Camp Happy Times

Some of my best childhood memories were made at Summer Camp.  I went to Bible Camp with my good friend, Rene', a few times.  I went to MADD (music, art, drama, and dance) Camp a few times with my friend, Susan (Camp Magruder was on the Oregon Coast... awesome!).  In sixth grade, we had Outdoor School, and we learned about various ecosystems in nature (in the woods in Oregon... so VERY cool).  When I was in middle or high school, I found a Summer Camp in Newport, Washington (on the Idaho border outside of Spokane, Washington)... it was advertised in Sunset Magazine.  I was lucky enough to go there two times... it was right on the Pend Oreille River.  Awesome!  Thanks, Mom and Dad... it was great. Camp fires, camp fire songs, mosquito bites, paddling a canoe, white water rafting, swimming, arts and crafts, target shooting, skits around the camp fire, cold mornings with dew on the ground and the smell of wood smoke in the air, scavenger hunts... why on EARTH do they not have Summer Camp for adults!?  Sign me up, I want to go...

I heard about Camp Happy Times on Ravelry last Summer.  Camp Happy Times is a Summer Camp in Pennsylvania (U.S.A.) for young cancer survivors (age 5 to 21).  This time last year, an organization called Halos of Hope was collecting knit caps for the kids attending the camp.  Unfortunately, I learned about the need for caps too late last year, but this year... I did not miss out. 

On Ravelry, I saw the theme for the caps this year is cupcakes and cake!  You see, Camp Happy Times is 30 years old this year so they are asking for cupcake-theme and cake-theme caps.  How fun is that?  I've always wanted to make a cupcake hat (there are lots of adorable patterns out there).  I've decided on this pattern (click HERE for the link to the pattern I found) since I have the perfect yarn in my stash to whip up a few. Unfortunately, this pattern is not free, but I think I can justify $2.99 this month for a fun cap!

Tonight I whipped up this cap.  Actually, it's a rolled brim hat I made awhile back but I added a knit applique that looks like a cupcake.  I like the cupcake; it was fast and easy to knit up... but my sewing... oh, how I ruin nice knitting with poor hand sewing. Some day I'll figure out how to sew nicely.  In case you are wondering, that IS a Devil's Food cupcake with vanilla frosting and pink sprinkles! Yum, I am making myself hungry...

More information about Camp Happy Times can be found at www.thevaleriefund.org

Edited 05/28/2012 to add this:

I was trying to go to sleep last night and it occurred to me that there was so much I wanted to say about Camp Happy Times and clearly I got side tracked reminiscing about my own camp experiences.  The thought of a child being diagnosed with cancer is so overwhelming to me.  To think of a child and their family going through that makes me sad... the stress, the fear. Why did this happen to me, why did this happen to my family.  I can only imagine the feelings a family must go through.  The sense of loss... bad things CAN happen... you lose your innocence and your sense of feeling normal when something bad happens to you. You could feel alone and isolated if you did not know others who had experienced what you are going through.  Camp Happy Times has got to be a great place... where young people can go, have a good time, make friends, and be with others who understand.  Happy 30th Birthday Camp Happy Times!  I am sorry there is a reason for you to have been created 30 years ago, but can only imagine how many young folks you've helped in 30 years.