Friends of Oochigeas
A camp supporting children affected by childhood cancer Summer 2017
Giving kids with cancer the chance to say “Ooch Is My Place�. Thanks to you, this summer we are opening newly transformed spaces at Ooch Muskoka. Recognizing that only 21% of kids with cancer had access to camp and seeing increased demand for programs, we are delighted to report that our amazing donor community has enabled Ooch Muskoka to host an expanded new Dining Hall and Camper Cabins that provide access for Ooch to serve 50% more kids!
Ooch In Hospital
The printing of this newsletter was generously donated by Donnelley Financial Solutions Charitable Business: 13111 6022 RR0001
Ooch Muskoka
Ooch In City
Camp Oochigeas, 464 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON M5T 2S6 t: 416.961.6624 f: 416.961.2267 e: oochigeas@ooch.org
ooch.org
Thank you Sporting Life for Sending Hundreds of Kids with Cancer to Camp! On Sunday May 14, the city of Toronto came together as 22,000 participants walked and ran in the Sporting Life 10k. Thanks to Sporting Life, New Balance and Manulife this annual event raised over $2.2 million to send hundreds of kids with cancer to Ooch. These funds are a critical resource that gives kids with cancer the chance to be kids! Thank you to every participant, donor, sponsor and volunteer. Special thanks to our camper families and volunteers who participated. This year was a record-breaking year for how many Ooch community members walked or ran and to you we say “We are proud of you!” To watch and hear stories about #WhyIRun for #CampOoch please go to the Camp Oochigeas YouTube channel.
“Just have fun, Thalia. Just be a kid!” …that’s what Theo told his daughter Thalia as she was climbing on the bus heading to Camp Oochigeas in Muskoka. Theo is a volunteer and devoted fan of Camp Ooch. He recently sent a letter to some Ooch supporters, sharing Thalia’s story, and asking donors to help bring the Magic of Ooch to more kids and families who need it. He also shared that when supporters send in their gift, they can send a heartfelt message to Ooch campers at the same time. We’ll share the special notes with our campers this summer, to let them know that donors like you are cheering them on during their camp experience! Here is just a bit of Thalia’s story, in her dad Theo’s words: “Ooch gave Thalia comfort and laughter in the hospital, and still gives her friendship and fun today. Thalia just turned 14 and I’m grateful every single day she is happy and healthy. Ooch is a big part of the confident person she is today. Every year, she makes more meaningful memories that will last a lifetime, more moments of friendship and fun. Thank you, Camp Ooch, for everything you’ve given to Thalia and our family. And thank YOU for your generous and kind support of this wonderful place and program. You are a vital part of the Magic of Ooch!” Sincere thanks to Theo and Thalia for sharing their Ooch story with us — and with you — this summer. You can help bring the Magic of Ooch to more kids affected by cancer by sending in your gift — and your special note to campers — using the enclosed reply form, by calling 416-961-6624, or by making a secure online donation at ooch.org.
The Impact of Camp Ooch
ooch.org
Camp Ooch is a magical place of friendship and fun! We hear stories time and time again that reflect the wonderful, transformational Magic of Ooch and we want more people to share in this magic. Please share your story and join the conversation online at: @CampOochigeas
@CampOochigeas
@CampOoch
Without Camp Ooch volunteers, Amy’s cancer medication would’ve kept her from a three-day camping trip with other Ooch Campers. Instead of missing out on all the fun, Ooch made sure Amy experienced the adventure of a lifetime! ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE AT CAMP OOCH!
Even in knee-high, shoe-stealing mud, Alia found new confidence and determination during her first Leaders In Training canoe trip. This soggy adventure taught Alia that Ooch Campers are unstoppable when they work together! CHALLENGES ARE NO OBSTACLE AND LEADERS ARE MADE AT CAMP OOCH!
At Ooch, Andrew found lifelong friends that define him by who he is, and not by the loss of his sister to childhood cancer. Trying new things and playing with other Ooch campers helped Andrew feel good and have fun. NO ONE EVER FEELS ALONE AT CAMP OOCH!
Program Spotlight Teomul - A Program for Bereaved Siblings
“Mommy, do you think I’ll see Graham’s footprints in the sand?” I was just about to go to Camp Ooch, a camp that had always seemed like the most magical place on earth. Magical, because for the past two years my brother had gone there. Magical, because he had always returned with stories of adventure and friendship, and because I had always wanted in on the fun. After losing my brother to cancer, Camp no longer simply represented fun, it represented my brother’s spirit and what I loved most about him. I longed for a connection to my brother that I had been missing. A connection that would allow me to carry him with me, and I sought to find it in Ooch. So I believed, as fiercely as any grieving young girl could, that when I had my chance to go to Camp Ooch, I would see his footprints in the sand. On the last night of Camp Teomul (a one week session for bereaved siblings like me) we float candles that are sitting atop a round piece of wood, into the lake. I never carry the memory of my brother so strongly as I do in that moment. I imagine how he looked at the same trees that border the lake, candles that glisten on the water like the stars do in the sky. How he felt the feeling of family and complete understanding of the people around him. Nearly ten years ago, I asked if I would find my brother’s footprints in the sand. As vividly as I remember asking the question, I have no memory of the answer. I may not have found my brother’s footprints, but I found comfort in that we have both experienced the Ooch community. As a friend and donor of Camp Ooch you are creating memories and moments that kids like me carry in our hearts forever.
Get Involved: Upcoming Community Events - ooch.org/events MUSKOKA ROCKS ROAD RACE August 6 10K/5K & Kids 1K in Minett, Ontario
RIDE FOR KAREN
TOUR FOR KIDS
August 13
August 18 - 20
200K, 160K or 100K cycling ride near Markham
1 - 3 day cycling options. First time in the Niagara Region!
COLEMAN CANADA 10K/5K RUN or HIKE
CAMPFIRE RIDE
September 16
100K & 70K cycling ride near Hockley Valley Resort
Run/Walk at Erindale Park, Mississauga
September 17