Nutritional sciences junior Dan Bator announces that Camp Kesem members would be given free burritos at the group’s meeting Tuesday evening in the Union. Camp Kesem is a free summer camp run by MSU students for children who have parents diagnosed with cancer.
As the spring semester draws to a close, the MSU chapter of Camp Kesem is looking to raise money for children in need with a series of events, including a duck derby.
The club has worked on various of fundraising events throughout the week to promote the cause through activities, such as bake sales and the “adoptions” of plastic ducks, which will be dropped into the Red Cedar River at 3 p.m. Friday as part of a duck derby.
The ducks cost $5 each, and the owner of the winning duck will receive a prize. More than 500 ducks have been sold, and the chapter hopes to drop about 800 ducks into the river, said Alex Monyhan, a criminal justice junior and one of the student leaders for Camp Kesem’s MSU’s chapter.
Camp Kesem is a national organization that provides free summer camps to children whose parents have been affected by cancer.
Monyhan said the primary goal of Friday’s event is to raise at least $2,000 for Camp Kesem.
The summer camp not only benefits the campers but also the students who volunteer to be counselors, Monyhan said.
“It’s really given me a new appreciation of my family and pretty much life in general,” she said.
Monyhan said the camp costs the club about $30,000 a year for use of the site, T-shirts and other amenities. She said the target goal for this year’s camp is 40 campers at a cost of about $500 per camper.
The summer camp, hosted by the MSU chapter of Camp Kesem, will be held in Twin Lakes, Mich., said Liz Gray, a national program director for Camp Kesem.
Gray said many of the MSU chapter’s events, such as the annual duck derby, were highly unique and brought a lot of awareness and funding to the cause.
“I think that, for years to come, they’ll still be doing it and relate it to Camp Kesem, which is great,” she said.
Gwen Twerynberg, a journalism freshman, said the idea of having creative fundraisers such as the duck derby was good because it sticks in people’s minds and also is more interesting than most fundraising events.
“It sounds like it’s something people would be interested in — watching little ducks floating around with their friends,” she said. “It sounds different than a typical fundraiser.”
Monyhan said continued support of the Camp Kesem program was important because it benefits the children, the students who run the camp and everyone involved with the program.
“Not a single person has ever walked away thinking it’s a bad cause,” Monyhan said. “I really feel like we’re making a difference in these kids’ lives.”
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
