, Sue Powers,
Carmen Ramos, and TOPS Markets. Words are not enough to express the years of volunteer service and astounding financial support these inductees have given to the children and families at Camp Good Days…some for more than 10 years and some who have been with us since the very beginning in 1979!

In addition to the Ring of Honor Inductees noted above, we inducted Shannon Grieve, our former Camp Director / Volunteer Coordinator, who had been with Camp Good Days for more than eight years. Shannon has recently moved on to a new position with ABVI-Goodwill and hers will be big shoes to fill!

CONGRATULATIONS to all of our Ring of Honor Inductees and THANK YOU for everything you have done and continue to do to help Camp Good Days!

Over the past 30 years, Camp Good Days has served more than 42,000 campers from 22 states and 25 foreign countries! We have received the coveted Four-Star Rating from CharityNavigator.org and we have been inducted into the Safety 1st Hall of Fame by Markel Insurance Companies. The only reason we have been able to do this and that we are able to continue all that we do is because of the support we receive from so many, like all those selected as Teddi Award recipients and inductees into the Ring of Honor.

It has been said that the two greatest gifts we as human beings can give to one another is our time and our love…all of those we recognized and honored at A Night of Gratitude have given so much of both and they are truly so very much appreciated!

Reflections on the Annual Florida Trip

2010-01-21T19:15:00.001-05:00

A group of campers and volunteers from Camp Good Days just returned from the Annual Trip to Central Florida and as they boarded the plane to return to Upstate New York I had a chance to reflect on the past few days we all spent together. The group consisted of campers from a number of our programs and included children with cancer or sickle cell anemia, young adults dealing with cancer and women from our Women’s Oncology Program and it was wonderful to see them, along with the volunteers, all interact and enjoy this magical experience together. They had the opportunity to visit St. Pete Beach and Tampa, as well as enjoy visits to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and Epcot Center, and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.

Since the beginning of Camp Good Days, more than 30 years ago, we have been blessed to have so many special friends, who always go above and beyond to help us continue providing good days and special times to all those we serve. This trip was no exception. John & Linda Mongoven, along with their friends and neighbors at Hunter’s Creek in Orlando welcomed the group to Orlando, providing dinner, activities and an exciting Snake Education Show with Chief Rowley, all on the evening the group arrived. The next day everyone traveled to St. Pete’s Beach where they had the chance to spend the afternoon at the ocean, playing on the beach and the giant waterslide, courtesy of Tradewinds Resort and great friends, Steve & Patti DiGennaro, who also cooked dinner for everyone, inviting us all into their home. The group got to meet and spend some time with Kelly and Steve Christie, which was very exciting for some of the Buffalo Bills’ fans and those who have never had the chance to meet a former NFL player before. Thanks to the generosity of Mark Sofia and the Tampa Bay Lightening, the group got to attend the Lightening Hockey Game, watching them take on the Florida Panthers, with special Tampa Bay Lightening hats and souvenirs. Again, there were a number of participants for whom this was their first time attending a NHL game.

The rest of the trip was spent at the theme parks, riding the rides and taking in all the excitement of each park, from seeing their favorite characters, the Illuminations Show at Epcot and the Celebration Parade at Magic Kingdom. To hear the cheers of everyone on the bus as we pulled into the Walt Disney World and to see everyone’s faces light up, both the children and adults, as we took the ferry boat over to Magic Kingdom and Cinderella’s castle came into view, is truly beyond description. We also had plenty of time in the hotel pool and time to just relax with everyone. Overall, it was a fantastic trip during which everyone bonded and had a great time.

It amazes me that no matter where we go with the campers and volunteers, the concept of this being a small world is always reaffirmed. At the various parks and attractions we visited in Central Florida, we were approached by people who had either been a part of Camp Good Days themselves or had a family member or friend who was a part of Camp Good Days and took the time to stop and chat and share how much Camp Good Days meant to those who have been a part of our family. We also were stopped by complete strangers, who seeing our Camp Good Days’ shirts and flag, wanted to just share that they had heard about Camp Good Days and to say that they had heard wonderful things about our organization. It is so nice and I am so proud that Camp Good Days has grown to become such a meaningful and important organization with a reputation and image that knows no boundaries.

