It costs $5,000 to send one child to Campfire Circle, which is a privately funded camp for kids and families affected by childhood cancer.
Kallen Turchet has volunteered at the camp, which is based in Rosseau, Ont., since 2018. She got involved, not because she is a cancer survivor, but because she wanted to help these kids “be themselves again.”
“After my first week there, I felt like I needed to do more for this organization,” she says.
It’s now been six years since she established the Campfire Snowshoe fundraiser. Her initial goal was to raise $5,000 so one child could experience the camp, but Turchet says they’re closing in on raising $50,000.
“Being part of that experience, seeing these kids go through such hard times, giving them the opportunity to just let them be kids was just incredible,” she says about her time as a volunteer.
Turchet explains what makes the camp special is that everyone there has gone through a similar experience. “There’s no pointing or laughing if they have a scar or have a prosthetic,” she says.
The snowshoe is happening at Santa’s Village in Bracebridge on March 2 at 10 a.m.
Turchet says registration requires a donation of at least $25 and allows you to join them on the snowshoe and indulge in hot chocolate and s’mores afterward.
“It’s just such a positive experience,” says Turchet.
