A Mississippi State University group is helping children be … well, kids.
Camp Kesem, driven by college students, is a nationwide nonprofit that supports children whose parents have or have had cancer with free year-round services.
To ensure its programs are free to participating families, the MSU chapter fundraises year-round to meet its overall goal of $35,000.
The chapter hopes to make the first annual Make the Magic Gala and Silent Auction its biggest fundraiser. Set to be held 6-9 p.m. April 2 at The Storehouse, 1437 Fire Station Road, Starkville, the event includes a cocktail hour, seated dinner and program.
You can sponsor the event, purchase a ticket or donate at any level by visiting the website, donate.kesem.org/MissStateMTM2022.
The MSU chapter was founded in 2019, but the pandemic put a hold on its activities. The University of Mississippi recently received its chapter this year and are now in their first year of operations, said MSU chapter co-director Madelyn Slaten.
“Having more chapters in Mississippi allows for more children to benefit from our programming,” she said.
The MSU chapter currently consists of 13 executive members, six counselors, six general members, two advisory board members and several community contacts and donors that make the programming possible. The executive members, counselors, and general members are all MSU students, Slaten said.
While the chapter provides yearlong support for children, its main activity is a weeklong camp aimed at children ages 6 to 18.
During the camp, chapter members take on the roles of cabin counselors.
“They spend the week with our campers creating the fun-filled, magical environment that Kesem is,” Slaten said. “The two directors and two of our coordinators will serve as admin team members during the week. These members will work behind the scenes at camp to ensure that programming goes as planned.”
In addition to student leaders, Camp Kesem will have two camp advisers and a health and wellness team.
“Camp advisers are trained Camp Kesem Nationals staff,” Slaten said. “The Health and Wellness Team consists of two nurses and one mental health professional.”
The MSU chapter is still recruiting two nurses. The application can be found online at kesem.org/get-involved/staff-roles-at-camp-kesem.
To register a child for camp, families can visit the website kesem.force.com , Slaten said.
“Families can contact us if they do need any assistance with the website,” she said. “We do also recognize that not everyone has internet access, so we are able to mail paper applications to anyone that needs one.”
While the chapter is affiliated with MSU, the general public can also help out.
Slaten noted that monetary donations can be made online through donate.kesem.org/team/382210.
“Sharing our information with potential families, contributing in-kind donations for the week of camp, and general promotion of our organization goes a long way,” she said.
For information, visit Camp Kesem’s social media accounts on Instagram, @kesem.mstate or Facebook, Kesem at Mississippi State University. You can also send an email to [email protected] .
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