Help Evan Pay It Forward!
Donation protected
PLEASE HELP US SPONSOR A KID WITH CANCER!
BIG SKY CAMP FOR KIDS WITH CANCER
In April 2014 our son Evan was diagnosed with Stage III diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma and underwent intense chemotherapy treatment for four months. Thanks to the untiring efforts of his pediatric oncology team at Hackensack University Medical Center, Evan went into remission by the end of treatment and has been in remission ever since. He is now a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, playing soccer again and studying engineering with plans to become a Nuclear Engineer.
In June 2015 Evan and I had the privilege of attending Big Sky Camp for Kids with Cancer in Big Sky, Montana with 17 other campers in various stages of treatment or remission, a parent each, six counselors (former campers) and a handful of volunteers, all from different parts of the country, along with the amazing Eagle Mount staff based in Bozeman, Montana.
For ten days, like a huge family, together we went hiking, white water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, tubing, met the Big Sky Fire Department and shaved their heads so they could support the kids without hair, camped out in the mountains, and participated in many other fun activities that bonded us together for a lifetime. We ate together, traveled together in our own bus, and had our own wing and “camper central” at Buck’s T4 Motel. At the beginning of camp we planted a tree for each camper who had died in the previous year and at the end we planted a tree rooted in our hopes and dreams for the future.
All of these activities gave us - camper, parent, counselor and staff alike – the opportunity to share our experiences with others who had walked in our shoes and understood what it was like. We laughed, we cried, we grew, we made lifelong friends. Being able to connect on such a deep level, in the beautiful environment of Montana with not a care in the world, gave each of us the chance to heal from the suffering caused by cancer and treatment. Our Big Sky family will always hold a very special place in our hearts, especially because Evan blossomed during this trip.
Big Sky Camp was a worry free gift entirely paid for by donors and sponsors.
Now it’s our turn. We want to send a camper and parent to Big Sky Camp 2016 and would like to ask for your help.
This is our way of repaying our debt of gratitude not only to the camp and donors but also to our own sponsor, Bobby Whalen. Bobby was a teenage patient at HUMC like Evan, who attended BSK in 2012 as a camper and returned in 2013 as a counselor, but died before he could return again in 2014 as a counselor. His mom Helen and sister Juli fulfilled his dream of sponsoring a camper himself by raising $6,000 in his memory, and we were the fortunate recipients. We want so much to offer another kid with cancer the opportunity to experience the gift that this camp truly was, without a single worry.
Please watch the video on this link to get a sense of the experience and consider making a donation, no matter how small. Our only regret is not getting everyone from our trip into these photos. We love you all.
Thank you!
With love and appreciation,
Evan & Liz, and the entire Vengen family
BIG SKY CAMP FOR KIDS WITH CANCER
In April 2014 our son Evan was diagnosed with Stage III diffuse Large B cell Lymphoma and underwent intense chemotherapy treatment for four months. Thanks to the untiring efforts of his pediatric oncology team at Hackensack University Medical Center, Evan went into remission by the end of treatment and has been in remission ever since. He is now a freshman at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, playing soccer again and studying engineering with plans to become a Nuclear Engineer.
In June 2015 Evan and I had the privilege of attending Big Sky Camp for Kids with Cancer in Big Sky, Montana with 17 other campers in various stages of treatment or remission, a parent each, six counselors (former campers) and a handful of volunteers, all from different parts of the country, along with the amazing Eagle Mount staff based in Bozeman, Montana.
For ten days, like a huge family, together we went hiking, white water rafting, horseback riding, fishing, tubing, met the Big Sky Fire Department and shaved their heads so they could support the kids without hair, camped out in the mountains, and participated in many other fun activities that bonded us together for a lifetime. We ate together, traveled together in our own bus, and had our own wing and “camper central” at Buck’s T4 Motel. At the beginning of camp we planted a tree for each camper who had died in the previous year and at the end we planted a tree rooted in our hopes and dreams for the future.
All of these activities gave us - camper, parent, counselor and staff alike – the opportunity to share our experiences with others who had walked in our shoes and understood what it was like. We laughed, we cried, we grew, we made lifelong friends. Being able to connect on such a deep level, in the beautiful environment of Montana with not a care in the world, gave each of us the chance to heal from the suffering caused by cancer and treatment. Our Big Sky family will always hold a very special place in our hearts, especially because Evan blossomed during this trip.
Big Sky Camp was a worry free gift entirely paid for by donors and sponsors.
Now it’s our turn. We want to send a camper and parent to Big Sky Camp 2016 and would like to ask for your help.
This is our way of repaying our debt of gratitude not only to the camp and donors but also to our own sponsor, Bobby Whalen. Bobby was a teenage patient at HUMC like Evan, who attended BSK in 2012 as a camper and returned in 2013 as a counselor, but died before he could return again in 2014 as a counselor. His mom Helen and sister Juli fulfilled his dream of sponsoring a camper himself by raising $6,000 in his memory, and we were the fortunate recipients. We want so much to offer another kid with cancer the opportunity to experience the gift that this camp truly was, without a single worry.
Please watch the video on this link to get a sense of the experience and consider making a donation, no matter how small. Our only regret is not getting everyone from our trip into these photos. We love you all.
Thank you!
With love and appreciation,
Evan & Liz, and the entire Vengen family
Organizer
Liz Vengen
Organizer
Rockaway Township, NJ