We are honored that through Barco’s Nightingales Foundation and your generous support, we are able to provide camperships to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. These camperships enable families and children to escape from the day-to-day fight against cancer and enjoy activities and nature in the beautiful San Jacinto Mountains of Southern California.

It’s hard to describe the impact of being at Camp with these courageous families, and we feel blessed for having had that opportunity on more than one occasion.  Perhaps hearing it from Campers and their parents is the best way to share this experience.
The parents of one seven-year-old camper wrote, “Camp is for everyone, meaning the entire family and not just the patients. This is very important, especially for siblings, because often their needs are not met or focused on as much as the child who is the patient. Camp reassures siblings that they are equally important. I don’t know how well my older kids would have adapted the past few years, had it not been for camp.”

Teenager Megan relates, “When I first found out about Ethan’s [younger brother] cancer I was thirteen and I didn’t know anybody who had gone through the same experience as me. I felt like I was alone; I didn’t have anyone who I could relate to. And then I found out about Camp and I decided to go with my brother only to make sure he was okay. Now, I am 100 percent sure that it did more for me. Everyone knows what you’re feeling because they have felt it at some point.”
One parent wrote, “My husband and I have come to the conclusion that Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times makes a difference in many children’s lives. There are many camps for children; however, none that I have heard of are as uplifting for these kids as Camp Ronald McDonald. All of us have definitely won tickets to heaven!”
 
Family Camp is open to all first-time families attending Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, regardless of the age of their campers. After the first experience, families can continue to attend Family Camp until the patient Camper turns 9, at which time the Campers transition to Summer Camp, where patient Campers and their siblings can return until they have graduated from high school.
A Family Camp weekend is an opportunity for the family to come together to relax, play and connect in a caring environment. It’s a chance to receive support and build friendships with other families who understand what it means to maintain relationships and raise children during treatments and procedures for cancer.
We believe it is important for these young patients and their families to be able to experience a normalcy during the treatment the young patients are experiencing. We are grateful for your support in our effort to continue providing camperships to Camp Ronald McDonald For Good Times, and in doing so to help provide a little bit of normalcy.
~Michael and Frida Donner