This trip requires much planning and preparation and many resources. Again, we have been so blessed over the years to have supporters who help to make this trip a reality each and every year. The students at St. John Fisher College who are part of the Teddi Committee and who participate in the Annual Dance for Love, a 24-hour dance marathon, raise funds that directly support this trip for the children with cancer. The 28th Annual Dance for Love will be held this February 12-13, 2010. In addition, the Gary Amendola Fun Fund also helps to make this trip possible. This fund was established in memory of Gary Amendola, who was a good friend, supporter and member of the Camp Good Days’ Board of Directors and lost his own battle with cancer, and provides the funding for special trips and activities throughout the year. The Sugarman Smiles Fund was established at Camp Good Days by local businessman, Gary Sugarman, and helps to provide the funding for special trips and activities for adults dealing with cancer. And last, but certainly not least, this trip would never have been possible without the unwavering support of Wayne Meisenzahl who was completing his own treatment for cancer years ago and wanted to give children touched by cancer the opportunity to experience firsthand, the magic of Central Florida. The Annual Florida Trip has continued because of the generosity of Ms. Germaine K. Hess, one of Meisenzahl’s clients, who left a bequest to Camp Good Days, through an estate, specifically to ensure that Camp Good Days will be able to continue providing the Annual Florida Trip.

To see the photos from this very special trip, check out the Photo Gallery on our website, http://www.campgooddays.org/ and don’t miss the 28th Annual Dance for Love at the Student Life Center at St. John Fisher College, from 8PM – 8PM, Friday & Saturday, February 12-13, 2010!

Looking Forward to 2010!

2009-12-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

This past year at Camp Good Days has been a great success, filled with many special memories, as we celebrated our 30th Anniversary Year. As we now enter and celebrate the Holiday Season, we are trying to plan for the upcoming year, facing some uncertainty and challenges for sure, but completely committed to continuing to be the best system of support for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by this horrible disease – cancer.

Our 30th Anniversary Year celebration will culminate with a beautiful and poignant television show, produced by Frank Contestabile and John Brown at Frontline Advertising, and narrated by longtime friend to the children of Camp Good Days, Candice Bergen. 30 Years of Courage will air in the Rochester area on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM on NEWS10NBC, 13WHAM TV and WROC TV-8, and at 7:30 PM on FOX Rochester. The show will also be available On Demand from YNN Time Warner Cable. We are also in the process of making some updates and changes to our website (www.campgooddays.org) with enhanced capabilities for video so we hope to be able to have all or portions of the show available on the site in 2010.

Like others, Camp Good Days must continue to change with the times. When I started Camp Good Days in 1979, and a child was diagnosed with cancer, the best a family could hope for was that the doctors and nurses would be able to keep their child free from pain and help them to prepare for what was almost inevitable…the death of their child. Things are much different today, as we have a better understanding of cancer and when a child is diagnosed now, we throw everything at them, in terms of treatment, including the kitchen sink. These children are living longer and some beat their cancer, going on to live hopefully cancer free and what will be long and prosperous lives.

Some, unfortunately, pay a horrific price for their survival and can never put their battle with cancer behind them. The evidence of their battle is prominent and oftentimes because of their battle and the treatments, they are not able to keep up with their peers, are unable to obtain driver’s licenses, or career paths that many of us take for granted. Camp Good Days has become a key part of the long term survivor’s social life and we are dedicated to meeting the needs of this ever-growing population.

There are also those that still lose their battle with cancer and Camp Good Days will continue to be there to meet the needs of the parents and siblings, helping them through this terrible time.

With the wide variety of programs and services available at Camp Good Days, we will continue to be there for the many populations we serve and who need us. But, we need help. The lifeline of Camp Good Days has always been and continues to be the hundreds of volunteers who give so much of their time and their love and the generous contributions we receive to help fund our many programs. In order to keep the two promises I made 30 years ago – that Camp Good Days would not be a bureaucracy, but would be an organization that truly made a difference, and that all of the programs and services would be provided free of charge for the participants – we have to do the best job that we can to secure both the monetary donations and service of volunteers to support our programs.

