Kesem at Home
9/24/2020 11:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving, My GW: Celebrating our Stories, Student-Athlete Development
Swimmers team up to serve at virtual summer camp
As the final day of virtual Camp Kesem wound down, Morgan Birdy's campers had an idea.
Camp couldn't end, the group of teens decided, if they simply stayed on the Zoom call together.
It was a decidedly 2020 moment to close out a familiar schedule filled with activities, games and candid conversation given a new spin amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a sure sign to the GW swimmer that the "Kesem at Home" initiative was a rousing success.
"That was really touching to see," Birdy said. "I was so nervous that they wouldn't have a good time, and then they ended up having such a good time that they didn't want it to end."
Annually, Camp Kesem at GW hosts two weeks of free summer camp for local children who have been affected by a parent's cancer. This time around, the effort moved online aiming to bring the fun to the youngsters in spite of the challenging circumstances.
For Birdy and GW swimming and diving teammates Becca Brown, Brendan Conley, Andrea Ho and Ian Molloy, the chance to serve as counselors at the reimagined camp last month offered a gratifying ending to a summer unlike any other.
"I think it really just shows what Kesem is all about," Molloy said. "One thing that we really hammered home, especially after we found out camp was going to be at home, is that Kesem isn't a place, it's a feeling.
"It gives me chills to think about because it's so true. It's just this feeling of support and no matter what there's always someone you can talk to about what's going on."
Birdy was excited to share the Camp Kesem experience with so many teammates. It's a personal cause for the Pennsylvania native as her mother has battled cancer.
Birdy joined the organization during her sophomore year before making the trip to rural Maryland for her first camp the following summer. She instantly felt at home in a world of goofy camp names, messy crafts and wholesome fun. "I absolutely loved it," she said.
Last year, Birdy joined the group's executive board as volunteer coordinator and went to work recruiting her friends. She found many of them eager to help.
Molloy, in particular, dove in as a member of the e-board leading fundraising efforts. He helped spearhead GW Athletics' Coaches for Kesem, which raised more than $2,500 to send kids to camp and culminated with more than a dozen coaches and administrators taking pies to the face at halftime of a men's basketball game last winter.
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"It's been great having those two worlds on campus – my athletic family and then my Camp Kesem family – and I never thought there would be such a crossover between the two," said Birdy, who is joined by Molloy, Conley and Brown on the organization's e-board this school year.
The global pandemic forced Camp Kesem at GW's spring planning online, and by the beginning of the summer, it became clear they would need to get creative to hold camp.
They came up with a plan that took advantage of technology to help the spirit of Kesem shine.
Days were divided into two sessions with youngsters in the morning and teens logging on in the afternoon.
Each camper received a box of supplies to help bring the usual experience into their own living room. There were materials to do a host of crafts, including make-your-own slime and a tie-dye kit.
Utilizing Zoom, they played games like Murder Mystery and Mafia, held group discussions and even staged the annual talent show with pre-recorded segments and a running commentary in the chat.
"It was really a lot of fun," said Birdy, who has already been part of a reunion Zoom call with her enthusiastic group. "It ended up going a lot better than I think anyone could've ever expected it to go."
Conley was grateful to be involved. He had found his first-year schedule too busy to commit to being a counselor but ended up filling a late opening from his home in Kentucky.
"I think I was pretty shocked at how powerful the community of Kesem is," Conley said. "Obviously, an online camp isn't what everyone was expecting, what everyone was hoping for, but all of my campers brought a ton of energy every single day."
Looking back on two memorable weeks, Molloy echoed that sentiment.
The junior from California was drawn to Camp Kesem's mission because of his mother's fight with cancer. He found it easy to connect with the campers, understanding first-hand that the stress of the pandemic only adds to the challenges they're facing at home.
"If you think about it, this was probably the most important year for Kesem," Molloy said. "I was really glad that we could deliver in the best way that we possibly could and have the impact that I know we did."
Camp couldn't end, the group of teens decided, if they simply stayed on the Zoom call together.
It was a decidedly 2020 moment to close out a familiar schedule filled with activities, games and candid conversation given a new spin amid the COVID-19 pandemic and a sure sign to the GW swimmer that the "Kesem at Home" initiative was a rousing success.
"That was really touching to see," Birdy said. "I was so nervous that they wouldn't have a good time, and then they ended up having such a good time that they didn't want it to end."
Annually, Camp Kesem at GW hosts two weeks of free summer camp for local children who have been affected by a parent's cancer. This time around, the effort moved online aiming to bring the fun to the youngsters in spite of the challenging circumstances.
For Birdy and GW swimming and diving teammates Becca Brown, Brendan Conley, Andrea Ho and Ian Molloy, the chance to serve as counselors at the reimagined camp last month offered a gratifying ending to a summer unlike any other.
"I think it really just shows what Kesem is all about," Molloy said. "One thing that we really hammered home, especially after we found out camp was going to be at home, is that Kesem isn't a place, it's a feeling.
"It gives me chills to think about because it's so true. It's just this feeling of support and no matter what there's always someone you can talk to about what's going on."
Birdy was excited to share the Camp Kesem experience with so many teammates. It's a personal cause for the Pennsylvania native as her mother has battled cancer.
Birdy joined the organization during her sophomore year before making the trip to rural Maryland for her first camp the following summer. She instantly felt at home in a world of goofy camp names, messy crafts and wholesome fun. "I absolutely loved it," she said.
Last year, Birdy joined the group's executive board as volunteer coordinator and went to work recruiting her friends. She found many of them eager to help.
Molloy, in particular, dove in as a member of the e-board leading fundraising efforts. He helped spearhead GW Athletics' Coaches for Kesem, which raised more than $2,500 to send kids to camp and culminated with more than a dozen coaches and administrators taking pies to the face at halftime of a men's basketball game last winter.
Â
"It's been great having those two worlds on campus – my athletic family and then my Camp Kesem family – and I never thought there would be such a crossover between the two," said Birdy, who is joined by Molloy, Conley and Brown on the organization's e-board this school year.
The global pandemic forced Camp Kesem at GW's spring planning online, and by the beginning of the summer, it became clear they would need to get creative to hold camp.
They came up with a plan that took advantage of technology to help the spirit of Kesem shine.
Days were divided into two sessions with youngsters in the morning and teens logging on in the afternoon.
Each camper received a box of supplies to help bring the usual experience into their own living room. There were materials to do a host of crafts, including make-your-own slime and a tie-dye kit.
Utilizing Zoom, they played games like Murder Mystery and Mafia, held group discussions and even staged the annual talent show with pre-recorded segments and a running commentary in the chat.
"It was really a lot of fun," said Birdy, who has already been part of a reunion Zoom call with her enthusiastic group. "It ended up going a lot better than I think anyone could've ever expected it to go."
Conley was grateful to be involved. He had found his first-year schedule too busy to commit to being a counselor but ended up filling a late opening from his home in Kentucky.
"I think I was pretty shocked at how powerful the community of Kesem is," Conley said. "Obviously, an online camp isn't what everyone was expecting, what everyone was hoping for, but all of my campers brought a ton of energy every single day."
Looking back on two memorable weeks, Molloy echoed that sentiment.
The junior from California was drawn to Camp Kesem's mission because of his mother's fight with cancer. He found it easy to connect with the campers, understanding first-hand that the stress of the pandemic only adds to the challenges they're facing at home.
"If you think about it, this was probably the most important year for Kesem," Molloy said. "I was really glad that we could deliver in the best way that we possibly could and have the impact that I know we did."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
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