The little girl chatted excitedly to her dad. As the two waited in the check-in line, she began to list all of the things she loved about camp: the special guest, the other kids, the counselors. She was the typical girl excited to attend summer camp, with one marked difference: two weeks earlier her mom passed away from cancer.
There’s a reason Camp Kesem promises “magic” to its campers and their families. It’s only about 130 miles northwest of Champaign-Urbana, but for campers it’s a world away. At the beginning of August each year, about sixty campers ages 6-16 with 17-18 year olds acting as counselors-in-training, whose parents have or had cancer, gather in Gilson, Illinois for a weeklong, overnight summer camp organized by student volunteers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The Illinois chapter is one of 62 Camp Kesem weeks that are hosted each summer around the country. Camp Kesem brings magic to families coping with cancer. The camp was started in 2000 to serve the more than 3 million children nationwide who are affected by a parent’s cancer, and the Illinois chapter began in 2007.
The camp is student-run, and volunteers spend all year organizing. They plan events like any other camp with “The Blob,” campfires, games, crafts, sleeping bags and new friendships. But unlike other camps, the campers all carry a similar burden. The camp offers an escape – a chance to play games and be silly – a chance to be just like any other kid. And it offers fun in a group of supporters who intimately understand what they have endured.
In addition to normal camp activities, there are a few details unique to the camp. The camp is designed to have a 3-to-1 camper to counselor ratio to give students the extra attention they need. Counselors complete training to ensure they are able to serve the campers’ emotional needs. During the week, there is also an advisor, nurse and mental health professional available at all times to help campers and to aid counselors with particularly difficult situations.
The counselors lead “Cabin Chats” each night before campers go to bed to provide an open atmosphere for deeper conversations. Counselors will pose a question like: What’s your favorite holiday? Who is the most important person in your life? If you could have a meal with any person (dead or alive), who would it be? The campers, who are sorted into cabins by age and gender, take turns answering the question.
Each camper also goes by a “camp name,” to further create a safe and fun environment.
“Sometimes kids pick animal names or Disney characters,” said Illinois Camp Kesem co-director Callan McDermott, a senior in community health. “We want to create a world outside of everyday life across the board.”
The camp begins on Sunday and on Thursday evening the counselors lead what they call an “Empowerment Circle.” In the campfire circle, each camper has an opportunity to tell their story. McDermott said that usually by the end of the circle, the campers and counselors are so moved that they are all hugging and crying.
“The circle really brings about the bonding,” said McDermott. “That’s the healing part of camp for the kids. They see that they aren’t alone facing the battle, and they see other kids and counselors who have gone through it and who they can talk to.”
Camp Kesem’s primary mission is to provide children whose parents have had cancer with a lifelong, supportive camp community. But they also aim to empower college students to make a difference while also learning skills by developing and managing every part of their chapter. Students are busy all year prepping for the one week in August. Kids attend camp free of charge, with 100% of the program funded by organizations, corporations and individuals. Students organize fundraisers and reach out to potential donors. The largest fundraiser is held in Chicago every year in November, and last year it raised nearly $13,000. This year’s camp cost approximately $50,000. They also attend cancer support groups throughout the year and communicate with organizations and parents to spread the word about the free camp.
“I 100% volunteer for the kids,” McDermott said. “But helping to organize the camp, I’ve definitely learned a ton. Everything from holding a major fundraiser to communicating with adults to even the computer programs we use.”
This year, Camp Kesem was especially meaningful to McDermott. Her sister’s best friend from high school was an only child, and she thought of her like a sister. Last year, she was diagnosed with brain cancer and died.
“This year I could walk in their shoes a little bit,” she said. “They’re so young and have so much ahead of them. This year camp had much more of an impact on me.”
McDermott said she can think of many stories that have shown her that volunteering her time was worthwhile. One boy’s dad died when he was very young. When his mom picked him up from camp, she told the counselors that it was the first time she had ever seen him smile. She later told McDermott that seeing the Illinois students as counselors made her son want to go to college, when before he had no interest.
Camp Kesem’s support doesn’t stop once camp is over. Throughout the year, Illinois students also keep in touch with parents to organize visits to campers’ school events like basketball games, dance recitals and school plays. Campers are also paired with counselor pen pals, so they can keep in touch throughout the year.
“We really want kids to know there are people they can talk to,” McDermott said. “They aren’t facing this battle alone.”
To learn more about Camp Kesem or to donate, visit their website.