Meet the Staff Series: Director's Team

Last week we introduced you to the Teen Counselors. This week meet the Director's Team!

 

• Brooke Argotsinger will serve as Camp Heart Connection’s Program Director this summer. Brooke is a student at the University of Northern Iowa.
•  Trevor Arnold is returning to Camp Heart Connection for the fourth summer. Trevor will be the Teen Area Director.
• Molly Bishop will serve as a LIT Leader this summer. This will be Molly’s 7^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Phil Lee will serve as the All Purpose Director this summer. Phil has been a member of the staff for 10 years.
• Phonsavanh Lovan is returning to Camp Heart Connection for the sixth summer. Phonsavanh will serve as the 9-12 year old Area Director.
• Josh Schild will serve as a LIT Leader this summer. This will be Josh’s 10^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Elly Shaw will return to Camp Heart Connection for the 19^th summer! Elly is the Volunteer and Information Manager at Children’s Cancer Connection.
• Zach Slocum is a student at the University of Northern Iowa. Zach will spend his 7^th summer at Camp Heart Connection as the Director’s Team Assistant.
• Mark Slocum is the Executive Director of Children’s Cancer Connection. Mark has attended Camp Heart Connection since 1992.
• Meridith Swoyer will serve as the 5-8 year old Area Director this summer. This will be Meridith’s fifth summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Channon Timm is the Program Services Manager at Children’s Cancer Connection and the Camp Heart Connection Director. Channon has attended camp since 1997.

Social Media Supply Drive

Camp Heart Connection Oncology and Sibling Camps have been offered free of charge for the past 25 years thanks to generous donors and sponsors and our annual Supply Drive. Each year participating Supply Drive groups and organizations (like fitness classes and book clubs) are given a list of supplies to gather for camp.

This year we're inviting our social media friends to help us gather the supplies needed for a spaghetti dinner at camp through the first Social Media Supply Drive!

Team Social Media's list includes:

• 20 boxes of Spaghetti Noodles
• 30 large jars or cans of Spaghetti Sauce (Meat Free)

If you live in the Des Moines area drop off your donation to Children's Cancer Connection's office at 1221 Center Street, Suite 12. For our social media friends outside of the DM Metro, feel free to mail your donation or send a giftcard for us to purchase supplies with!

Does your group or organization want to gather a list of supplies for Camp Heart Connection? Contact Channon Timm at 515-243-6239 ext. 3 for more information.

BYOF Party

CCC teen Josh Rowe is making a big donation again this year thanks to the support of his family and friends. The second annual BYOF (that's Bring Your Own Fleece) Party was held last week. The event was organized by Josh's mom (Mari Rowe), aunt (Kim Wentland), and cousin (Kylene Wentland).

About 60 of Josh's family and friends brought fleece to cut and tie into blankets. Blanket makers enjoyed pizza and beverages along with great camaraderie. The blankets will be donated to Children's Cancer Connection and given to campers at Camp Heart Connection this summer.

Kim's Directions for Making a Fleece Blanket
Supplies:

• Fleece (1 1/4 yards main color or pattern and 1 1/4 yards contract color)
• Scissors
• A sense of humor and a big heart

Directions:

1. Lay fabric on top of contrast fabric with the wrong sides together.
2. Cut a four inch square from each of the corners.
3. Cut fringe 4 inches deep every inch along the edges.
4. Tie the patterned fleece fringe with the contract fleece fringe.

Meet the Staff Series: Teen Counselors

Last week we introduced you to the Kitchen Crew. This week meet the Teen Counselors!

• Danielle Andersen-Jeppesen will return to Camp Heart Connection for her second summer.
• Tony Brichetto will be a Teen Counselor this summer. Tony is a student at DMACC.
•  Matt Cornish will return to Camp Heart Connection this summer as a Teen Counselor. Matt is a student at the University of Northern Iowa.
• Chad Durfey will return to Camp Heart Connection for the 20^th summer.
•  Emma Folland will spend the summer as a Teen Counselor. 2012 marks Emma’s 10^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Molly Hedberg will return to Camp Heart Connection for the third summer. Molly is a student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
• Ashten Henningsen will spend her 11^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Nick Hesford is a student at Western Illinois. Nick will return to Camp Heart Connection this summer for his 18^th week.
• Pete Johnson will join the Camp Heart Connection team for the first summer. Pete is a student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
• Jen Lommel will join the Camp Heart Connection staff for the first summer.
• Ben Lundy will return to Camp Heart Connection for the 19^th summer.
• Kenzie Mertz will return to Camp Heart Connection for the 2^nd summer as a Teen Counselor.
• Sarah Stanley will spend her third summer at Camp Heart Connection. Sarah is a student at the University of Iowa.
• Leesa Statler will join the Camp Heart Connection team for the first summer. Leesa is a student at OSF Medical Center School of Nursing.
• Taylor Steimel is a student at the University of Iowa. This will be Taylor’s 13^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Lindsay Supple will return to Camp Heart Connection for her third summer. Lindsay is a student at the University of Iowa.
• Sara Timko is returning to Camp Heart Connection for the second summer. Sarah is a student at the University of Iowa.
• Rebekah Weicht is a student at Des Moines University. This will be Rebekah’s third summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Chad Whiting will spend his 7^th summer at Camp Heart Connection as a Teen Counselor.
• DeeDee Whiting will spend her 16^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
•  Andrew Clendenen is a student at the University of Northern Iowa. Andrew will spend his 13^th summer at Camp Heart Connection.
• Justin Morar will join the Camp Heart Connection team for the first summer. Justin is a student at Des Moines University.
• Jeremy Sandgren is a student at the University of Iowa. Jeremy will join the Camp Heart Connection team for the first summer
• Alex Bogue will spend his second summer at Camp Heart Connection. Alex is a student at the University of Iowa.
• Ayad Yousif will spend his third summer at Camp Heart Connection. Ayad is a student at the University of Iowa.

