Feeling the Camp Spirit

When Lucas and his family first arrived at a SeriousFun Children’s Network camp session for kids with epilepsy, those fears quickly disappeared.

“I was not fully committed to him staying,” Lucas’ mother said. “I thought, we will go there and I will see how I feel.” That sentiment changed the moment they pulled up to the gates. They were greeted by an excited group of volunteers and staff that shouted, “Lucas is here!” All his mother could say was, “Wow!”

That week was a time of many firsts for Lucas. It was his first sleep-away camp. He caught his first fish. It was his first time doing archery, and it was the first time that he encountered other kids with his condition.

“Before I went to a SeriousFun camp,” says Lucas, “I always felt like I was the only kid who had epilepsy. After going there, I realized there were other kids with epilepsy. That kind of changed me, in a good way.”

Another first: performing on stage, dressed in a hot dog costume, while playing the drums, and knowing that whatever happened, it was going to be okay. “The best part of camp,” says Lucas, “is feeling the camp spirit. If you go on stage and make a mistake, no one’s going to judge you. They’re still going to pull for you. Everyone at camp has each other’s back.”

Newman’s Own proudly supports SeriousFun Children’s Network, which delivers more than 160,000 life-changing experiences each year to kids living with serious illnesses.