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NEW NORMAL

CAMP GOOD DAYS

An example of an absolutely amazing cha-
rity is a Camp Good Days and Special Times in
the Finger Lakes area.
In 1979, Elizabeth „Teddi“ Mervis was dia-
gnosed with a malignant brain tumour at the
age of nine. Her father, Gary Mervis, travelled
across the country to major medical cent-
res seeking the best possible treatment for
his daughter. He returned home without the
answers he had been looking for and reali-
zed that it was not the craniotomy, radiation
therapy, or chemotherapy that was causing
Teddi the most pain, but it was the loneliness
of being the only child in her school and nei-
ghbourhood dealing with cancer.
With the help and support of many friends
and community members in Greater Roches-
ter, New York, Gary founded Camp Good Days
and Special Times, Inc., a 501(c)3 not-for-profit burden on the families served, all of the pro-
organization, to provide Teddi and other chil- grams and services provided by Camp Good
dren with cancer the opportunity to come to- Days are offered free of charge for the parti-
gether in a residential camping experience to cipants. This is only possible because of the
be with the only ones who could truly under- support and generosity of so many individu-
stand what they were going through - other als, businesses, and organizations, and the suc-
children with cancer. cess of special fundraising events held throu-
So as not to place any additional financial ghout the year.

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