The Kazoo Fest is taking
place at the malls in Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse and Ithaca, so if you are
out doing your holiday shopping, stop by the Kazoo Fest tables and pick up some
great stocking stuffers and gifts. If you are in need of a large
amount of kazoos, which make a great addition to any holiday or New Year’s
celebration, please call our Headquarters at 585-624-5555 and we would be happy
to accommodate your bulk purchase. Once again, I would like to
express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the store managers and employees at
JC Penney at Eastview Mall, Marketplace Mall, and Greece-Ridge Center Mall, as
well as the staff at Walden-Galleria Mall, Destiny USA, and the Shops at
Ithaca, for their continued support and for making it possible for us to host
the Annual Kazoo Fest at their locations again this season.
If you would like
to volunteer at Kazoo Fest, you still can through our website at: http://www.campgooddays.org/NewsEvents/KazooFest/#vols
New additions to
the Kazoo tables in 2013 include our new hard-cover cookbooks. “Cooking Up
Courage” is filled with recipes from campers, volunteers, staff and even a few
celebrities. The cookbook is divided into sections including Appetizers,
Entrees, Desserts and Healthy Eating. They are available for $15 at Kazoo Fest,
and online at http://www.campgooddays.org/News/Details/?id=229.
On Saturday,
November 16, 2013, Courage Bowl IX was played. The Courage Bowl is
the annual football game featuring the St. John Fisher College Cardinals. This
year we welcomed the Alfred University Saxons to the Courage Bowl. The Courage
Bowl is the annual to benefit the children and families at Camp Good
Days. This year’s game took on extra meaning, as it was the final
game of the regular season between conference rivals with a playoff spot on the
line. It was also the latest into the season any Courage Bowl had ever been
played.
We went into this
game wanting to give the Honorary Coaches, which included Joseph Mayer,
Benjamin Hammond, and Anders Swanson for the Cardinals; and Abrahm Freeman,
Kelvin Shelton, and Mason Stavalone for the Saxons; and the Honorary
Cheerleaders, which included Kayla Tiedemann, Sydney Kresconko, and Lauren
Miller for the Cardinals; and Erin Matthewson and Meghan Kleinlein for the
Saxons; a special experience and the opportunity to create some memories that
they will carry with them for a long time. We also wanted to give
the players from both teams the chance to spend some time with these amazing
campers. We were prepared for a cold day knowing it was a November
game. We wanted a competitive game on the field, without injuries, that
would keep the spectators interested. We wanted a respectable crowd
in the stands and a halftime show different from previous years.
Looking back, we
could not have scripted it any better if we tried! The weather was
beautiful and both teams showed our campers a great time. Thousands of fans
filled Growney Stadium on the St. John Fisher College campus. It was unseasonably warm for November,
and a perfect day for football. Although
the game ended in the lopsided score of 48-13 in favor of the Cardinals, the
day was phenomenal for Camp Good Days’ campers, and truly lived up to the
billing, “More Than Just A Game.”
Courage Bowl IX was
also the last hurrah for Laura Osborn. After 15 successful years with Camp Good
Days, Laura made the decision to move to Florida. She was involved in numerous
things at Camp Good Days, and I always say she was the most important task she
had was making me look good! Laura is like a daughter to me, and I’m grateful
for the relationship we had over the years. We hope to see her when we visit
Florida for our annual Fun Fest Trip in 2014!
Chrissy Woods, who has been part of the Camp Good Days’
family for many years, as a Camp Counselor, Aquatics Director, Program
Director, and most recently as Camp Director, will be taking on the role of my
assistant, handling my calendar, correspondence and assisting with a number of
different things we are involved with. This will give Chrissy the
opportunity to see Camp Good Days from a different perspective and to learn new
skills, and I am pleased that she has accepted this challenge. Phil Martello, our current Social
Media Specialist, who is a recent graduate of St. John Fisher College and has
been with us for a year is going to take on the communications and public
relations responsibilities. I
am confident that both Chrissy and Phil will do a great job with these new
responsibilities and we all wish Laura the very best as she begins this next
chapter in her life.
We are in the
process of putting together our summer program schedule and we will be making a
concentrated effort to reach out to all of the hospitals that serve adults
dealing with cancer, particularly to share information about our Women’s
Oncology Program, as well as our Childhood USA programs for children who have a
parent or sibling dealing with cancer, and our Camp B&ST programs for children
who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer. And as we always have been,
we will continue to be dedicated to serving children who are dealing with
cancer.
With all of the
above-mentioned things, we are adding a Camp Ranger Shed at the Recreational Facility. Otto
Harnischfeger, a Rochester Police Officer and volunteer at Camp Good Days,
received the building as a donation. We’re excited to be putting in a “jail”
where our campers can get their fingerprints done and where the Camp Rangers
will be located.
2014 also marks the
35th Anniversary of Camp Good Days. We’re looking forward to our 35th
year and have some plans in the works to help commemorate the anniversary.
Former longtime Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers Place Kicker Steve
Christie is working on a commemorative poster that we will use to recognize our
35th Anniversary.
Our next update
will bring you up to date on the 32nd Teddi Dance for Love, the
Fayetteville Manlius Dance Marathon, the Ithaca College Dance for Courage, the
Clarence High School Dance-A-Thon, and our annual Night of Gratitude.
This special time
of year provides us with the opportunity to be thankful for our many
blessings. Camp Good Days has so many special angels, who in small
ways and large ways, help us to continue fulfilling our mission and who have
helped me to keep my daughter Teddi’s memory and legacy going, and for that I
am forever grateful.
The New Year is
like a new day, approached with hope and promise and I will do my best in the
coming year to keep you all updated on our plans and progress, as we move
forward.
