Camp Cole is a Gift to Last Forever The Fawcett Family honors the legacy of Stacy Sawyer by making her dreams come true. Deans Fawcett is on a mission, and she
Without the financial guidance of the
isn’t the least bit intimidated by the
Community Foundation to rely on, Deans
enormity of the charitable undertaking
says starting Camp Cole would have
before her. “I really haven’t felt daunted,”
been a much more difficult process for
the Columbia native says of fundraising
her family. “It’s been a great project, but a
for Camp Cole, the future Midlands
hard learning experience,” she says. “The
retreat center for people dealing with
Community Foundation has helped us so
serious health conditions that she has
much with the money-related questions
co-founded with her husband Peter, their
we’ve had, with handling the 501(c)(3)
children, and the Sawyer family. “It’s a
concerns and also the tax side of things. We
labor of love, and a gift to Columbia to last
needed their expertise, and they’ve helped
forever, I hope.”
Camp Cole will be the only overnight
The forty-acre camp is named for the late
retreat facility of its kind in the Columbia
Cole Sawyer, who lost his battle with cancer
area, and--Deans is quick to point out--
in 2005 at the age of eleven. Cole’s mother,
the only facility in the state that will sleep
Stacy (Deans and Stacy were sorority
over two-hundred people with full heating
sisters at University of South Carolina and
and air conditioning, a feature that will
rekindled their bond while volunteering at
allow them to operate year round. What’s
a retreat for children with pediatric cancer),
more, Camp Cole will be designed in
always dreamed of starting an overnight
accordance with the rigorous standards
camp in the Midlands for people with major
of the Americans with Disabilities Act
health issues like her son, but her own
and the American Camp Association, so
untimely passing in 2016 prevented her from
that the space will be accessible to all who
realizing this project. Her staggering loss
visit. “We’ve talked to a lot of different
galvanized the Fawcetts into taking action,
organizations serving many different
and they are now committed to making
populations,” Deans says. “Groups
Stacy’s dream a reality. “Her death was our
supporting people with Down’s syndrome,
catalyst, and it’s been our incentive to keep
people with autism, people with muscular
going,” Deans says. “We’re going to build
dystrophy. We wanted their suggestions
this camp, and then other organizations that
on what they would need, and what would
need the space can come use it.”
impress them to come.”
stay connected 2711 middleburg drive, suite 213 columbia, sc 29204
803.254.5601 | 803.799.6663 (F) www.yourfoundation.org info@yourfoundation.org
we are a nonprofit organization serving 11 counties in the midlands by distributing grants and scholarships and linking the resources of donors, nonprofits and community leaders to areas of need.
us immensely.” With powerful community partners like Palmetto Health Richland and the Building Industry Association of Central South Carolina signing on to support the project, Camp Cole is poised to open its doors in 2020. But all of this good news doesn’t mean Deans is slowing down on the fundraising front. “We’re just getting started,” she says. “All of us know that this will be something lasting we can give the community.” And something remarkable, she adds, to honor the memories of Cole and Stacy. By Luke Hodges
Visit www.CampCole.org for more information.
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