We are proud to have had so many KOA Owners and Friends come forward to deliver checks to our KOA Care Camps recipients.  Here are pictures from some of these received so far and stories from both our check deliverers and recipients.

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*****

I wanted to thank you for allowing me to present Gary and Camp Good Days & Special Times with the donation from KOA Care Camps.

I had the opportunity to go there yesterday as they were in a volunteer training day, the only thing missing in my tour were the kids enjoying the camp as it is not quite season yet.  Just to be able to get the story behind the camp direct from Gary vs. reading it and seeing the camp through his eyes on the tour was an experience I will never forget.

Ginny Rader
Niagara Falls Grand Island KOA

*****

Today we received a deeply generous check from KOA.  We are so very grateful for the tremendous generosity of KOA.  Camp’s first session begins this Wednesday, June 5^th.  Very soon our amazing Camp will again be filled with the laughter of happy children who will swim in our pool, catch their first fish in our pond and make amazing friendships to last a lifetime.  It is because of the generosity of KOA and other friends like you that make Camp possible.

We are so deeply grateful to you.

Best regards,

Debbie Fraser
Grants Manager, Foundation Relations
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

*****

I wanted to thank you again for sending the items for our goodie bags.  You may have heard by now but our event raised $25,000 for Care Camp!  I think that will put Howard’s annual contribution at about $90,000.  I’m so glad we’re able to help make some kids happy.

Tammy Hollander
President, Southernmost Coconut Castaways

*****

As part of the board’s recent initiative to get more involved with the camps we support we volunteered to deliver the cheque for this year’s KOA Care Camps donation to Camp Trillium here in Ontario.

Irene, one of our best employees (who is more like family than staff) is passionate about Care Camps and always works the hardest at our fundraising activities. She was so excited to hear that we were going to do this that I asked her if she would like to do it on our behalf. She was absolutely over the moon with being given the opportunity. She left here on Monday afternoon and while she was on her way to the camp we got a call at the campground saying her son had just been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus.

She is a very strong woman and trooped on anyway and was able to present the cheque to the campground. (see more pictures of the camp on facebook at Cardinal/Ottawa South KOA).

While Irene was visiting she got taken to the craft room where the kids get to express themselves in their artwork. When she looked up she saw the names of one of our favorite campers painted on the rafters along with the names of his two sisters. Kevin and his family attended Camp Trillium before he passed away. I have picture of this little guy in my office to remind me everyday how precious life is and how quickly it can change.

I want to extend a sincere thank you to the board for allowing us this opportunity, Irene says her life has been changed beyond words by this experience.

Cheers
Karen
Cardinal/Ottawa South KOA

*****

Here we are at Camp Rainbow in St. Louis delivering their check!  We also helped serve lunch to 250 campers and counselors!  Love the energy and excitement even on a 95+ degree day!

Scott and Diane King
Springfield/Route 66 KOA

Scott and Diane King also presented checks to Camp HIS Kids and ACS Camp Sunrise.

*****

I took the camp director for Camp Goodtimes – West (Gus Peterson) to lunch yesterday and delivered their grant check.  (picture attached)

We had a good conversation about the rapid ramp down of the American Cancer Society (ACS) at the end of this year.  Camp Goodtimes (GCW) is an ACS camp and is covered under the ACS 501(c)3 umbrella.  On Dec 31, they will essentially lose affiliation with ACS and need to stand on their own.  They are working feverishly to setup their own 501(c)3 and have their own board of directors for the new organization in place.  Gus mentioned that all the ACS affiliated camps are in this same position.

I enjoyed the thrill of delivering our grant to Camp Goodtimes West.

Wade Elliott
Utility Supply Group

Just a few clicks from you can help Okizu win up to $10,000 from Safeco Insurance! Visit www.okizu.org/vote to vote for Suzie today and every day until June 3rd.  more »

Camp Boggy Creek 2013 Summer Schedule

Camp Boggy Creek has posted their schedule for summer 2013.  Access the file here. “In just a few short weeks, cabin row will be lit up by the smiles, laughter and happiness of our campers. Each and every week we’ll take our campers on a new adventure. Whether they are rocking out like a ROCK STAR or going back in time in a TIME MACHINE, our campers will forget about their illness  and just be a kid.”

Southeast Publications raises over $30,000 for KOA Care Camps at their Emerald Desert RV Resort Auction

Southeast Publications raises over $30,000 for KOA Care Camps!

Southeast Publications, the industry leader in Guest Guides and Travel Search Engine MobileRVing.com for RV Resorts/Parks, Campgrounds, Marinas, Recreational Facilities and Travel Industries with more than 150 Sales Teams across the US and Canada, announced that they raised over $30,000 for KOA Care Camps at their 23rd Annual Spring Meeting held at Emerald Desert RV Resort in Palm Desert, CA. more »

Big Weekend, May 10-11, 2013

May 10-11 is KOA’s “Big Weekend”.

What: Stay as a paying guest Friday, May 10 at any participating KOA campground and get Saturday, May 11 for FREE.

Why: Funds raised during this weekend help send children with cancer to KOA Care Camps across North America. These 52 specialized, medically equipped facilities offer a true summer camp experience to children undergoing treatment or recovering from cancer.

Find out more at http://koa.com/national-events/care-camps-big-weekend/.

Kids Cancer Care fundraiser

It’s time to rev up your engines and get fired up for a great cause! To register for the Ride for a Lifetime please click here! 

This year’s big event is being held June 21-23 and more »

Meet Me In the Keys Supports KOA Care Camps

Tammy Hollander, President of the fan club for Howard Livingston and the Mile Marker 24 Band, has asked for our support in fundraising for KOA Care Camps.

Their annual event called Meet Me in the Keys is fast approaching.  Fan club members come from many states to spend 4 days in the Keys with great music and lots of fundraising.  Last year more »

The 2013 Care Camps Board had a very productive meeting in Orlando in mid-February.  2012 was the biggest year ever for the program and through a lot of passion, dedication and hard work, we hope for an even better 2013.

Thanks to all of our supporters!

View pictures from the meeting:

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Get ready for the Big Weekend in support of Care Camps!

I welcome our private donors, corporate partners, franchisees and all our KOA Care Camps to our new KOA Care Camps “We Care E-mail”. We have created this newsletter to give you an idea what KOA Care Camps are all about and how your contributions help put the smiles on children stricken with this life threatening disease.

This past year we were able to disperse $500,000.00 to help support 52 KOA Care more »

Chris Mathieu and Kathy Dye (left to right), owners of Anderson SC KOA, presented the Care Camps check to Jamie Gibson, Director of the Bi-Lo Charities/Courage Camp in Greenville, South Carolina, at the Greenville Memorial Hospital!

Anderson SC KOA presents Care Camps check