Wednesday at Camp Heart Connection

We finally had nice weather today at Camp! The skies were blue and the sun was shining.

The day kicked off with a great breakfast - french toast and sausage - and then all of the campers headed down to the field for a surprise. What was the surprise? The Boone Scenic Valley Railroad's train picked us all up at Camp and we got to ride the train! For a lot of the campers it was their first time on a train. The views were grand and tons of photos were taken. We even got to take our cabin photos next to the train! (Take a look at them below.)

After the train ride, it was back to Camp for lunch. During the afternoon all of the regular activities opened for the campers. The teens climbed the rock wall, the little boys rode the horses and all of little girls headed to "Aunt FiFi's Princess Party!" Before the party started the girls stopped by "Aunt FiFi's Dress Shop" and picked our their attire for the Princess Party. The older boys escorted the lovely ladies down to the party where they had snacks and put together a special princess-themed craft.

The afternoon was filled with arts and crafts, swimming at the pool (since the weather was perfect) and even creek stomping for those who wanted to get a little muddy in the creek! 

This evening we'll hold "Camps Got Talent," the all-Camp talent show. Many of the cabins have been practicing their skits, brushing up on singing, and learning dance moves for this evening. After the talent show, the campers and counselors will head out to the woods for a campfire where they'll hear from Aunt FiFi. Aunt FiFi is the magical being that looks over Camp. She, along with her magical pet alligator Mortimer, make sure that all the cabins are clean, all the campers are getting along, and she even leaves special presents and notes around Camp for those who are good!

We had another eventful, jam-packed day! Here are a few photos from the day: (Click on the photos to view them in a larger format.)

Tuesday at Camp Heart Connection

While it was a little chilly and a little muddy at Camp today, we finally avoided the rain! All of the Camp activities were open and campers had a lot to do today.

The highlight of the day was in the afternoon when the ambulance drove to Camp from Blank Children's Hospital and the lifeflight helicopter flew into Camp and landed in the field. After both the ambulance and the helicopter arrived, campers were allowed to go inside both of the different modes of transportation (keeping with this week's travel theme - 'All Aboard!') to check things out. The campers loved talking to the medical professionals that came to visit and they asked a lot of questions.

After a delicious dinner, which consisted of BBQ'd chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, rolls and brownies, a few different activities opened up for the cabins. The crew from the Big Wheel Rally came up to Camp and brought a few of their custom big wheels for a big wheel race. There was a wild game of Capture the Flag on the field - campers vs. counselors, of course - which lasted for a few hours. Arts and Crafts opened up for a special night craft and a few of the younger cabins got to enjoy s'mores around the campfire!

Later this evening campers have the option of "camping out" in Pioneer Hall where the Disney movie "Cars" will be played. After the movie it's lights out so we can all get enough sleep for Wednesday!

Thanks for stopping by! Here are a few photos from the day:

Monday at Camp Heart Connection!

Happy Monday from Camp Heart Connection, a program of Children's Cancer Connection! It's been a rainy start to the week, but we've still managed to have a lot of fun.

Today the campers were inside during the morning and early afternoon hours due to the rain, but they had the chance to get outside during the afternoon. When the weather cleared up the campers were able to ride horses, climb the rock wall, play basketball and even take a dip in the pool!

For dinner our friends from Karsyn's Krusaders came to grill for us! They had a great array of hamburgers, hot dogs, side dishes and even watermelon. Karsyn's Krusaders also showed the campers their race car and campers were able to take photos with the car! The food was great, the car was a hit and we couldn't have been more impressed the with crew from Karsyn's Krusaders.

After dinner we had a few donors and guests visit Camp for Guest Night. All donors who have donated a camper scholarship ($300 or more) in the past year are invited to join us at Camp for Guest Night. This year Guest Night included: tours, a skit put on by the campers, and an ice cream social! We had a great group of donors and board members who came to see Camp in action.

This evening the campers will showcase their vocal abilities at all Camp karaoke. Each cabin takes a turn to sing a song for the rest of the campers. After karaoke the older campers have the Teen Dance and then it's off to bed!

Thanks for stopping by the CCC blog and sorry for the wait! Sometimes it's hard to get good reception at Camp, but we promise that we're doing our best. Thanks again for your patience.

Here are a few photos from Monday: (click on the photos to make make them larger)

Danny Joe Memorial Golf Tournament to exceed $100,000 in donations

Since 1998, the Danny Joe Memorial Golf Tournament has supported Children’s Cancer Connection, and this year, with its 15th anniversary, the tournament will have donated over $100,000 to benefit Children’s Cancer Connection.

The tournament is held in memory of Danny Joe Cornish, son of Billie and Kelly Cornish, who passed away from cancer at the young age of five. Danny created the logo which is used for Camp Heart Connection, a program of Children’s Cancer Connection, which provides two week-long summer camps for children affected by childhood cancer. Danny and his siblings have had the opportunity to attend Camp Heart Connection, and the Cornish family continues to support the Camp year after year with the success of their family-organized golf tournament.

“Children’s Cancer Connection gave us a positive way to channel our grieving by participating in fundraisers and by volunteering,” said Billie Cornish, one of the golf tournaments’ organizers. “Focusing our energy on the tournament made us feel like we were doing something that mattered. It’s been really great for our family. We’re doing something to make the childhood cancer journey a little bit easier for other families and honoring Danny at the same time.”

This year, the annual tournament will be held on Friday, June 10, at the Oskaloosa Golf Club in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The tournament includes 18 holes of golf, breakfast, lunch, great raffle prizes, fun camaraderie and post-tournament activities. For more information about the Danny Joe Memorial Golf Tournament, please visit: http://www.childrenscancerconnection.org/.

"Give Back Days" to benefit Children's Cancer Connection

Children's Cancer Connection has been selected as one of 10 local charities that will benefit from "Give Back Days" at West Glen Town Center. From 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on June 11, July 9 and August 13 participating businesses will donate 5% of their sales to the 10 selected local charities.

It's your chance to take a stroll around the beautiful West Glen Town Center, purchase a few items, go for lunch at Gino's and feel good knowing that you're supporting Children's Cancer Connection, and a few other deserving, local charities, along the way!

A special thanks goes to the 12 participating businesses: Art by Magic, Artis Home Gallerie, Autumn Leaf Gifts, Bella Boutique, Blue Willis, Fuel Juice Bar, Gino’s, Jake’s Journey, StylEyes, The Great Frame Up, Three Dog Bakery, and WineStyles!