Teen Counselors feel free to add more information about yourselves below or share a note with your campers and their families! Next week’s Meet the Staff Series will introduce the Director’s Team.

Meet the Staff Series: Kitchen Crew

Last week we introduced you to the 9-12 year old counselors. This week meet the Kitchen Crew! The Kitchen Crew makes sure all of our campers and staff are fed each day by planning meals, preparing snacks, and keeping the kitchen in tip top shape.

• Kaitlon Busser will spend her first week at Camp Heart Connection this summer. Kaitlon is a student at Indiana University.
• Lynda Farnham will attend Camp Heart Connection Oncology Camp for the third week this summer.
• Austin Lowe will join the Camp Heart Connection Team for the first summer.
•  Navya Mannengi will spend her first summer at Camp Heart Connection.
•  Lizzie Ramirez will spend her first week at Camp Heart Connection this summer. Lizzie is a student at Central Iowa Christian Academy.
• Jess Short will attend Camp Heart Connection Oncology camp for the first time this summer. Jess is a student at Southeast Polk High School.
• Cherri Sieverding will join the Camp Heart Connection Team for the summer.
• Erica Sieverding will spend her first week at Camp Heart Connection this summer. Erica is a student at Marquette High School.
• Rosemary Woods will spend her second week at Camp Heart Connection this summer.
•  Carr Woods is returning to Camp Heart Connection for the second summer.

Kitchen Crew feel free to add more information about yourselves below or share a note with campers and their families! Next week’s Meet the Staff Series will introduce the Teen Counselors.

Giving Cards Make Great Gifts

The Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines offers a new and unique take on the gift card. Giving Cards are available for purchase through the Community Foundation and can benefit any 501(c)(3) charitable organization. Just like giving a gift card, you select the amount to be put on the card and then give it to the recipient of your choice. The recipient of your Giving Card can then choose the charitable organization of their choice to donate to. When you purchase a Giving Card you also receive a tax deduction.

Children’s Cancer Connection recently received a donation from a Giving Card. Jack Raedeker received a Giving Card from his parents as a Christmas gift. His parents told him about a few charities to select from and Jack chose CCC! A big thank you goes out to Jack for his selection, and to his parents Dan and Amy who were counselors at Camp Heart Connection years ago.

Catch the Spirit

Yesterday the entire CCC staff took a road trip to Waverly, Iowa for the 6^th Catch the Spirit 5k run/walk in memory of Megan Koepke. Megan passed away when she was in seventh grade at Waverly-Shell Rock Junior High after an eight and a half year battle with Histiocytosis. Megan’s family, classmates, and school teachers and administrators began hosting the 5k as a way to honor Megan and the strength she showed during her battle with cancer.

This May Megan would have graduated high school with her classmates. They chose to honor her by wearing purple Catch the Spirit t-shirts designed by Megan’s close friends.  

Rain and isolated storms were in the forecast, but as in past years, about five minutes before the run began the clouds cleared and we saw a little sunshine. Rhonda Koepke, Megan’s mom, said that she’s always looking down on us.

As runners lined up on the starting line, Rhonda thanked everyone for coming and released 12 balloons to signal the start, one balloon for every year of Megan’s life. Then, for the first time, Rhonda walked the 5k route.

Following the run everyone enjoyed pork sandwiches, potato salad (the best ever according to Elly), and chocolate malts. 

The past five events raised more than $19,500 for our flagship program Camp Heart Connection. While the total for this year hasn’t been announced, the event had a great turnout with lots of smiling faces celebrating Megan’s life.

Each summer Megan’s fighting spirit is shared with current Camp Heart Connection campers through “Queen Megan’s Bouncy Castle” a bounce house donated by her family.

P.S. we were having such a good time that we didn’t even remember to take our camera out of the van! This post will be updated when we have some to share.