Summer Camps for School Aged Children

Brief Description:

Every summer, 200 children with cancer and their siblings ages 8-18 gather at a resort hotel on the beach of Nachsholim, near Haifa, for a fun-filled week of sports, water activities, and adventure.

The Need:

Fighting cancer is an emotionally taxing experience for the entire family.  When a child spends long periods in a hospital for treatment, loses their hair, and their appearance changes drastically, their energy levels and desire to leave the house sinks even lower.

Furthermore, the siblings of children with cancer often feel that they must take a back seat and not require as much attention from their parents. The challenges of cancer in the family can cause a great strain on the relationships between the siblings and parents as well.

The Program:

Every summer, Larger Than Life holds a five day, fun-filled camp for 200 children with cancer and their siblings. Over the course of the retreat, they’re able to participate in exciting sporting events and activities alongside peers who are facing situations similar to their own; this feeling of belonging allows them to forget their illness, and simply enjoy the fun of being a kid at camp.

While spending the week at a resort hotel near Haifa, the children have the opportunity to escape the white walls of the hospital, and meet and bond with new friends. In addition to lifting their spirits and providing them with hope, this camp aims to restore the self-assurance and self-confidence of all the participants.

Their days are filled with a variety of summer attractions, including extreme sports, trips to the north of Israel, exciting jeep tours, an adventurous water park day, a kayak course, arts and crafts activities, support group sessions, and more. The evenings are just as fun, with barbeque dinners on the beach, karaoke parties, dances with a DJ, a foam party — and on the final evening, a camp-wide talent show!

The camp is staffed with 24-hour medical supervision by doctors and nurses, and our dedicated counselors are cancer survivors and alumni of Larger Than Life programs. As our medical staff is on standby to tend to their medical needs, and our counselors mentor the children and instill them with a great sense of hope, the kids are able to relax and enjoy time with friends facing similar situations.

For this joyous week, siblings are able to strengthen their relationships with one another and bond with each other as children, not as siblings of a child with cancer.

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The cost of sending one child to camp.

As the cost of treatment is an enormous financial burden, this program is entirely free for the children to participate, and is funded by the generosity of people like you. With your help, we can continue to support the heroic parents as they navigate the challenges of having a child with cancer.