Planning Planning Planning!

We are in the thick of it right now: pouring through applications, setting up camp service days, interviewing staff, and more!

Families – there is still time to send in your applications! Send it our way VERY soon. And remember, we tend to have an active waiting list, so even if the week you are interested in is presently full – hold tight. There just may be an opening soon. 

Volunteers – May is a GREAT time to reach out to us. April finds us busy placing families and finalizing staff. 

 

 

Think Summer!

It is application time! We are now accepting applications for summer 2013 – click here to download your application today: http://dreamdayoncapecod.wordpress.com/about/families/

The Gift of Camp: The Gift of Sunshine

Bringing a ray of sunshine into the lives of seriously ill children and their families is our everyday mission here at Dream Day. To that end, we are convinced that our little nook in the back woods of Brewster, Massachusetts might be the sunniest spot on Cape Cod.

 

Since 1993, we have been offering families a bit of respite, a lot of fun, and the space and place to create joyful memories with one another: to disconnect from hospitals and to reconnect with one another. Families come from across the Cape, Commonwealth, and greater New England to attend camp, at no cost to them, and they laugh and play, they run and they swim, they sing and they craft. Simple family fun.: Simple soul-healing family fun. Diagnoses among Dream Day children range from leukemia, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, HIV, along with various childhood conditions that might render a child medically fragile. The week together is for that sick child, and also for his or her siblings, and also for his or her loving parents. It is for everyone.

                                           

The cost of bringing one family to camp is $1600. All Dream Day services are provided at no cost to the family. Dream Day relies entirely on the support of individuals, businesses, civic groups, and foundations in order to make these family dreams a reality. We need your help. Today we ask for your support so that we can continue giving seriously ill children and families the opportunity to come to camp.  Every bit helps.

Donations can be made online at www.dreamdayoncapecod.org, or via mail.

Our goal is to bring a ray of sunshine into the lives of seriously ill children and their families. Thank YOU for being a ray of sunshine to us. 

Counting Our Blessings

Feeling so blessed after another fantastic Dream Day Holiday Weekend. Many thanks to Sarah Phenix and Christopher Brewer and their amazing camp staff, the generous Clarion Inn Cape Cod, and the awesome awesome awesome Dream Day families who made the trek! Our hearts needed a weekend of love, magic, and holiday spirit and that’s just what we got.

Holiday Weekend 2012

December 14^th – 16^th

Download the application below and send it our way ASAP!

DD Holiday Wkd 2012 Family Application-1

We are excited to announce that this year’s annual Holiday Weekend will again be held at the Clarion Hotel [formerly All Seasons Motel] in South Yarmouth. We are grateful to owner George Abbott and his staff, for their continued support and partnership.

The goal of Dream Day’s Holiday Weekend is like all Dream Day events: fun and respite for the special families we serve. A light schedule of programming is offered, including a special holiday party on Saturday from 12 to 3pm. Dream Day activities are family-focused and we remind families that supervision is essential for safety and all-in-all family enjoyment. Please note that for the 2012 Dream Day Holiday Weekend, we can allow immediate family members only. We do not service extended family. Siblings must be youth age 18 and under.

It is our goal to bring a ray of sunshine to seriously ill children and their families.   In an effort to continually reach new families, Dream Day limits attendance at Holiday Weekend for more than two years.  Thank you for your understanding and consideration in helping us meet our priority of offering our special program to as many families as possible.

Family arrival is on Friday, December 14^th anytime after 3pm. A casual pizza dinner is offered poolside Friday. Saturday is the annual family party – complete with lunch, entertainment, and Santa! Saturday evening, families enjoy downtime on their own – and can explore the area for dinner and also relax back at the Clarion. Continental breakfast is served both Saturday and Sunday mornings. Family departure and checkout is 10:00am Sunday morning.

Please contact Director Kathleen Giorgio with any questions or concerns, via email at dreamdayoncapecod@gmail.com or 774-994-7346

Holiday Weekend 2012

Save the date for Holiday Weekend 2012 – December 14-16.

The application will be posted here in the coming week. Get excited! We are!

Changing Seasons, Celebrating Summer

What a summer 2012 was for Dream Day! 6 amazing weeks of families seemed to fly by, packed with plenty of giggles, s’mores, swimming, and smiles.  We’re working on putting together a full album online of all the best images but in the meantime, be sure to check out our Facebook page for videos and pictures from each week.

We are thrilled to report the promotion of veteran staff Sarah Phenix as the 2012 Director and Chris Brewer as the Assistant Director. They led a fabulous team of staff to a truly successful summer. Time and again we say, our very best resource year after year is in fact our staff and volunteers.

 

And speaking of volunteers, it is hard to know even where to begin in thanking the many many individuals, clubs, and businesses that were so generous with time, money, and goodwill this year. Civic clubs like the Kiwanis, Lions, Moose, and Rotary are incredible supporters to Dream Day camp efforts! Bank of America employees came out not once but TWICE this year to help with facilities. And NStar once again sent a fabulous group of hard workers to prep the camp facility this spring. Americorps Cape Cod volunteers did trail work and helped with the playground surface. Indeed it takes a village

Our new features the playground and the ball field are incredible assets to programming. The long list of volunteers that brought these to fruition includes [but is in NO WAY limited to] star community members like Chris Cooney and Mike Bossetti.

The Mass Moose on Bikes fundraised and presented the camp with two brand new beach wheelchairs! And the students of Station Avenue Elementary School once again raised funds for the camp — this time surpassing their record to over $4000! Unbelievable!!

Volunteers are also integral to opening, closing, and operations in general. People like Dianne doing arts and crafts and Tom helping with fishing are special people to all of us: campers and staff alike.

Rays of sunshine come in many forms. We feel like we live in the sunniest place on earth.

 

Now, what is up next?

The annual NUN RUN 5K Run/Walk is October 20th at 9am! Register online here: http://www.racewire.com/events.php?id=485