CANCER MISSION 2020; WINE; NIGHT OF GRATITUDE & MORE!

A few weeks ago, on Tuesday, February 28, 2012, Monroe County Executive, Maggie Brooks, along with Monroe County Health Department Deputy Director, Dr. Byron Kennedy, and myself, hosted a meeting at Monroe Community Hospital for government, medical and support service leaders and representatives, to share information and discuss strategies for addressing cancer in Monroe County.

Approximately 35 people attended the meeting, including Rochester Mayor, Tom Richards; Monroe County Clerk, Cheryl Dinolfo; and representatives from Congressman Tom Reed’s Office; Congresswoman Ann Marie Buerkle’s Office; Congresswoman Louise Slaughter’s Office; Congresswoman Kathy Hochul’s Office; Wilmot Cancer Center; University of Rochester Medical Center; Rochester General Hospital; Thompson Health; Anthony Jordan Health Center; Rochester Primary Care Network; Greater Rochester Health Foundation; Monroe County Board of Health / Penfield Place; American Cancer Society; and Gilda’s Club Rochester.

Attendees learned about cancer in Monroe County, including the fact that cancer is now the leading cause of death in Monroe County and about the establishment and progress of CANCER MISSION 2020…The End Of Cancer By The End Of The Decade. Discussions took place as to how to strategically approach addressing this issue of cancer within Monroe County, all in an effort to put an end to cancer and to improve the quality of life for citizens in Monroe County.

In follow-up to this initial meeting, County Executive Brooks has asked Dr. Kennedy and I to lead a small committee to develop a comprehensive plan, by the end of June 2012, for addressing cancer in Monroe County. This committee and the plan that is developed will focus on three key components: Prevention; Education & Research, in terms of sharing information about where we are now in the fight against cancer and about how people can become active advocates for making finding the answers to cancer a priority; and Support for those who are dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment.

I am so pleased that we are moving forward with this important initiative and I am excited that we are leading the way in truly finding the answers to cancer. It is our hope to create and provide the example and plan for putting an end to cancer, not only in our community, but throughout the country and the world.

As so many of you know, Camp Good Days has grown and thrived due to the generous support of so many individuals, businesses and organizations, and it is through this continued support that we are able to provide our programs and services free of charge for the participants who need them. Last Friday evening we took some time to honor and recognize some of these outstanding supporters and volunteers, our Teddi Award recipients and Ring of Honor Inductees for 2011, at the Camp Good Days’ Night of Gratitude.

The 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. 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 inductees for the Ring of Honor, recognized at A Night of Gratitude were:

Mary Pat Allen of Rochester

Gary Amendola (posthumously) / The Gary Amendola Fun Fund at Woods Oviatt Gilman

Joe Cascio of Buffalo

Sarah Clapper of Rochester

Ron Dougherty of Webster

Will & Muriel Herzog of Rochester

Monroe County Sheriff’s Department

New York State Police

Rochester Police Department

St. Philip’s Church in Cheektowaga

Stacey & Chris Ruisi of West Henrietta

Sahlen’s Packing Company in Buffalo

Amy Schmidt of Fairport

Cameron Tebbi, MD of Tampa, FL

The Vinette Family of Syracuse

The Teddi Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by Camp Good Days to those who have gone above and beyond within the past year, in helping to fulfill the mission of improving the quality of life for children, adults, and families whose lives have been touched by cancer and other life challenges. The recipients of the Teddi Awards were:

Emily Adasiak of Rochester

Joe Comfort of Webster

Melinda Cooper of Fayetteville

Dave Cooper of Conesus

Patti Curns of Canandaigua

Paul Estabrooks & the Caledonia-Mumford National Junior Honor Society

Bob Gerace of Fairport

Cathy Griepsma of Sodus Point

Teal Hardy of Wayland

Hockey Versus Cancer / Rochester Monarchs

Laurie Jacoby & Art Stern of Ithaca

Skip Johnson of Penn Yan

Karpus Investment Management

Michael Lawandus of Lancaster

Lechase Construction

Michael Margiotta of Rochester

Old Navy – The Shops at Ithaca

Carol Page of Perkinsville

Park Place Global Transportation

John Powell of North Chili

Shari Rife of Kenmore

Ken Rosenfeld of Rochester

Joanne Serpe of Gates

Garrett Smith of Clarence

Mark Sofia of Tampa, formerly of Rochester

The Family of Scotty Toombs of Spencerport

Amanda Vaccaro of Buffalo

Vanderstyne Toyota

Don Zrebiec of Fairport

Congratulations and THANK YOU to all of the Teddi Award recipients and Ring of Honor inductees!

All of us at Camp Good Days are enjoying this early spring weather and gearing up for all of the summer camping programs. Registration Forms for all of the programs are available now and complete program information and online registration can be found on our website, www.campgooddays.org. To obtain a hard copy of the program brochures and registration forms, please contact our Headquarters at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135.

We are always looking for a few good men and women to serve as volunteers for the many programs. Volunteer Applications for the summer programs are also available now, either online at our website, www.campgooddays.org, or by calling 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135.

