Ten Years as a counselor at Camp Sunshine...

Who knew that a chance meeting of a girl would change my life forever...

2013 marks my 10th year as a counselor at Camp Sunshine, an oncology camp for children who have or had cancer.

For the last 10 summers I have been able to have the ability to help children be normal in a not so normal world.  I have had the privilege of getting to know great kids and watch them grow from 10 year olds up to college.  I have held hands, brushed off scraped knees, watched many an amputee climb a rock wall, laughed till my sides hurt, and cried when our cabin has lost a camper.

Our cabin, Cabin 23, is a rambunctious group, led my my co-counselor Joe and myself (and our cabin Dad Bo).  We don't let cancer define these kids... we help these kids define cancer.  These young men, even at the age 15, know more about life than a lot of us have ever seen... because they had to fight for theirs... tooth and nail.  Life has changed forever for these boys, due to their treatments and the after effects that they will deal with late into their lives.  But now, right now, they are happy, safe, and able to be kids in a place that embraces their cancer and rewards them with a group of peers that have walked in their shoes.

There are so many stories I could tell you, so many times that my mind was blown by these kids, and the amount of times I sat back with pride as these men became a brotherhood... a brotherhood brought together by cancer.  I could tell you of the tears I have choked back as I watch them help each other at camp... they have never seen race, age, gender, religion, or socioeconomics... what they have seen is port scars, skull caps, prosthetic legs, and wheelchairs and all they do is push through to be better.  I have learned as much from them as they have from me... I wish more of the world was like this.

If you can help, I would like to send my 10 boys to camp this summer.  Camp is $1000 a head and I would like to raise $10,000 in the month of June for these boys.  If you can give, I will be humbled, grateful, and most of thankful you can help these boys be boys... you can help them have a week of laughter, bonding, and most of all... fun!

Do donate, just click this link

http://campsunshine.kintera.org/roadrace2013/nofa

Thank you for helping me help these kids... without great people like you, this doesn't happen.

With love,

KAPPY