Camp Featured On First Coast News
Camp Boggy Creek, A SeriousFun Children's Network Camp that serves children with serious medical illnesses and their families is striving to reach new populations and provide them with the life-changing power of recreational therapy. Recently, Camp learned about V For Victory, an organization located in Jacksonville, Florida. The organization helps to provide families who have a cancer diagnosis with support and services to assist them to be able to focus on their treatment. After some great conversation, the two organizations partnered together to create a family retreat weekend at Camp Boggy Creek that would provide families with a cancer diagnosis a respite. 19 families, each with a Cancer Warrior made their way to Eustis to have fun, be medically safe, and just be kids for a weekend.
Jacklyn Overby, the Executive Director of V For Victory shares her thoughts about the powerful weekend. "The magic of Camp Boggy Creek looks a little bit different for everyone, because Camp Boggy Creek has a special way of filling each person's cup with exactly what THEY need. This session for adult warriors was special as it provided space for adults to reconnect with their children and create new, happy memories in a time where many memories are overwritten by cancer. This population of adult warriors with children is unique and often forgotten. There are so few resources and opportunities like Camp Boggy Creek available for the children in the household where the adult is battling cancer. These children are struggling in ways so often unseen, aching for connection and normalcy as they navigate shifting roles in their households and confusion or fear over the path their family is on. This weekend parents had an opportunity to put aside their diagnosis and watch as their children overcame fears, accomplished "firsts" and had the chance to "just be a kid"".
Throughout the weekend, families played, fine-tuned their archery skills, rode horses, enjoyed games, danced, did some fishing and boating, made new friends, and just relaxed together in the Seminole Forest. The weekend, like all of Camp Boggy Creek's programming, was provided at zero expense to the families thanks to the generosity of donors, corporate sponsors, and volunteers. Dan Jurman, President & CEO experienced the weekend first hand. "Camp Boggy Creek has served multiple medical diagnosis groups since 1996 and we are always striving to ensure that a broader population gets to experience the magic that is Camp. Working with V For Victory, and having the resources to be able to provide these families with a weekend away, a weekend of fun, love, respect, and safety was a tremendous boost to the team at Camp Boggy Creek and V For Victory. We are grateful to everyone who helps to make this happen, many lives were changed this weekend, many families bonded, and many friendships were created."
To learn more about the great work that V For Victory does, visit https://vforvictory.org.