I am excited that during 2010 we will continue working to find some of the answers that have been eluding us, in the war on cancer. More than 564,000 Americans will lose their battle to cancer this year and I hope that once Congress gets through the Health Care Reform and finds a way to somehow resolve the two major military conflicts we are involved in, that we will be able to pick up where we left off this past June with the 29th Congressional District Cancer Summit. Our goal is to help the current administration follow-up on ways to defeat this devastating disease. While we made some significant findings at the Cancer Summit, we also realized just how much is still to be done, but I am confident and committed to finding those answers!

I am pleased to report that as we end our 30th Anniversary Year and head into a new year, Camp Good Days is still a very strong and viable organization. This past October, Camp Good Days was once again awarded with the coveted Four-Star Rating from CharityNavigator.org for sound fiscal management. We are committed to our ability to adapt and adjust our programs and services to best meet the needs of the many populations we serve and to improve the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer.

Wishing all of you a joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with good health, peace, happiness and much love!

CANCER SUMMIT UPDATE

2009-09-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

There has been much confusion and debate recently regarding healthcare reform, but the one thing that is obvious is that cancer is quickly becoming the NUMBER ONE KILLER in this country and the world! Right now, if you are 85 years old or younger, cancer is the leading cause of death. More than 564,000 Americans will lose their battle to cancer this year and over the course of the next 14 months, more Americans will die from cancer than were lost in all of the military conflicts of the 20th Century. It is as if one of the twin towers is falling every single day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. In fact, one of every three women and one of every two men will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime. Those who are battling cancer and losing that battle do not live in a vacuum, they are our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, grandparents, and as in my case, our children.

They say that timing is everything. Earlier this year, President Obama became the first President since Richard Nixon in 1971, to state that cancer is a disease that touches all of us and WE CAN DEFEAT IT IN OUR LIFETIME! Following his speech, I contacted my Congressman, Eric J.J. Massa, of the 29th Congressional District, and shared with him that now was the time, as the President had opened the door. I am so pleased that on Monday, June 22, 2009, we held the first CANCER SUMMIT at the Camp Good Days and Special Times’ Recreational Facility, where we brought together some of the best doctors, nurses, support service representatives, and cancer patients from the 29th Congressional District. Our special guest was Dr. Brian Monahan, Attending Physician for the United States Congress and United States Supreme Court. Dr. Monahan holds the rank of Rear Admiral and was formerly Director of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the National Naval Medical Center. Everyone left the Cancer Summit feeling good and committed to moving forward with new ideas. We are now in the process of developing the model for other Congressional Districts to use in holding similar Cancer Summits.
This effort requires all of us to help and the one thing that each person can do is stand up and say that we do not want our loved ones taken any longer by this devastating disease - a disease that not only takes so many lives, but seems to humiliate those suffering in the process. When they look back at how we treated cancer, it will be seen as nothing short of barbaric. The options are surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, which is nothing more than poison. It is time that all of us reach out to our network of family, friends, colleagues, and co-workers, and as Americans, contact our representatives with the message that although there is much to be done, we want them to take some of the money (our money) and use it on something that will have an impact now, and in the future will actually save some lives.

I have always believed that government should be there to do the things that people can’t do for themselves. I can’t find the cure for cancer – I need the government’s help. The government should be the funder for research. In this new effort to find the answers, we should look at what has proven successful in the past, with research on some childhood cancers. For example, in the 1950s and 1960s, some forms of childhood leukemia were nearly 100% fatal, but today, those diagnosed with certain forms of childhood leukemia are given an 80% chance of becoming a long-term survivor, and will hopefully go on to live a long and prosperous life. As long-term survival of some childhood cancers is a new phenomenon, we need to follow these success stories for the rest of their lives.

More than 60% of pediatric cancer patients are involved in clinical trials – and that is where the answers are found. It is estimated that only 3 % of adults dealing with cancer are involved in clinical trials. The government should be providing more research opportunities and better educational resources for doctors, as well as sharing information about clinical trials with adult patients.

