• Donate in memory of a loved one. Memorials can offer comfort to the families that have lost someone special.
• Donate in honor or tribute of someone. Did a particular counselor, doctor, camper, family member, or friend make a special impact? Donate to KOA Care Camps in their honor.
• One time and recurring donations are also easily handled on our web site.
• Finally, you can contribute just by shopping at Albertsons. Request a card today.

Click here to visit our donations page on the web site and THANK YOU for your support.

The question posed to us when we were going to send our chronically ill, seven-year-old twins away for a week at a sleep-away camp was “Are you out of your minds?” Everyone we knew who had any experience with The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp told us how great it was. But we had been on the roller coaster ride that parents of children with serious illnesses live with.

We asked ourselves - Why take this risk and send them off for a week when - let’s be honest here - what can happen in a week?

What we found is that the world can change in a week, and while we feared that it would change for the worse, it changed for the better in more ways than we could ever count and in many ways are still discovering.

At Camp, our sons created a new norm for “normal.” For everything that made them feel hopelessly different from their peers, they found a new friend who had the same experience. There were kids who understood arthritic pain, multiple trips to multiple doctors, a pill parade that stretched as far as the eye could see. They found their people.

But more than that, they found themselves. Unchained from all of the obstacles that said, “No, you can’t,” our sons and their fellow campers found the people who said, “Yes, you can!”

Not only has Camp allowed my kids to reclaim normalcy, to challenge themselves and enjoy those things that their peers can enjoy (and so much more), Camp has also taken care of my family as a whole – from my eldest son who attends sibling session, to my wife and I who have attended COPE parent weekends.

My wife once observed that the experience of Camp is so intense, it could not possibly last more than a week. I agree. While the physical experience of Camp lasts only a week, the changes that it makes in campers, in their siblings, in their parents and caregivers, lasts a lifetime.

Way to go Frank and Melinda and of course Mary!!! How very generous and kind of all of you!!!

See Jackson MN KOA web site.

In November, Camp Mak-A-Dream will host 10 young adult cancer survivors and their primary caregivers in our first Caregivers Conference.

The goal of this conference is to provide support and resources designed to meet the specific needs and challenges facing caregivers and the young adults in their care. For this pilot program, we look forward to bringing together a diverse and complementary group facing similar challenges within the caregiving community. Within the supportive environment of Camp Mak-A-Dream and with professional guidance, the group will share experiences and resources, develop skills and ultimately work toward the common goal of fostering better communication and understanding within their relationships. For more information on this program, please contact Beth Jones at beth@campdream.org.

Young Adult Survivors Conference

The Young Adult Survivors Conference is an educational conference for individuals wanting to work as a group toward improving the quality of life for cancer survivors and their families. Attendees at the winter 2012 conference will work closely with professionals on creating tools and providing resources for cancer survivors transitioning through and beyond the cancer experience. Applications and additional
information will be available this fall.