BY KATIE COUNTS
Sarah Ross felt like she didn’t have anyone to talk to after her dad died of cancer.
That changed for the Overland Park resident when she found Camp Kesem. The free camp helps children ages 6 to 18 affected by a parent with cancer.
“You are surrounded by people who understand what you're going through, even if your experiences aren't exactly the same,” Ross said. “They get it, and they're just there for you to listen to you and understand if you had a bad day, but they're also there in the happiest moments.”
Ross is now co-director of the University of Kansas chapter of Camp Kesem, which expects more than 100 campers this summer.
This is double the camp's size three years ago, said Jaden Sangoi, a co-director of the organization. To support this demand, the camp needs to raise about $100,000 and hire about 50 volunteer counselors, he said.
Originally founded at Stanford University in 2000, the camp has grown to 116 student-led chapters in 42 states, according to the organization's most recent report. Camp Kesem KU is the only chapter in Kansas.
“We've never left anybody on the waitlist before, and we don't want to start now,” Sangoi said. “We want to give this opportunity to as many kids as we can.”
Camp normally lasts a week, but the impact can be life-changing, according to Sangoi and Ross. Kids affected by a parent’s cancer can take a break from what they’re going through to sing camp songs, play outdoor games like Messy Olympics and come up with nicknames.
Most importantly, Sangoi and Ross said, these kids can connect with people who “know what it’s like.”
Lily Machalek went to the Northwestern University chapter of Camp Kesem as a child after her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She stopped going to camp after her mom beat cancer, but she never forgot about it.
Now a KU sophomore, Machalek works as a camp counselor and hopes others will join her to support other kids in need.
"It's not just a camp,” Machalek said. “You're getting this whole new family.”
It’s an experience that resonates with Ross. One of the most powerful experiences for her is when parents thank her for giving them their child back.
Ross said the executive board works all year to raise money and get volunteers for camp. The money is used for camp itself, but it also provides year-round support for campers, she said.
When counselors hear that a camper is having a hard time, they send them care packages and visit them to bring a little bit of camp to home.
Ross and Sangoi call Kesem a “lifetime warranty.” Seeing how resilient their campers are has taught them the true meaning of strength and support. Both have “Kesem” tattooed on their wrists to carry camp wherever they go.
“No matter what you're going through,” Ross said. “There's always something there for you.”
This year’s camp will take place from May 26 to June 1 in Elmdale, Kansas, at Camp Wood YMCA.
To register a camper, go to the Camp Kesem KU’s website campkesem.org/kansas/, email kansas@campkesem.org or call (470) 309-2558.
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