Sports

Camp Del Corazon Holding Fundraiser Saturday at NoHo Park

On Saturday, will be holding a Family Festival and Reunion 5k/ Walk Where You Are Event at North Hollywood Park.

Camp del Corazon Inc. is a non-profit corporation that provides free summer camp for children with heart disease, so the "reunion" part of the event provides an opportunity for summer camper parents to meet, share stories, and provide support. Currently, Camp del summer camps that take place at Catalina Island, Malibu and Mammoth, but their headquarters is in North Hollywood.

The camp needs local sponsors for trail signs, a donation of a “bouncer,” prizes, and for people to “walk where they are.”

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Camp worker/volunteer Melanie Mamakos contacted Patch recently via email to inform us about the event and to help get the word out about the need for volunteers Saturday:

"Camp del Corazon is a non-profit organization which provides a free-of-charge, medically supervised residential summer camp for children ages 7-17 living with heart disease," Mamakos wrote in the email. "Staffed entirely by volunteer counselors, nurses, and physicians, who by donating their time each year, ensure that these courageous children will have a place to be safe, happy, carefree, and for once in their lives "just to be a kid"!

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"Camp del Corazon started sixteen years ago, the result of the combined efforts of Dr. Kevin Shannon and his nurse, Lisa Knight. Dr. Shannon had just finished examining a young patient. He realized that while the physical healing was well under way, the child was still suffering from emotional scars. Dr. Shannon felt that if there was a place where not just this child - but all of his patients could share their dreams, fears, and have a chance to enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood - that the healing would somehow be more "complete." He located a "heart camp" in Louisiana but the child’s parents were reluctant to let him travel so far. He discussed this dilemma with Lisa and her answer was a simple: "We can do that" – and so began the Camp del Corazon story... Although Camp del Corazon services children all over California and the U.S., it is a very grass roots organization and the corporate office is a home office in North Hollywood.

"Many of the campers have had several open-heart surgeries, pacemakers, and/or heart transplants, and many face several more procedures in their futures. These children and their families live every day knowing that they are at a high-risk for mortality. Camp del Corazon offers them opportunities to finally be “normal," to forget their ailments and to connect with other kids who have had similar experiences and scars. For most of these children, this is the only experience they have away from home, as they are often too ill to even to go on family outings or even to stay overnight at a friend’s house.

Over the years, campership at Camp del Corazon has grown tremendously – what started as a program for 49 campers sharing one unforgettable summer on Catalina Island, now has three sessions – allowing approximately 400 children each year to experience the thrill of summer camp! In addition to traditional camp programs, Camp del Corazon also provides many opportunities for on-going support such as educational symposiums as well as a leadership retreat for young adults who are no longer age eligible for summer camp. Today, Camp del Corazon is proud to be accredited by the American Camp Association as well as being a member of the Western Association of Independent Camps.

Camp del Corazon receives no government funding or committed yearly contributions, but rather relies on fundraisers and donations from individuals and corporations to maintain the camp programs. What impresses me so much about Camp del Corazon, is their goal - never have to turn a child away.

Anyone interested in participating Saturday should contact the Camp del Corazon office at  818-754-0312. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and starts at the corner of Magnolia Boulevard and Tujunga Avenue.


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