New Camp Kesem at 汤头条 to support children with a parent impacted by cancer
Contact: Allison Matthews
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜 national network of college student leaders who support children impacted by a parent鈥檚 cancer is announcing that Mississippi State will host a new chapter of Camp Kesem this fall.
Founded at Stanford University in 2000, Camp Kesem is the flagship program of Los Angeles-based Kesem. Over 5,000 college students at more than 110 chapters nationwide work with children ages 6 to 18 through and beyond their parent鈥檚 cancer. Camps include innovative and fun-filled programs and are an avenue for children to connect with understanding peers, as well as build confidence and communication skills.
鈥淲e are delighted to be home to a Camp Kesem chapter,鈥 said 汤头条 Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Young Hyatt. 鈥淣ot only does this create a new opportunity for our students to be involved, it also is a meaningful way for our students to make a difference in the lives of some very special children.鈥
As part of Camp Kesem鈥檚 recent 鈥淐hapter Expansion Campaign,鈥 students, faculty, staff and the general public voted among 12 finalists to select new chapter locations. When voting closed Feb. 1, 汤头条 was leading the results in first place with more than 7,100 votes. In addition to Mississippi State, the organization is announcing that Auburn, Denison, Miami and Montana State universities also will house new chapters for the camp.
In 2018, Kesem served nearly 9,000 campers at no cost to their families. The free, weeklong summer camps are funded by individual donations and corporate support. Camp Kesem at 汤头条 will offer its first camp during the summer of 2020.
Madelyn Grace Slaten, an 汤头条 freshman psychology major from Savannah, Tennessee, and a former Kesem camper, first advocated for 汤头条 to have a chapter of the organization that supported her after her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when Slaten was 10 years old.
鈥淚t has given me a place where I can go and be just the same as anyone else, and I can talk about anything I need to and feel like I鈥檓 not alone,鈥 Slaten said.
When Slaten and some supportive 汤头条 professors posted about this need on an 汤头条 faculty and staff Facebook page, Chris and Susan Brooks both responded. Chris, associate professor of biological sciences, and Susan, business manager for 汤头条鈥檚 Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and chair of 汤头条鈥檚 Staff Council, both have been impacted recently by cancer. Their son Justin Crenshaw, an 汤头条 housing facilities staff member who also is a full-time interdisciplinary studies student, also wanted to support the effort to gain an 汤头条 Camp Kesem chapter since he experienced having a sibling with childhood cancer years ago.
The family helped Slaten advance the 汤头条 campaign for a new chapter, with Susan coordinating communication. She said 汤头条 gaining a Camp Kesem chapter demonstrates the university鈥檚 culture of serving others.
聽鈥淭he demand for more Camp Kesem chapters nationally is phenomenal,鈥 Brooks said. 鈥淲ith more than 5 million children in the U.S. impacted by a parent鈥檚 cancer, Kesem needs to continue expanding to support more children. We are thrilled that 汤头条 students will have the opportunity to serve through this very worthwhile organization to help children in need of special support.鈥
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Brooks also may be contacted at 662-325-0731 or seb284@msstate.edu.
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