Currently, the largest amount of research funding is coming from the large pharmaceutical companies and information and results are highly confidential because if research proves to be successful it provides substantial benefit to the stockholders, but should the results prove unsuccessful and word gets out, this will have a negative impact on the company’s stock. However, research that is unsuccessful can be just as important as that which succeeds because it provides additional knowledge and learning.

The laws need to be changed! We need to eliminate the obstacle of patients losing their health insurance coverage because of their participation in clinical trials. In addition, if the government funds the war on cancer, the information will be public and the results will be available to all. We, the taxpayers, will then be the direct beneficiaries of the research investments, efforts and results.

There is still much to be done and it starts with each of us committing to become a soldier in this war on cancer. Please take a few moments to write to your representatives and tell them to take the President at his word and to take the steps to secure the funds necessary to create a Manhattan Project to look at cancer and to finally appoint a much-needed Cancer Czar to help coordinate this effort so that finally the right hand will know what the left hand is doing.

For a copy of the 29th Congressional District Cancer Summit Special Report, please contact Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or via email, losborn@campgooddays.org.

CANCER SUMMIT A SUCCESS!

2009-06-23T20:05:00.002-05:00

As most of you know, we are celebrating our 30th Anniversary Year, here at Camp Good Days, and I have spent much time reflecting on the past 30 years, during which we have served more than 41,000 campers from 22 states and 25 foreign countries. In addition, many of the programs and services started right here have been used as models for other cancer treatment centers and organizations around the world. Everything that we have done and continue to do, here at Camp Good Days, is about improving the quality of life for children, adults and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life threatening challenges.

One of my biggest frustrations has been that I still have to attend funerals for campers…funerals that go against the laws of nature, where parents are burying their children, as I did, instead of it being the way that it should be, where children are burying their parents after a long and prosperous life. Just this month, I attended the funeral services for one of my heroes, Bobby Benedict. Bobby was a camper for many years, worked as part of our summer staff at our Recreational Facility, and was someone who truly served as an inspiration for all of the campers he came into contact with. Bobby was a graduate of SUNY Brockport and went on to work with the YMCA in the Boston area. He was only 37 years old when he lost his life as a result of this horrible disease and the subsequent treatments.

This past Monday, June 22, 2009 was a truly special day at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility on Keuka Lake. In his address to Congress this past February, President Obama provided the opening, when for the first time since President Nixon in 1971, he stated that cancer is a disease that touches all of us and we can defeat it in our lifetime. Following the President’s address, I contacted my Congressman, Eric J.J. Massa, who asked me to lead a CANCER SUMMIT, which we did on Monday, for medical practitioners; those who provide support and educational services to cancer patients and their families; those who are battling cancer; and those who have survived their battle.

For me personally, this CANCER SUMMIT is a dream come true and something I have been waiting for, for a very long time. I have long been frustrated that we as a country have not done more to defeat this disease that this year will kill more than 560,000 of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, grandparents, and children. In the next 14 months, more Americans will die from cancer than died in every military conflict of the 20th Century, combined. Cancer is an equal-opportunity disease that knows no race, gender, nationality or age.

Attendees at the CANCER SUMMIT represented a large cross section of the cancer community, including: American Cancer Society, AROCC, Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester, Camp Good Days, CURE Childhood Cancer, Finger Lakes Radiation Oncology Center, Hematology Oncology Associates of Central New York, I’m Too Young For This, Interlakes Hematology & Oncology, James P. Wilmot Cancer Center, Lakeside Memorial Hospital, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Lipson Cancer Center, Melissa’s Living Legacy, Monroe County Department of Public Health, Rochester General Hospital, Thompson Health, University Hospital, and University of Rochester Medical Center; as well as those personally dealing with cancer.

Working under the philosophy I first saw hanging on the wall at the Fred Hutchinson Bone Marrow Transplant Center, and now hangs on the wall at Camp Good Days, “There is no limit to what we can accomplish, as long as it doesn’t matter who gets the credit,” the goal of the CANCER SUMMIT was to provide the venue in which everyone can come together and discuss ways in which to develop a grassroots effort for our country’s commitment to bringing the war on cancer to the forefront of the public’s attention and the government’s agenda, as well as map out the steps necessary to defeat this disease and to provide the model for other Congressional Districts across the country.

