On Giving Tuesday this year, Nov. 28, Camp Kesem is putting on a raffle in order to raise money for their summer camp.
Camp Kesem is a non-profit organization that is run by college students. The organization has many different chapters at different schools throughout the country. “The point of the camp is to support a child through and beyond their parent’s cancer,” said Sophia Del Rosario, co-director of Kesem at the University of Arkansas. “It’s essentially a week for a kid to just be a kid, and get away from all of the stress of their home life, and enjoy their childhood as they should.” The children who attend Camp Kesem have been touched by cancer in many different ways. Some children have a parent who’s currently battling cancer, some have a parent who has passed away from cancer, and some have a parent who is in remission.
This year for Giving Tuesday Camp Kesem is putting on a raffle. Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement that takes place each year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, and it’s a big day of fundraising for non-profit organizations. Kesem Volunteer Coordinator Jacob Pauley says that their raffle is going to be composed of donations from different restaurants and boutiques in Fayetteville. “We’re trying to promote the raffle right now through our social media, and through our friends and families. Hopefully by doing that, we’ll raise a good amount of money and bring awareness to our organization,” said Pauley.
There are millions of children who are impacted by a parent’s cancer in the United States. Kesem provides an opportunity for a child to escape the sadness and isolation that cancer creates, and connect with others who understand and are able to provide friendship and support. “I was able to go to Camp Kesem as a kid and it was always something that I loved going to. I didn’t know it at the time but it was so important for me to have a community of people who understood what I was going through. I built so many friendships through camp that I still maintain to this day,” said Del Rosario.
As a non-profit organization, Kesem heavily relies on donations and help from the community. Anyone interested in supporting the organization can make a donation through the Kesem website, become a camp counselor or volunteer, or participate in events such as the Giving Tuesday Raffle. “Giving yourself to the organization in any way that you can is beneficial,” said Del Rosario. “I don’t think people realize how much of an impact it makes on the kids.”
(Photos provided by Sophia Del Rosario)