Help give some good days and special times to someone you know who is dealing with cancer…share our program information or become a volunteer!

We are only able to continue providing our programs and services free of charge for the participants because of the generosity of so many and the success of special fundraising events. I would like to take this opportunity to thank and acknowledge all of the students, faculty, administration, parents and community members who helped to make this year’s Fayetteville-Manlius Dance Marathon, which was held on Saturday, March 3, 2012, a phenomenal success. These students generated $133,000 to support the children and families at Camp Good Days and we are forever grateful for their support, dedication and commitment!

In the Greater Rochester area, the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition and Auction Dinner has become the largest fundraising event to support Camp Good Days. Next weekend, March 24 & 25, 2012, the 12^th Annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition will take place at the Rochester Plaza Hotel. To date, over 3000 wines have been entered into the competition, from more than 700 wineries from 22 countries and 49 states!

All of the wine entries will be evaluated by a world-renowned panel of judges representing distributors, educators, enologists, sommeliers, restaurateurs, winemakers and writers. These diversified experts come from all over the world. For a complete listing of this year’s Finger Lakes International Wine Competition Judges, with photos and biographies, log on to http://www.fliwc.com/judges.asp.

Throughout the Finger Lakes International Wine Competition, each wine is judged on its own merit – its presence, balance and varietal character. Wines are blind judged and all wines are presented to the judges in Riedel crystal stemware. Medals are awarded for the unanimous Double Gold, Gold, Silver and Bronze winning wines and all award winning wines will be featured on www.fliwc.com.

The medal winning wines will be featured at the 12^th Annual Camp Good Days’ Wine Auction Dinner on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at the Rochester Plaza Hotel. If you love wine or want to enhance your wine collection, the 12^th Annual Wine Auction Dinner is the place to be. With medal winning and rare wines and other exceptional silent and live auction items available, along with great food and great conversation, this is definitely the wine event you want to attend!

Tickets to attend the Wine Auction Dinner are $150 per person and can be purchased by calling Camp Good Days at 585-624-5555 or 800-785-2135, or can be purchased online at www.campgooddays.org or www.fliwc.com. Don’t delay – this event is sure to sell out quickly!

On a final note, we have a few opportunities available for people who are interested in becoming part of our team and family here at Camp Good Days. We currently have two positions open, including Finance Director and Social Media Manager. Complete job descriptions for these positions are available on our website, www.campgooddays.org, under the employment section. If you are interested or know of someone that might make a great addition to our small paid staff, please have them submit their letter of interest and resume.

If you are in the Rochester area and out and about for the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, stop down and see some of our Camp Good Days’ staff and volunteers at the TOPS Celtic Faire at the Radisson Hotel. Special thanks to Kathleen Graim and TOPS for once again choosing the children and families at Camp Good Days as the beneficiary of the Celtic Faire!

Wishing all of you a safe and Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend!

Dance for Love, Basketball & More!

A lot has happened here at Camp Good Days over the past week – it has been very busy but very good!

Last Wednesday afternoon we had our first Tournament of Love Committee Meeting for 2012, to start finalizing the plans for this special golf tournament. I am so pleased that Paul and Kirsten Estabrooks have agreed to serve as the Chairpersons for the event. Paul and Kirsten have been great friends to Camp Good Days and Paul, through his position as Principal at Caledonia-Mumford Middle School has helped to provide volunteers, through the National Junior Honor Society, to help sell kazoos at our Annual Kazoo Fest and to help make boxes and prepare mailings for our Annual Finger Lakes International Wine Competition. Paul and the National Junior Honor Society students will be one of the recipients of the 2011 Teddi Awards at the Camp Good Days’ Night of Gratitude coming up on Friday, March 9, 2012.

I am also thrilled to report that Mark Herzlich, whose personal story is a true inspiration, has agreed to serve as the Honorary Chairman for the Tournament of Love. For those of you who are not familiar with Mark’s story, he was an All-American Linebacker at Boston College and going into his senior year was expected to be one of the Top 10 draft picks in the NFL Draft. In 2009, Mark was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. It was doubtful that Mark would be able to run again, let alone return to playing football. After taking some time to go through treatment, Mark returned to Boston College to help coach and cheer on his team, and came back to play at the highest level of college football in the 2010 season. Following last year’s NFL lockout, Mark was invited, by New York Giants Head Coach, Tom Coughlin, to attend Training Camp as a walk-on, undrafted Free Agent. Mark completed Training Camp and was signed as a member of the team, which as most of you know, joining the New York Giants was not too bad, as Mark is now a member of the Super Bowl XLVI Championship Team!

This year’s Tournament of Love, with the Estabrooks on board as Chairpersons and Mark Herzlich bringing his amazing story and inspiration to the event, is sure to be another great success! The Tournament of Love will be held on Tuesday, June 5, 2012, at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, New York. For more information on how to get involved, please contact Nicole Jones, here at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 / 800-785-2135, or njones@campgooddays.org.