The CANCER SUMMIT kicked off with a welcome and outline of the day’s goals and objectives by me followed by comments from Congressman Massa, who also shared his commitment with attendees that defeating cancer in our lifetime is a priority. The attendees were all captivated and motivated by the comments and remarks from guest speaker, Dr. Brian Monahan. Dr. Monahan currently serves as the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. He is responsible for the 535 members of the House and Senate, as well as the nine justices of the Supreme Court. He holds the rank of Rear Admiral and was formerly Director of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the National Naval Medical Center.

The attendees were treated to a cookout lunch at the waterfront, and then split into three subcommittees for afternoon sessions. The subcommittee of those who are dealing with cancer was led by Congressman Massa; the attending Physicians met with Dr. Monahan; and the community service agency representatives also met as a subcommittee. The entire group came back together and reports from each subcommittee were provided by Congressman Massa; Dr. Richard Constantino; and Mark Cronin, who is the Division Director, Strategic Health Initiatives, Upstate New York for the American Cancer Society.

The CANCER SUMMIT closed with final remarks from Congressman Massa and I, and although we have much to do, attendees left with a sense of renewed hope and success in having taken the first steps in the right direction.

CANCER SUMMIT UPDATE

2009-06-09T11:41:00.001-05:00

This past Monday, June 8, 2009, I was pleased to join Congressman Eric J.J. Massa at his Pittsford District Office and later that same day at his Corning District Office, to officially announce the CANCER SUMMIT, which will be held at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility on Monday, June 22, 2009 from 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM. We have invited doctors, nurses, social workers, community agency representatives, as well as those who are dealing with and / or have survived their battle with cancer.

For me personally, this CANCER SUMMIT is a dream come true and something I have been waiting for, for a very long time. In 1971, President Nixon wanted to defeat cancer by our country’s Bicentennial in 1976. Here we are now, in 2009, and we have yet to find the answers that have been eluding us in the War on Cancer, which is the most dysfunctional war our country has ever fought. However, in his address to Congress this past February, President Obama opened the door, when for the first time since President Nixon, he stated that cancer is a disease that touches all of us and we can defeat it in our lifetime.

When I started Camp Good Days, I honestly believed that during my lifetime, we would find a cure for cancer and that I would no longer have to watch parents go against the laws of nature and bury their children, as I did, instead of the way it should be, with children burying their parents after a long and rich life. During the past year, I have attended the funerals for nine of our campers.

I have long been frustrated that we as a country have not done more to defeat this disease that this year will kill more than 560,000 of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, grandparents, and children. In the next 14 months, more Americans will die from cancer than died in every military conflict of the 20th Century, combined. Cancer is an equal-opportunity disease that knows no race, gender, nationality or age. This is not a Democrat, Republican, Conservative, Liberal, or Independent issue, IT IS A PEOPLE ISSUE! President Obama has opened the door and it is the responsibility of all of us to help him successfully defeat cancer, in our lifetime.

We hope this workshop will provide the venue in which we can all come together and discuss ways in which we can develop a grassroots effort for our country’s commitment to bringing the war on cancer to the forefront of the public’s attention and the government’s agenda, as well as map out the steps necessary to defeat this disease. We hope to provide the model for other Congressional Districts across the country.

As a special highlight to our Cancer Summit, Dr. Brian Monahan will be joining us as our Keynote Speaker. Dr. Monahan currently serves as the Attending Physician of the United States Congress. He is responsible for the 535 members of the House and Senate, as well as the nine justices of the Supreme Court. He holds the rank of Rear Admiral and was formerly Director of Hematology and Medical Oncology at the National Naval Medical Center.

As we embark on this journey, I ask that each of you thinks of what you can do to help, as we will bring together the best and will work under the philosophy I first saw hanging on the wall at the Fred Hutchinson Bone Marrow Transplant Center, and now hangs on the wall here at Camp Good Days…”There is no limit to what we can accomplish, as long as it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”…

The CANCER SUMMIT is free of charge to attend, but space is limited and pre-registration is required. Registration forms may be obtained by contacting Laura Osborn, here at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 or losborn@campgooddays.org, or on our website, http://www.campgooddays.org/.

