Vermont's Camp Ta-Kum-Ta

I am an adult who battles cancer......That said no "Child" should have to endure this ugly disease!!! TKT is a place for them to get away from their illness. This incredible group of volunteers do an AMAZING job to do just that.Can't think of a group who deserves these moneys more!!!! Come on everyone please share your hearts to get this money for TKT.....

I have been a volunteer with Camp Ta Kum Ta for the past 26 years, and a board member for 17 years. This Camp has been instrumental in shaping my life and helping me with a career in non-profit work. The growth of Camp Ta Kum Ta has been challenging for the board, and they have worked hard to create a new home for Camp; but the fact remains that the kids have always remained the focus of what we do!

I consider it an honor to write about Camp TaKumTa; it is one of the most influential forces that has touched my life. As a former camper, who is now a volunteer staff member, I see how critical it is for Camp TaKumTa to be an outlet for children to escape and just be kids again. Camp has shaped many of us into the people that we are today. Camp gives children with cancer confidence, security, laughter and love. Camp is a feeling and a bonding of very special people that 'come from different corners" The spirit of Camp and of those that have touched our lives through Camp can only be described by one word: Magic.

2010 was my first year to volunteer at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. I was welcomed with open arms and many, many hugs of friendship. These giving people didn't even know me, and they embraced me.


The kids were so excited to be there. Just watching them have so much fun, especially after what they had all been through in their young lives, brought great joy to my heart.


These kids need this place of love, hope and friendship in their lives.

It is with pleasure that I write this note of support on behalf of Vermont’s Camp Ta-Kum-Ta. For 15 years I have worked with this remarkable organization providing a safe, loving place where children who have or have had cancer can come together, share their stories and simply laugh. There is nothing more joyful than the simple laughter of a child.

My family has been involed with Camp Ta-Kum-Ta for 20 years. We raise money in memory of my Brother Tom, who passed away from cancer. The special children of this camp always make us feel welcome and ALWAYS thank us for what we do for the camp.
They inspire us, and touch us with their determination and spirit. We love what the staff(unpaid) and the Vermont community does to make this magical place called Camp Ta-Kum-Ta a reality for these very special and dear children

What an amazing place this is! The dedicated volunteers and the wonderful children come together for a week of magic. A place where the children can get away from the reality of their disease and find comfort in talking with others who face the same awful disease. The camp has been working wonderfully for years, but the dedicated staff are always looking for ways to improve the facilities and the programs.

As a parent of a child who has gone through a bone marrow transplant I can not say enough about this haven! My 9 year old daughter had repeatedly asked me to find a camp that she could go to that had kids just like her. I found it and she went. She left home with limited self confidence and a feeling that she was alone, there was not anyone out there like her. She came back a confident, happy, nine year old without a care in the world. She had found kids just like her, and it was not only ok but normal to be just like her. TKT has been a god send. When I went to pick her up another mom stood up and made a comment that I will never forget. "Many people see the advertisements for TKT and think that this is a place of dying, I have always thought that this was a place about living!" I could not have said it better. A place where kids can be kids. My daughter says the best thing about TKT is "It's FUN, it's FUN, it's FUN!"

As a child I attended Camp Ta-Kum-Ta as a camper. I then became a counselor to help give back what was given to me. Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is truely a magical place for children that have experienced cancer. Everyone is like family. It gives you chance to share your experiences with others that may have gone through what you went through. I have a family of my own now and have not been able to get back to camp to be a counselor, but I still stay connected. A year ago I was diagnosed with a second cancer and my camp family was very supportive to me. Once you have a connection with Camp Ta-Kum-Ta it never goes away. It is a place that you can not describe in words.

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is an amazing, magical place. Every day is like the best holiday ever!! There is a healing power that comes from the experience for the children and all volunteer staff alike. My favorite saying is " Camp Ta- Kum-Ta it is all about the Kids!"There is no better place to be & it is so life affirming!

Being part of TKT has added to my life. It’s a place where kids have the opportunity to be exactly what they really are… Kids. Selfishly it lets me slip back to that part of myself as well. It’s a loving, caring place that encourages confidence, embraces playfulness, and creates memories that last.

I have gone to camp TKT for the past 5 years. In my time there, I have felt nothing but love and support from all the staff and campers there. Camp is a safe place for kids who have cancer to feel normal and accepted...it also doesn't hurt that every minute is packed with fun!

Some of the things we have done include swimming, hot air balloon rides, ice skating, bowling, lots of singing, talent shows, a formal dance, a ferry boat cruise...and much more. I can't even keep track of all the activities we do.

What I most remember after every session is the love I felt from every person there.

The entire camp is amazing. From the camp staff to the children who attend. My husband and I have gone to the camp with our hot air balloon, and we have been so amazed at how well everyone supports one another. The love felt at the camp is unbelievable. We can not say enough about the camp. We tell everyone about it! Our support for the camp has brought us so much joy, we are very Thankful that they have allowed us to help and feel the wonderful feeling of what this camp is all abut.

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is a wonderful opportunity for children whose lives are far from "normal" to have a "normal" summer camp experience. The kids swim, hike, and most importantly play. These days, many children are given less independent, unstructured time; for children dealing with a chronic illness, these opportunities are even more limited. During the week of Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, the children are in a safe and structured environment in which they are able to have the independent, unstructured time that promotes social/emotional growth and development. The week would be a great opportunity for any child; for a child dealing with a chronic illness, it is an amazing opportunity that can't be matched.

I have been a volunteer and also the parent of a camper. I see Camp Takumta as a powerful and magical tool that all children should experience. Camp helps children who attend find their voice, strength, courage, love, inner peace, motivation, enthusiasm and energy whether they are battling cancer or in remission.

Every summer for the last 23 years I my life, I have had the great opportunity to experience the magic of Camp Ta Kum Ta. You might not guess that a camp for children with cancer would be full of joy, laughter, pranks, and other silly stuff, but that is exactly what Camp TKT is! TKT gives children who have or had cancer a chance to reclaim their childhood, live in the moment, and have the time of their lives!

Vermont's Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is a very special place. The actual camp lasts only one week (although there are more events all year now that we have our own home), but the memories and the strength and love you get from Camp lasts a lifetime. Camp changes you. As a volunteer, I go to give my time and expertise in areas I excel in. I give up a week in an already short Vermont summer to make kids who have gone through ordeals no person should have to live through. I go to Camp to make a difference, but I get so much in return. Camp helps the kids forget all that they have been through and be with other kids who they can share, laugh and grow with.

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is a camp in South Hero Vermont that provides children between the ages of seven and seventeen who are battling cancer, as well as children who have already been treated for cancer with incredible, carefree, life experiences. Camp not only allows children to get away from the stress and constant hospital life involved with having cancer, but it also allows them to be a child again, to share an unbelievable week with more games, gags, activities, and daily themes than I can list. Camp provides life-changing bonds of friendship between both campers and staff members. There is something magical about the simple understanding of what everyone at camp has gone through or is currently going through in his or her life. The magic of camp lets everyone take down defensive walls. People are seen at their strongest and most vulnerable moments all in one week. Camp is an incredible healing power that gives children confidence and optimism needed in their lives and overcome any obstacles they may face.