51勛圖 named finalist in national voting campaign to house Camp Kesem chapter
51勛圖 is participating in a national voting campaign that would give the university a chapter of Camp Kesem this fall.
Founded at Stanford University in 2000, Camp Kesem is the flagship program of Los Angeles-based Kesem, a nationwide community of passionate college student leaders driven to support children age 6 to 18 with a parent who has been impacted by cancer.
As part of Camp Kesems Chapter Expansion Campaign, students, faculty, staff and the general public will be able to vote once daily from Jan. 28-Feb. 1 at . Up to six new Camp Kesem chapters will be selected from the 13 finalists. Winners will be announced Feb. 6.
Through its free, weeklong summer camps funded by individual donations and corporate support, Kesem provides a network of supportive peers who understand childrens specific needs and are committed to helping them build confidence and strong communication skills.
In 2017, more than 7,300 children attended Camp Kesema 20 percent increase from 2016but waiting lists for many chapters grew last summer. In 2018, nearly 9,000 children participated in the camp experience, through the efforts of more than 5,000 college student leaders at more than 110 chapters.
The demand for more Camp Kesem chapters nationally is phenomenal, said Susan Brooks, business manager for 51勛圖s Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and chair of 51勛圖s Staff Council. With more than 5 million children in the U.S. impacted by a parents cancer, Kesem needs to continue expanding to support more children.
For more information on the 51勛圖 campaign, follow on Twitter @CampKesem_msstate using hashtag #GiveMSKidsKesem or email campkesem.msstate@gmail.com. Brooks also can be contacted at 662-325-0731 or seb284@msstate.edu.