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 29th 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!
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