The Special Love Blog

It is not that "at Camp Fantastic, the checkups just happen to be bookended by canoe rides, archery lessons, dance classes and a carnival," but that, "at Camp Fantastic canoe rides, archery lessons, dance classes, and carnivals just happen to be bookended by medline."

This is my third year of camp and it gets better each time.  This year I’m with the teenagers for the first time and it is a whole lot of fun.  I already have a great group of friends that I love hanging out with.

My name is Tawney and this is my eighth year at camp. Camp Fantastic is a get-away from it all. Here campers don’t have to worry about anything. From the staff to the activities everyday is an adventure, every day is a smile.

Each day is a adventure. Kids laugh and play.  There are many different activities to choose from. It's like it's your family. At Camp Fantastic, it's like you're free. Everyone is a team.

I am a bad singer. Like tone-deaf-nails-on-chalkboard crazy bad. When I was in high school, the family joke was that I was asked to sing solo…you know, so low that no one could hear me. Singing in public fills me with fear similar to sitting at the top of a rollercoaster with no seatbelt.

 

And here I am at a camp where everyone is encouraged to lead songs. Hmmm.

I am truly humbled by the amazing group of volunteers who have gathered here for a week of service and compassion. Like most families, we are diverse.   There are extroverts and introverts. There are young and not as young. There are medical experts and those who don’t know a rubber glove from a rubber band. There are veterans who have been doing this for almost 30 years and rookies. There are country music fans and rockers. There are former campers now rooming with their former counselors.

We're just getting started here at Camp Fantastic... stay tuned for more!  It's our 30th anniversary, so there will be a lot to celebrate!

 

Special Love's mission is to provide "support services" to children with cancer and their families. Some of those services we can provide directly -- scholarships, transportation to camp, etc -- and some, perhaps the most important, require that we get out-of-the-way and let inspirational people share who they are with people who need inspiration.

Check out this sneak peek at one of our upcoming Gala Auction Items - stay tuned for more potential Valentine's Day gifts and don't forget to join us for an Evening Of Special Love on February 11!

Check out our very own Joey Norris, who's captured the attention of the Broncos' Tim Tebow.  Hat-tip to WJLA news which has the story.

 

Video after the break.

We do BIG things at camp. We have camp carnivals with games, prizes, motorcycle rides, a dunk tank and fire truck rides.   We transform bland cafeterias into dazzling cruise lounges. We put together over 25 daily class offerings including film class, archery, canoeing, jewelry making, duct tape designs, bottle rocketry, and much more.

If you’ve ever wondered “What is Camp Fantastic all about?” or “ What makes it so special?” then stay tuned here for regular updates and photos from the “Special Love Boat” that set sail from Camp Fantastic 2011 yesterday.

The sun is setting over the James as my car roles to a stop, its tires crunching in the gravel parking lot outside of the Jamestown 4H Center’s mess hall. Despite traffic and an unfamiliar route, I seem to be the first to arrive and I take a moment to savor the quiet tranquility of the slow, deep water that, like me, has reached the end of its long journey.

 

It’s good to be home.

 

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YAC weekend 2011 kicks off in Jamestown on Friday.  This Fantastic weekend nurtures a community of support for young adult survivors and brings old camp friends back together again.  

 

Last year we went to a Splashdown water-park; this year we figure we'll cut out the middle man and head straight to the ocean.  Sunshine and sea air; that's what it's all about.