KOA
Karen McAndrew was a champion of KOA Care Camps for kids with cancer long before she became the organization’s executive director two years ago.
Karen and husband Daniel Parent are also owners of the Cardinal/Ottawa South, Ontario KOA Holiday. Every year since they purchased the campground 10 years ago, they have made raising funds to send deserving kids to Care Camps a priority.
“That first year, we raised $4,455,” said McAndrew. “Every year, it has gradually grown to the point that this year we were able to raise $27,669 after expenses for Care Camps just at our little campground.”
For Karen, Daniel and son Phil Parent, raising funds for KOA Care Camps is a part of their business plan for their 146-site campground, which is only open six months each year. “I won’t say that it is always easy, but it certainly isn’t stressful, either,” McAndrew said.
While most of Cardinal/Ottawa South KOA Holiday’s events aren’t complicated or fancy, they work because the owners are relentless in their efforts. “We do all of the things KOA owners are supposed to do, such as participate in the Care Camps Big Weekend each May, where we raise $10 for each Saturday night that weekend,” McAndrew said. “We also collect all of the beer and liquor bottles on the campground and return them for deposits. We donate all of the tips from our food services to Care Camps. We always take our donation coin box to RV and camping shows we attend. It’s a lot of little things, but they all add up.”
Their ice cream social – held each Saturday – is a staple for camper donations for Care Camps. “We only do ice cream socials once a week, and we raised almost $10,000 net on that alone this year,” she said. “In the process, our campers learn a bit about Care Camps and it helps build our community, which is what camping is all about.”
McAndrew has also recruited help from her seasonal campers. Each weekend, seasonal campers volunteer to walk the campground, selling 50/50 raffle tickets. “We were able to raise almost $5,000 with the 50/50 tickets this season,” she said. “Often, the winners donate all or part of their winnings back to Care Camps.”
As the executive director of the KOA Care Camps Trust, McAndrew certainly has a stake in KOA Care Camps’ success. But her reasons go much deeper. “We’ve been committed to Care Camps for the past 10 years,” she said. “Over time, we’ve developed fundraising plans that don’t take a lot of our time or a lot of up-front expense.
“We just don’t consider it work,” she said. “All we have to do is count the money.”
McAndrew said her message to fellow KOA owners is that you don’t have to be a big operation to raise a significant amount for Care Camps. “We keep our fundraising thermometer chart right behind the front desk, and our campers are well aware of our progress,” she said. “They get as excited as we do.”
McAndrew said KOA’s Company Owned Properties Division's fundraising efforts, as well as the $1 per KOA Value Kard sold by KOA Inc. that is provided to Care Camps, provide a solid base for the charity’s fundraising each year.
But campgrounds such as Monroe County/Toledo North KOA ($14,000 this year); Copake KOA Holiday (more than $10,000); Williamsburg/Busch Gardens Area KOA ($10,600); and Elkhart Co./Middlebury KOA Holiday ($10,000-plus) show that middle- to small-sized KOAs can have a big impact.
“And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Howard and Cyndi Livingston,” McAndrew said. The Livingstons and their Mile Marker 24 Band in the Florida Keys were responsible for more than $163,000 in donations to KOA Care Camps so far this year.
“Last year, the KOA Care Camps Trust raised more than $1 million for the first time,” she said. “This year, we passed $1 million about a month ago on our way to a goal of $1.5 million.”
With an average cost of $1,500 per child for a week at a summertime Care Camp, every dollar counts. Find out more about KOA Care Camps for children with cancer at www.koacarecamps.org.