This past Friday evening, some of us attended the Opening Ceremonies for the 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love at St. John Fisher College. It was a thrill for me to see all these young people who came to dance for 24 hours, all the members of the Teddi Committee and the many volunteers who help to handle all of the logistics for an event of this magnitude. Kayla Valentino, Danielle Allington, and the entire Teddi Committee did an outstanding job. We also had the chance to spend some time with one of Rochester’s native sons, Lou Gramm, of Foreigner fame, who served as the Honorary Chairman and, along with his family, took the time out of his busy schedule to attend and support the Teddi Dance for Love. Dr. Lou Buttino was also on hand for this milestone year, traveling to Rochester from North Carolina. Lou was a professor at St. John Fisher College and along with a group of his students, helped to start the Teddi Dance for Love 30 years ago. Lou is also the author of For the Love of Teddi, which is the story he wrote about my daughter, Teddi, and beginning of Camp Good Days and Special Times. It was really nice to be able to spend some time with Lou and catch up.

On the topic of books, a few months ago while going through some old boxes and files, I came across a little book that Teddi had written when she was 10 years old. After reading it and shedding a few tears, I decided that I need to find a way to preserve this precious memory. I called my dear friend, Skip DeBiase, at Phoenix Graphics, and asked him to photograph and scan the book and he recreated a beautiful, commemorative book, which is an exact replica of Teddi’s original. I gave out the book to those who wanted one at the Teddi Dance for Love this past weekend, and I know it truly added so much meaning to the event. It is hard to believe that next Monday, February 27^th, it will be 30 years since Teddi’s death. If any of you reading this would like a copy of the book, please contact Laura, here at Camp Good Days, 585-624-5555 / 800-785-2135 or losborn@campgooddays.org and we would be happy to send one to you.

On Saturday morning, Wendy and I attended the St. John Fisher College Football Banquet at the Burgandy Basin Inn. I was so glad I was able to attend the event, as for the past few years I have been out of town and have missed it. It was good to see all of the players and my fellow coaches and to recognize the seniors. For me, the highlight was being able to recognize Chad Monheim, who I coached personally, and who had a great career as a Kicker with the Fisher Football Team. It was also nice to hear again the many accomplishments of this team, which coming into the 2011 season was unranked with a number of holes to fill. Despite injuries and some other challenges, we finished ranked 9^th by one national poll and 11^th in another national poll, made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Playoffs, and finished as the #1 Division III team in New York State. We definitely had a lot to celebrate!

On Saturday evening, we headed back to St. John Fisher College for the Closing Ceremonies of the Teddi Dance for Love. These ceremonies included a dedication to one of our campers, J’Lon Woody, a very special young man from Geneva. J’Lon lost his battle to cancer this past November. It was really nice to see J’Lon’s Mom and Dad and family at the Dance for Love and all those participating took a short break from the dancing to head outside, in front of the Student Life Center, for a special balloon launch.

I always enjoy being invited to speak at the end of the Teddi Dance for Love, as this gives me the chance to let everyone know just how much this very special event means to the children and families at Camp Good Days, and how much it means to me personally, as Teddi’s Dad.

The 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love was a tremendous success, generating more than $45,000 to benefit the children and families at Camp Good Days! In his book, Lou Buttino wrote that immortality is to be loved by anonymous people and Kayla, Danielle, and all those who participated in the 30^th Annual Teddi Dance for Love this past weekend have helped to keep Teddi’s spirit, memory and legacy alive!

One of the highlights during the Teddi Dance for Love is when we bring a group of campers for the final hours of the event. As always, the campers this year had a great time! Following the Teddi Dance for Love, the campers boarded a bus and came to the Camp Good Days’ Headquarters for a sleepover, complete with movies, popcorn and ice cream sundaes. On Sunday morning, they boarded the bus again and headed to the Camp Good Days’ Buffalo Office, where they met up with campers who had had a sleepover there. Everyone then headed to Canisius College where we were the special guests of Women’s Basketball Head Coach, Terry Zeh, Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, Tara Fleming, and the Women’s Basketball Team. The campers had the chance to watch the team play in their game against Fairfield, meet the players and have a pizza party.

All in all, it was a great weekend, full of good days and special times!

The fun continues this evening, as we will be bringing a group of young people who participate in our Homework Huddle Program, and the Rochester City School District Leadership Program, along with some folks from Pathways to Peace, to the Rochester Razor Sharks Basketball game at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The attendees will have the chance to have dinner with Head Coach, Rod Baker, and some of the players and then watch the team take on the Dayton AirStrikers.

In other news, I had the chance to meet last week with Peter Carpino, President of the United Way here in the Greater Rochester area and I am so pleased that we can count on their support of CANCER MISSION 2020 and their help in spreading the word for this important initiative. 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 that we do, sign the CANCER MISSION 2020 Petition and share the site with your network of contacts. There is strength in numbers and we need everyone’s support!

30th Annual Dance for Love This Weekend!

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

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

Follow us on Twitter, @CampGoodDays

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

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

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!

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!