Camp No Worries is a summer camp created solely to give children with cancer and their siblings an opportunity to relax, enjoy themselves and forget about their troubles for one week every summer.
It’s a place that allows children facing a diagnosis of cancer to just be kids. It’s a place of happiness, friendship and new adventures. It’s a place of camaraderie and acceptance where everyone knows first-hand what it’s like to live with cancer. And, it’s a true summer camp experience in every sense of the word.
Camp No Worries strives to:
- Provide a safe, well staffed environment where children can participate in normal camp activities
- Provide the special medical expertise and close monitoring required for children with cancer not offered at an ordinary summer camp
- Offer each child an opportunity to make friends with other children who share similar situations and experiences
- Encourage each child to develop a self-sufficient, positive attitude and the self-esteem that is acquired after looking after oneself
- Give children in the early stage of their disease an opportunity to meet and learn from others who are further along in treatment and/or who have achieved remission
- Make a camp experience financially feasible for a family who might not otherwise be able to afford it, and to provide respite for other family members while the child is at camp
- Provide an away from home experience that is positive for the child(ren) and that parents can be assured is safe and will lessen separation anxiety
Activities at Camp No Worries include (but are not limited to):
- Arts and Crafts
- Nature
- Landsports
- Swimming
- Horseback riding
- Canoeing/Kayaking
- Campfire sing-a-longs
- Teambuilding
- Archery
- All-camp activities (scavenger hunts, messy games)
- Themed evening activities (camp dance, movie night, talent show)
Dates for Camp No Worries 2008:
June 22 - 28, 2008 Mark your calendars!!
CAMP NO WORRIES
 PHOTO GALLERY
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History of Camp No Worries
Shared by Kasey Massa
“Camp No Worries was founded by me and my family after experiencing firsthand the physical and psychological aspects of a cancer diagnosis. In 1986, at 11 years of age, I was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. I was fortunate that the tumor could be resected and I was left with very minimal side effects from surgery. My recovery went much better than expected, but that summer was one spent with many medical personal telling me what I could not do rather than what I could do. I felt very isolated from my friends as they began looking forward to all the exciting things they were going to do on their summer break.
During this time, my parents truly understood how difficult it was to have one child receive a considerable amount of attention, while there were still two children at home who didn’t quite understand all that was happening and still needed and deserved just as much attention.
Years later, my family and I decided to use all that we had learned throughout my diagnosis, treatment and recovery process to create a summer camp environment where kids could just be kids and do the things that make them happy. With the help of many family members and friends, we were able to establish Camp No Worries.
Camp No Worries was founded in 1995 and our first year was a small start to say the least. We hosted 14 children overnight for four short days and what a wonderful experience it was! Our hope was to always expand this camping experience to the entire family, so the very next summer, we included both patients and siblings and our numbers jumped to 72 children overnight for one full week. The unfortunate aspect of working with children with cancer is that not all children beat this horrible disease. It is the belief of Camp No Worries, that if a sibling loses his or her brother or sister, they should not lose their camp experience as well. Therefore, it was unanimously decided to include bereaved siblings and we have not looked back since. I am very proud to say that today we are able to accommodate up to 100 children and that Camp No Worries will remain a part of the families of children with cancer for a long time to come!”
Board of Directors and Camp No Worries Staff
Board of Directors
- President of the Board- Kasey Massa
- Treasurer and Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of Burlington County- John Worley
- Fundraising Chair- John Hall
- Volunteer Coordinator- Pam Hall
- Ranger, Camp Inawendiwin- HL Ransom
- Camp Director- Stacy Redelheim
Camp No Worries Staff
- Assistant Camp Director- Ryan Cummings
- Program Director- Natalie Villani
- Assistant Program Director- Kevin Middleton
- Medical/Nursing Chair- Nancy Pirie
- Camp Nurse- Catherine Barrell
- Special Events Co-Chairs- Theresa Cummings, Catherine Tiefenthaler
- Food Services Coordinator/Evening Shift Coordinator - Scarlett O’Hara
- Food Services Day Shift Coordinator- Rick Sapovits
- Volunteer Director- Carolyn Green Bernacki
- CIT (Counselor-In-Training) Director- Rod Herrera
- Camp Photographer- David Tiefenthaler
- Program Staff- Paul Damiani (Landsports), Peggy Birdsall (Arts and Crafts)
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