Camp Blog

A group of our recent and youngest children and their families braved the forecast and enjoyed a spectacular Family Funday at Sesame Place along with some our youngest veterans! Special Thanks to Ephraim Shapiro for putting it all together.

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On a misty and cold morning a crowd of 134 Chai Cyclists rode Lake Shore Drive in unison. Bikers rode a distance of choice, reaching up to 52.5 miles for some of our veteran bikers. Thanks to all those who braved the fog to support our cyclists and the children & families we serve. Check out one mom’s Bike the Drive story:

And the Miriam Award goes to…

On Tuesday, Chai Lifeline West Coast held their first Volunteer Awards Night. The event was sponsored by Miriam’s Heart, a program that reaches out to teenagers and young adults living with serious illness, and pays tribute to volunteers who give so generously of themselves to bring joy and hope to Chai Lifeline’s children and their families. Miriam’s Heart was dedicated in memory of Miriam Rabinowitz A”H by her parents Joshua and Debbie Rabinowitz.

Mark Maxwell-Smith who as the beloved “Pun” performs at Chai Lifeline’s hospital-based parties received the award for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Effects. High School student Nikki Dror received the award for Art Direction due to the hours she has devoted to our art programs. Phyllis Steinberg, who travels far and wide to deliver meals to hospitals, received the Miriam Award for “Best Location Scout.” Oren Rehany, who has been serving as a Big Brother for the past six years, received the Miriam Award for Best Big Brother. High School student Julia Reifkind who has been volunteering for Chai Lifeline for several years through special projects and events, and as a Big Sister this past year, won the Miriam Award for Best Big Sister. The final award – The “Best Picture of Chai Lifeline” award was presented to Avital Abraham for her extraordinary support and dedication to Chai Lifeline. The program ended with a moving photo montage which paid tribute to all of our super star volunteers.

A special thank you to Shery Katzovitz and Shuli Lowy for writing, directing, and producing this event.

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Our young ladies were pampered to the extreme during an evening of elegance at Le Petit Spa.

Many thanks to Jerusalem Pizza for sponsoring pizza & ices, to Cindy Itzkowitz for the beautiful custom made cookies, and Angel Limousine for getting us there in style.

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Our big sister/ little sister program was treated to a fun filled weekend in Monsey, NY. The girls began their extended weekend on Friday by enjoying the rides, arcades, and prizes at Sports Station. Upon their arrival in Monsey, the girls had a festive lunch, went swimming, and designed their own fleece blankets. After a fun Shabbos together, each girl returned home with a personalized towel, personalized Tehillim, and the fortitude to continue dealing with the illness of a sibling.

Many thanks to the Fischl family for hosting this festive weekend and to our wonderful volunteers for their time.

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Forty girls were treated to manicures, pedicures, hair styling, and t-shirt decorating in what was a day of fun and beauty at Tipperary Hair Styles. Each girl received a gift bag of beauty products and other goodies from Talia.

This day of beauty was sponsored by Talia Wohlberg who raised funds for this event as part of her Bat Mitzvah Project. Many thanks to Talia Wohlberg, her mother, Terry, and sister, Liza, who all helped out at the event. Heartfelt thanks to Debby Parker and her wonderful team of stylists, Brenda Walt & Monika Lightstone, to Catering By Brenda for donating a sumptuous lunch and smoothy bar, and to our fantastic team of volunteers.

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Our moms spent Sunday & Monday enjoying each other’s company up at camp. They were treated to activities including horseback riding, a ventriloquist performance, arts and crafts, themed dinner, photo shoots, and more.

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16 boys from Israel are experiencing the magic of South Africa for the first time. The boys, along with their counselors and support staff, toured Cape Town and Johannesburg in what will be a ten day trip.

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Earlier this week, children, families, and the amazing volunteers of our Israeli branch, Chaiyanu, came together for a day of fun in the sun. Carnival rides, fun games, a petting zoo, and delicious food rounded out this carefree day.

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EPIC IS THE WORD! As a very long and harsh winter appears to have finally ended, many of our Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special Boys trekked to Glen Spey for the most EPIC reunion weekend ever! Joined by a large conglomerate of Simcha Medical Staff who also came to relish a fine retreat, the EPIC reunion had reunifiers enjoying their favorite Camp attractions while spending time and catching up with their friends. Usual amusement included boating on the lake, the game room and of course, the canteen. The fun was supplemented by a special program which included 4×4 ATV rides; the inauguration of the Camp Simcha Greenhouse; a full day of EPIC Shabbat activities led by the legendary Duvi Becker (prizes of course) which involved an EPIC game of duck Duck Goose pitting the head staff against the medical staff; an EPIC Bar Mitzvah Kiddush and celebration (and 9 other birthdays); An ÜBER-EPIC groundbreaking Laser Light Show, Melave Malka Mayhem, BBQ style buffet and marshmallow roasting fire pit; AND a Lipa Concert which was truly EPIC. Everyone went home looking quite elegant sporting their souvenir collector’s item lapel pins.

Extra Special Thanks to Reuven Blobstein and Albert Balasiano for going the extra mile as usual.

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