CANCER SUMMIT

2009-04-28T10:33:00.000-05:00

As I talked about in my last blog posting, I have long been frustrated that we as a country have not done more to defeat cancer, a disease that this year will kill more than 560,000 of our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and children. However, in his address to Congress this February, President Obama provided the opening, when for the first time since President Nixon in 1971, he stated that cancer is a disease that touches all of us and we can defeat it in our lifetime.

I am so pleased to announce that my Congressman, Eric J.J. Massa, has asked me to lead a grassroots effort, through an initial workshop, to be held this coming June at the Camp Good Days’ Recreational Facility in Branchport, New York, for medical practitioners; those who provide support and educational services to cancer patients and their families; those who are battling cancer; and those who have survived their battle.

We hope this workshop will provide the venue in which we can all come together and discuss ways in which we can develop this grassroots effort for our country’s commitment to bringing the war on cancer to the forefront of the public’s attention and the government’s agenda, as well as map out the steps necessary to defeat this disease.

As I first saw hanging on the wall at the Fred Hutchinson Bone Marrow Transplant Center, and now hangs on the wall here at Camp Good Days…”There is no limit to what we can accomplish, as long as it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”…and it is my sincere hope that you will support us in this effort!

A New Sense of Hope

2009-02-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

Along with millions of Americans, I watched intently as our new President presented to Congress for the first time, his response to the enormous challenges we face as a nation, as well as to spell out his priorities for his first term in office. This was truly an historical moment, as it was the first time in history that an African American male has served as President and delivered his speech with the first female Speaker of House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, and his white Vice President, Joe Biden, behind him.

President Obama made full use of his oratorical skills that the good Lord blessed him with, and did what the President should and must do in times of crisis, which is to be the cheerleader for the American people and provide hope. However, the President, nor the members of Congress and the Executive Branch, can overcome these challenges alone. All of us, male, female, young, old, white, black, brown, and yellow, need to do what Americans have always done, put our petty issues aside and come together to face these challenges.

President Obama’s speech was also historical for me, both personally and selfishly, as this was the first time in my memory, since Richard Nixon in 1971, that I have heard a President say that it is a priority to cure cancer in our lifetime! For the past 30 years, I have dedicated my life with the help and support of so many people, to the founding and building of Camp Good Days and Special Times. Over the years, Camp Good Days has served more than 41,000 campers from 22 states and 25 foreign countries and many of the programs and services started here have been used as models for other cancer treatment centers and organizations all over the world.

While nothing we do at Camp Good Days will find a cure for cancer, I have seen what the diagnosis of cancer can do, both emotionally and financially, to the person battling this horrible disease and their family. I have been to more funerals than anyone should ever go to, because of this disease that will kill some 600,000 Americans this year and more than seven million people around the world. One out of every three women and one out of every two men will face a cancer diagnosis in their lifetime and for those under the age of 80, cancer is the leading cause of death.

It has been my dream that during my lifetime, I would no longer have to watch parents go against the laws of nature and bury their children, as I did, and instead children should be burying their parents after a long and prosperous life. After watching and listening to President Obama, I turned off my television and I went to bed with a new sense of hope!

Celebrations & Tribulations

2009-02-02T15:19:00.000-05:00

Two-thousand and nine represents a very special year, here at Camp Good Days, as we are celebrating our 30th Anniversary Year…30 Years of Bringing Love To Life! Despite this significant milestone and celebration I had hoped that during my lifetime I would not have to go to anymore funerals where parents were burying their children, as I had to do. I had hoped that things would be as they should be where children would be burying their parents, following a long and fulfilling life.

This past January, during a two-week period, myself and all of us at Camp Good Days had to deal with the loss of three very special campers. Two bright young men, Zach and Adam, were participants in our Young Adult Program and should have had their whole life ahead of them, and Marilla, one of the very special participants in our Women’s Oncology Program, all lost their battle to cancer. This illustrates that while we have made progress over the past 30 years, we still have a substantial way to go in our battle against this ruthless disease, which knows no boundaries. Not only does cancer take your life, but it is as if it has to humiliate you while doing so.

