The SeriousFun organization is an organization that strives to create opportunities for children and their families outside of their illness. Giving children a chance to discover joy and a new world of possibilities.
All About Fun:
The organization began in 1988 when Paul Newman opened The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp for children with serious illnesses. His vision was to give children living with serious illnesses a chance to just be kids. To have fun. To experience new things. To "raise a little hell." In 2012 the name was changed from The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps to SeriousFun Children's Network. By renaming the organization the team hoped that it would demonstrate the true root of their work, which also highlights Paul Newman's belief "that taking fun seriously can make a real difference in the lives of children who need it most."
You can find a SeriousFun Children's Network in 30 communities across the globe. Programs have helped and served children in over 50 countries and throughout five continents. The camps are designed around the idea of giving children a fun and relaxing time. A place to be able to feel free and excited about something. Each camp features a wide range of activites like high ropes courses, winter sports programs, equestrian areas, swimming, boating, arts and crafts, and campfires.
What Finances:
Many families who are dealing with serious illnesses are not able to afford such trips and adventures because a lot of what they make goes towards treatments and doctor visits. The SeriousFun Children's Network is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization that was created with the main purpose of changing lives. From volunteers, to donations from individuals as well as foundations and organizations the SeriousFun organization is able to extend this experience to children and families free of charge.
From The Eyes of a Volunteer:
Francisco Cordero, a student studying at Southern Illinois Universtiy, has been involved with the SeriousFun Network not just once, but multiple times. I decided to ask him some questions to see what the camps were really like and how he enjoyed them. When interviewing him I asked him how he heard about SeriousFun, what camp he volunteered at, what he enjoyed and didn't enjoy about each camp, if he would go again, and what his favorite memory about camp was.
Francisco heard about the organization through his fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, because it was started by a former brother, Paul Newman in 1988 and adopted to be their official philanthropy in 1995. He has been apart of multiple camps starting with Camp Korey in Seattle in 2014. Following that experience, Francisco worked as a full-time staff member at The Painted Turtle Camp in California. Since then he has also volunteered at Camp Boggy Creek in Florida, and the newest camp in Michigan called North Star Reach.
" What I enjoy the most about camp is being able to facilitate an unforgettable experience for children who live lives more challenging than I could ever imagine. When am at camp I am inspired by their resilience and strong spirit and the impact they make on me while I am at camp with them is so powerful and moving. I love being able to go to camp and just get lost in the moment, going above and beyond for the kids, having fun in an incredibly safe and supportive environment where anything and everything can happen and at the same time make a difference on their lives as well. "
Francisco is volunteering at The Painted Turtle again in November of this year. "The magic of camp is something hard to describe but something so tangible and amazing. It's hard to stay away from a place where you grow so much and discover so many new things about yourself while at the same time having serious fun." Volunteers don't only help the camp when it comes to giving families and children a chance to experience camp with no price, but also gives the campers a chance to bond with someone outside of their normal lives. Kids who attend these camps are kids who are simply looking for something new. A feeling to experience that they haven't felt before.
"My favorite memory about camp would have to be when I was at The Painted Turtle in 2015 and I had a camper in my cabin who did not want to be at camp at all; from the moment he got out of the car, he decided he did not like it. He was crying in his bunk because he wanted to go home. Throughout the week the magic of camp did its trick and I was able to observe such an incredible transformation and to see him get so involved and so into everything at camp! He was so passionate, and spirited and had such a positive energy he was shining all over camp! When his parents came to get him at the end of the week he was crying because he did not want to leave. That to me was such a memorable moment; it made me realize how empowering and powerful the experience of camp is, and how important it is for the children to have the opportunity of experiencing it. "
For more information/donations/volunteer sign up please visit:
https://www.seriousfunnetwork.org
