Rolling River Day Camp Donates Handmade Headbands for Cohen Children’s Medical Center
Rolling River Day Camp Donates Handmade Headbands for Cohen Children’s Medical Center
On August 17, 2015, select campers in the Navigator Division traveled to Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York to present a basket of handcrafted bandanas to children in the Child Life Program. According to AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Child Life and Creative Art Therapies for North Shore LIJ, the Child Life Program “strives to improve the lives of hospitalized infants, children and adolescents by minimizing the stress and trauma associated with illness and hospitalization.” The children were able to choose an individualized headband that fit their personal style.
The bandanas were created by girls enrolled at Rolling River who were entering grades 6, 7 and 8. The charitable project was in conjunction with the annual “Rolling River Gives Back Week”, where hundreds of campers and staff learned ways they could give back to each other and the community. Campers of all ages took part in a variety of activities such as creating a “Random Acts of Kindness” wall, donating their spare change to a Coin Harvest and joining together for an evening fundraiser at Ralph’s Italian Ices in Rockville Centre.
The charitable activities raised more than $1,500 for a variety of initiatives including the Rolling River Day Camp “Campmates” Scholarship Program and the Ronald McDonald House of Long Island. The Campmates Program works in conjunction with New Horizon Counseling Center to provide tuition-free camp experiences for local children. The Ronald McDonald House provides free accommodations and meals for families of hospitalized children.