I recall back in the early 90s, hearing the news that a beautiful young lady, who also should have had her whole life ahead of her lost her life to a senseless, horrific act of violence. Jennifer, while a student at St. John Fisher College, had participated in the Annual Dance for Love, an event that supports Camp Good Days, of which the students at Fisher will host the 27th Annual Dance for Love this coming weekend, February 6th & 7th. Upon hearing the news of Jennifer’s death, I felt compelled to do something, because as I will be the first to admit that finding the elusive cure to cancer is very difficult, there must be something that we, as a society, can easily do to stop the senseless acts of violence. So, with the help of many friends and colleagues in Greater Rochester, as we had done with Camp Good Days, we formed the Partners Against Violence Everywhere (PAVE) Initiative. The PAVE Initiative sponsors a variety of programs and activities, such as the Sharing & Caring Program, for children who have lost an immediate family member to homicide; Memorial Services, to remember those we have lost to violence; the Teddi “T” 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, to provide youth with a positive activity in a safe and supportive atmosphere; and Project Exile, a joint law enforcement and community initiative to remove illegal guns from the streets of our community. According to statistics from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, Project Exile has helped to remove nearly 10,000 guns (pistols, revolvers, and derringers) from the streets of our community, since its inception 10 years ago. One can only imagine the pain and devastation these illegal guns could have caused had they remained on the streets of our community in the hands of those who ought not to have them.

This past weekend, on the last day of January, came the news that one of Rochester’s finest, a young Police Officer who was doing his job to help keep our neighborhoods safe, was shot in the back of the head, and according to reports is fighting for his life. Here again, we have quite a ways to go and this horrible act of cowardice should be a warning to our community about where we are and how far we have to go. We need to combine all of our community’s efforts and resources and deliver one clear message that we will not tolerate this violence any longer. If people are in possession of an illegal gun, this community will send them to prison. NO EXCUSES…NO EXPLANATIONS!

I hope that each of you who reads this looks into yourself for ways in which you can help Camp Good Days and our community this year. Make a commitment to make a difference and please keep the Rochester Police Department Officer Anthony DiPonzio and the children and families at Camp Good Days in your prayers.

The Holiday Season

2008-11-20T11:18:00.000-05:00

The snow has started to fall and the Holiday Season is just around the corner, which means it is time for Camp Good Days’ Annual Joe Benet Memorial Kazoo Fest, which will begin on Friday, November 28th and go through December 23rd. We are so pleased to have the support of JC Penney in Rochester; Best Buy in Syracuse and Corning; and the Walden Galleria Mall in Buffalo.

I hope you will all stop by one of the Camp Good Days’ Kazoo Fest locations while you are out doing your holiday shopping and pick up your kazoo, candy cane pen, holiday ornament and other great gifts and stocking stuffers, and help us continue this holiday tradition. In addition to finding some great gifts, you will also be able to pick up some information about our many programs and services and our volunteer opportunities. Check out www.campgooddays.org for your areas’ Kazoo Fest dates and times.

The Holiday Season is a chance to reflect on the year past and count our many blessings. One can choose to see the glass as half empty or half full, and as difficult as times might be, with challenges both large and small, I am so thankful for the many blessings we have had at Camp Good Days, and the thousands of women and men, young and old, who have helped to make Camp Good Days all that it is today.

One of my favorite sayings is from Satchel Paige, who was a pitcher in the old Negro Leagues, (and I am paraphrasing here), “Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines!”

As we each make our resolutions and plans for the New Year, I hope your plans will include the children and families at Camp Good Days, either through a year-end tax deductible donation, a more significant gift through estate planning, or a donation of time by volunteering.

I am truly excited for the coming year, as we will be celebrating the 30th Anniversary Year for Camp Good Days. Think about that…30 Years of Brining Love to Life for more than 41,000 campers from 22 states and 25 foreign countries!

If you have been a part of our family here at Camp Good Days, THANK YOU, we couldn’t have done it without you! If you want to become a part of our ever-growing family, we welcome you with open arms!

Wishing each and every one of you a joyous Holiday Season and a New Year filled with good health, peace, happiness, and much love!