By Maggie Biunno

As the semester comes to a close, students search for summer jobs, internships and vacation plans. Gone are the days when you would spend the entire summer or just a week carefree, away from home and bonding around a campfire with their summertime friends.

At Camp Quality, though, growing up does not mean you have to stop having fun and this summer camp provides an opportunity to volunteer for a worthy cause, while enjoying your summer.

Camp Quality’s vision “is that all children with cancer and their families find joy and hope through shared experiences and an ongoing support system,” according to the official U.S. Web site, www.campqualityusa.com. This international camp, which was founded in Australia, now has 14 locations around the United States.

At Camp Quality New Jersey, they follow that vision plan. Director Frank Dalotto has had an active role since the chapter began in 2003, after Optimist International, a group dedicated to bringing out the best in children, “adopted The Childhood Cancer Campaign as its flagship cause,” Dalotto said recently via e-mail. “As a member of our local club, the Sunrise Optimist Club, of Freehold, N.J., we established Camp Quality New Jersey.”

A staff consisting entirely of volunteers gathers in Blairstown for a week of entertainment and fun to help “let kids with cancer be kids again,” as the New Jersey site reads at www.campqualitynj.org.

Campers range from age five to 17 and have been diagnosed with cancer and attend for free. “They can be at any stage of their illness, from remission to the most advanced stages,” Dalotto said. “We can accommodate any child, regardless of their physical condition.” He expects about 40 campers and 50 volunteers will be involved this year.

Due to the conditions of the campers in many stages of cancer treatment, the location has a “professional medical facility set up at camp that is staffed with licensed volunteers,” Dalotto said. “The volunteer staff includes our camp physician, who is a pediatric oncologist, and five nurses. We are qualified to administer all forms of oncology treatment for kids with cancer.”

Margi Waga, a registered nurse who received her bachelor of science from Monmouth University in New Jersey, got involved with the camp three years ago through her job at the pediatric unit at the St. Peter’s University Hospital.

Originally, Waga wanted to be a companion, which is an individual who is by their camper’s side for the entire week. But when she was informed that they still needed nurses, she took that position instead.

“I do enjoy being the nurse, because I can go and spend time with all of the children,” said Waga, in a phone interview last week. “As a companion, you are responsible for them 24 hours [a day]. I was lucky to have the best of both worlds.”

Waga already knew many of the children from taking care of them at St. Peter’s. She was thrilled to see many of them had recovered. “When I see them in the hospital, it’s at their lowest. They are receiving chemo and losing their hair and their happiness,” Waga explained. “It was nice to see the kids in their different side, their happy side, their healthy side.”

And their happy sides shine through as the children enjoy a busy week at Camp Quality. Activities galore are available, including rock climbing, bungee jumping, fishing with bamboo poles, campfires each night, dances, picnics, multiple sports, arts and crafts and much more. Each day after lunch, there is quiet time for one hour before swimming.

“Even though they [the campers] are in remission, they are still taking chemotherapy orally and they need that rest time,” Waga said.

One of Waga’s favorite games, which is popular among the campers, as well, is the zip-line across the pond. “A lot of kids are scared-you climb up this stairway and then you just drop,” she said. “Every kid feels like they have to do it. Not that they aren’t considered cool [if they don’t], but everyone makes them feel like they can do it by cheering them on and they have this sense of pride afterwards.”

Former camper, 18-year-old Lauren G. of Manchester, N.J., and a freshman at Ocean Community College, was nervous to attend Camp Quality. She received a letter from the American Cancer Society three years ago, when the first over-night, week-long event was being planned in 2004. As a shy individual, Lauren explained in a phone interview last weekend that the one-on-one companion and camper relationship scared her off a bit. When her father decided to volunteer as a companion, Lauren agreed to attend.

The one-on-one companionship that she was skeptical about became one of many reasons that she thinks Camp Quality is unique, Lauren said. Comparing it to other cancer camps she has attended, like Campy Happy Times which is much bigger, Lauren finds the closeness of a family at Camp Quality.

“I enjoy both of them because I have my closest friends are there,” Lauren said. “They are always the people that I can count on.”

Unbreakable bonds have been made that never would have existed if Lauren was not a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, cancer of the eye, at age four. When she was younger, her parents noticed a white dot on her eye, which she described to be like a “cat’s eye.” Doctors could not find anything wrong.

For Christmas that year, Lauren’s parents gave her a kaleidoscope. Looking through the hole with her right eye, she loved the colors and designs. But when her parents encouraged her to look with her left eye, she saw nothing.

As quickly as the problem was found, it was solved. The day after she was diagnosed, Lauren was scheduled for surgery where they completly removed her left eye. She has been fine ever since. She has a prosthesis that matches her right eye and is exactly the same color.

“As far as I know I never knew what it was like to see with two eyes,” Lauren said, explaining that she did not have to adjust to the change.

After attending the camp three years in a row, Lauren is now old enough to be a volunteer. A summer must pass before a camper can be a companion, but Lauren will still be volunteering her time, working in arts and crafts or helping plan activities.

“It’s definitely a rewarding experience; you go to camp for this one week and it’s all about what the kid wants to do and what to do to make them smile-it’s something big,” Lauren said. “They [companions] see their kid smile, because they got to climb the wall or swim in the pool-something that they couldn’t do or would get made fun of at home. It’s just so rewarding to have that feeling.”

Waga agreed. “Here at camp, everyone accepts them for what they are and they really have a unique bond between the camper and companion that they don’t get from anyone else,” she said.

While the experience is very much for the camper, companions also thoroughly enjoy it.

“The companions didn’t expect to get from it what they did, because a lot of people say, ‘it’s all for the cancer patient,'” Waga said. “The kid teaches them the quality of life and what to appreciate in life. One day you can wake up and realize you have cancer and you really appreciate what you have in life.”

After the summer nights have faded and cooled into autumn, friendships still linger in the air. Lauren still stays in touch with previous companions and fellow campers by text messaging or talking through Internet social networks. She sees many of them in person as much as possible or at reunions.

“It’s a nice companionship-you always have someone,” Lauren said. “I can always call my companion when I have a problem. It’s like an extra friend.”

For some, vacationing is all about “me” time, but giving of yourself might make for a better summer for you-and someone else.

The campground is located just about two hours away from campus in Blairstown, N.J. This summer, camp will be held from June 23 through 28.

The staff may need male companions. Anyone with questions or who is interested in a companion position can visit the Web site, ww.campqualitynj.org.