Camp Mak-A-Dream was just that!



One of my much anticipated to-do's this trip was to spend some time both supporting and learning at Camp Mak-A-Dream (CMD) in Goldcreek, MT. CMD provides a medically-supervised Montana experience to individuals and families affected by cancer.

Last January, I had the opportunity to spend time with George Laufenberg, CMD Executive Director,  and Jennifer Benton, CMD Director, when they traveled to Philadelphia to network. The goals were to grow CMD awareness, and with it referrals to the camp, and also to recruit medical volunteers who are essential to the camp operation. We attended the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation  Lemon Ball in suburban Philadelpha together to give them exposure to a larger scale non-profit fundraiser as they expand their own development function and also plan for CMD 30th anniversary celebrations in 2025. I was able to support their efforts through strategic introductions and by providing hospitality as George and Jennifer "friendraised." Needless to say, they "raised" a friend in me and I was eager to see the magic of the Camp in person.

This particular camp session that I attended was the Heads Up Conference for young adult brain tumor survivors, a program done in partnership with the Children's Brain Tumor Foundation. The Montana landscape is a beautiful backdrop for survivors to come together, several for many years running, to network with each other and to be part of a community rooted in a common experience and supported by a gifted group of staff and volunteers.  I heard some very moving stories and was lucky to participate in many celebrations as campers rode horses and scaled rock walls despite the physical effects of their illnesses such as vision loss, tremors, balance impairment.

Camp Mak-A-Dream is a special place where cancer survivors can make new friends, reunite with old friends and stretch the boundaries of what they thought was possible. It truly is a magical place, and I was fortunate to experience it first-hand.

This blog post is part of a series documenting my trip to Montana where I am performing non-traditional executive and personal assistant services with creativity, humor and through strategic relationship-building.  Please contact me to discuss how I can help you expand your bandwidth with fractional lifestyle management.



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