By Libby Hopkins
Faces of Courage will be hosting its 2013 Santa’s Workshop Weekend on Friday-Sunday, December 6-8 at Rotary’s Camp Florida. The camp is in its twelfth year and its campers are children who have cancer or a blood disorder or are survivors of cancer or a blood disorder. The free weekend-long medically supervised camp also includes the camper’s siblings. “Every year we up the stakes for kid’s camp,” said Peggie Sherry, founder of Faces of Courage. “We will have more celebrities, gifts, games and activities for Santa’s Workshop this year.”
Faces of Courage is a non-profit organization located in the Tampa Bay area that offers free camps and events for women and children with cancer and blood illnesses. The organization provides life enriching experiences to kids, women and families touched by cancer or blood disorders. Current enrollment for the programs is over 4,000 families and all programs are provided at no cost to the participants. Its motto is “Cancer is serious, camp is serious fun.”
Sherry is currently looking for “angels” to help sponsor this year’s campers. “We are looking for 20 people to donate $250, which covers a child for the entire weekend at camp and another 50 people to donate $100, which will cover an entire day for a child at camp,” Sherry said. “Everyone who donates will be listed as a sponsor on our camp T-shirts.” All donations made to Faces of Courage are tax deductable.
Santa’s Workshop is designed to allow the campers to have fun while making personalized gifts for their friends and family members in addition to meeting other children touched by cancer and blood disorders. The camp is non-religious and the children have a wonderful time being able to be a regular kid at camp for the weekend. “We are expecting 80 campers this year; that’s our maximum and we always max out,” Sherry said.
If you would like to learn more about Faces of Courage or if you would like to become one of the organization’s much needed “angels” and sponsor a camper for Santa’s Workshop Weekend, you can visit its website at www.facesofcourage.org or contact Sherry at 948-7478. Rotary’s Camp Florida is located at 1915 Camp Florida Rd. in Brandon.
