2012 Annual Report
HAPPINESS IS CAMPING
2169 Grand Concourse
Bronx, N.Y. 10453
Phone#718-295-3100
Email: hicoffice@aol.com
Fax# 718-295-0406 Website: happinessiscamping.org
Happiness Is Camping, for Children with Cancer, provides a unique set of experiences
for youngsters suffering from cancers, leukemia’s and other catastrophic blood
diseases.
The mission of Happiness Is Camping is to provide a cost-free,
resident summer camp program for cancer patients ages 6 – 15
years. To provide opportunities for these children to enjoy moments
of laughter, joy, and happiness in a setting designed for that purpose.
In that process we want each camper to make friends, feel good
about themselves, feel as a member of a group, learn new skills and
have the adventure of living camp life to the fullest and enjoying
every possible moment. If every child leaves Camp saying, “That was
the best week of my life”…. We will know that “Happiness is
Camping” has succeeded in its’ mission.
Staffed 24 hours a day by a pediatric oncologist and two pediatric oncology nurses
from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Montefiore Children’s Hospital,
Happiness Is Camping gives traumatized children a chance to have fun. Many of the
kids who come to camp are simply too sick to have a summer experience anywhere
else. Many of our kids are bald from chemotherapy, or have artificial limbs, or other
physical abnormalities that would make them embarrassingly conspicuous at a
“normal” summer camp. At Happiness Is Camping, everybody lets their hair down,
if they have any. Our kids take off their prosthetic legs and hop into the pool.
Everybody laughs. Everybody has fun. Everybody cries on the last day of camp.
We are fully accredited by the American Camping Association and meet all of their
standards. In 2012 we earned a near perfect score on our American Camping
Association review covering over 300 standards of camp operations. In past years
Happiness Is Camping has received the Eleanor P. Eells Award for Program Excellence
awarded by the American Camping Association, noting that our camp is a great role
model for camps nationwide serving sick children.
During the summer of 2012 we served about 300 children, girls and boys with Cancer
as well as their siblings. We provided needed medical services including chemotherapy
and daily blood work to some very sick children, and served over 15,000 meals. It
costs over $2,000 to send a child to camp for a session, and all children attend free of
cost. We boast a state of the art handicap accessible Health Center. In 2012 we
continued to update and renovate camp buildings. We completed renovations to the
fourth of our camper cabins; It is now heated, air-conditioned and handicap
accessible. We improved our handicap accessibility camp wide, and continued to
maintain and improve our facilities.
Happiness Is Camping is privately funded and is supported by gifts, grants, and
contributions. It is administered by an Executive Director who reports to a Board of
Directors who is guided in medical issues by a Medical Advisory Board. In 2012 total
Support and Revenue was $848,636 and total Expenses was $902,300 – Net Assets at
Year End were $1,541,114.
Total Support & Revenue:
Program Expenses:
Management & General Expenses
Fundraising Expenses:
End of Year Net Asset Balance:
$ 848,636.
$ 798,512.
$
86,834.
$
16,954.
$1,541,114.
Happiness Is Camping is tax-exempt under section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Board of Directors
Medical Council
Dr. Richard Gorlick, M.D., Medical Director
Dr. Paul A. Meyers, M.D., Medical Director Emeritus
Peter Cole, M.D. Medical Council
Paulette Kelly, RN, PNP, Medical Council
Julie McMahon, RN, PNP, Medical Council
Nina Pickett, Medical Council
Officers & Directors
Louis D’Agostino, President
James Kramer, Secretary/Treasurer
Kenneth Bertholf, Officer
Martin Elson, Esq., Counsel
Reed Elson, Officer
Laura San Miguel, RN, PNP, Officer
Dr. Paul A. Meyers, M.D., Medical Director Emeritus
Lloyd Struver, Officer