It's been a great year, thanks to you!
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Greetings!
As we look back on Thanksgiving and prepare for the upcoming holidays, I cannot overstate how thankful we are for your contributions to our organization.
On behalf of our staff and Board of Directors, thank you for your support in 2017!
Our 10
th Annual Camp Kudzu Benefit Luncheon was a tremendous success. We are thrilled with the response and generosity of our donors. We raised the bar in paying tribute to Alex Allen and our inaugural class of Kudzu Ambassadors that are illuminating the way for future campers.
With our expanded support, we are excitedly implementing our strategies for growth. The establishment of our new Outreach Committee will allow us to continue to serve even more T1D children and families across the state. We are actively planning to identify and serve more than 100 new T1D children and teens to participate in our 2018 programs, and the Benefit Luncheon puts us even closer to that goal!
In addition to growth through outreach, we are also launching our leadership development programs to better serve all of you. In this issue of E-News you’ll learn about the reconfigured Counselor-in-Training (CIT) Program, as well as the new Junior Counselor role. We believe this will ease the transition from camper to counselor to allow us to better serve the next generation of Kudzu Campers!
Finally, we have a few spots left for our Teen Retreat being held
February 2-4. With over 50 registered already, we are confident this session will be our best yet!
I remain thankful for your commitment to our cause. If you would like to make a final tax-deductible gift to Camp Kudzu before the end of the year, please consider clicking our “Donate Now” button at the top of this email. Otherwise, we look forward to continuing this journey with you into 2018 and beyond!
-Rob Shaw, Executive Director
robert.shaw@campkudzu.org
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10th Annual Benefit Luncheon a Success
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The 10th Annual Benefit Luncheon, co-chaired by Ann and Pat Brumbaugh and hosted by Chris and Alex Cann, was held on November 14th at the Cherokee Town and Country Club. Katie Walls of WSB TV served as the emcee once again. The program paid tribute to Alex Allen’s contributions to Camp Kudzu, introduced the first class of Camp Kudzu Ambassadors, and raised nearly $230,000 to support our programs. Most importantly, this year’s Annual Benefit Luncheon focused on the heart of our mission: sending more children living with type 1 diabetes to camp.
At the Luncheon, the Lighting the Way award was renamed the Alexandra Allen Lighting the Way Award in recognition of Alex’s 18 years of serving as founder, lead volunteer, and Executive Director. Alex introduced the first class of Camp Kudzu Ambassadors. Together, these former campers share more than 90 years of experience as Camp Kudzu campers and volunteers, raising and contributing an additional $13,000 for the Fund-A-Camper program.
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In addition to the combined $243,000 listed above, an additional $116,000 has been pledged toward the Fund-A-Camper initiative.
All totaled, Camp Kudzu raised more than $370,000 to ensure that children living with type 1 diabetes can gain the skills necessary to successfully manage their disease
On behalf of the children who will receive vital diabetes self-management information during fun camp experiences, Camp Kudzu gratefully acknowledges the support of our top level sponsors and Benefit Luncheon Planning Committee.
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Without the support of our sponsors, this successful Luncheon would not have been possible!
Special Supporter/Signature Sponsor
Mrs. Sharon Loy
Platinum Sponsors
Brightwell Talent Solutions
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
King & Spalding
Northside Hospital
The Law Firm of Ann Brumbaugh
Gold Sponsors
Bryan Cave & Jennifer Odom
Cater Baldwin Executive Search
Iberia Bank
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lamons & Dr. and Mrs. William Allen III
Corporate Partners
Wellstar Health System
Resurgens Orthopaedics
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Give Atlanta Challenge Brings New Campers
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Thanks to everyone who helped Camp Kudzu in Atlanta Magazine's 2017 Give Atlanta Challenge! Thanks to YOUR help, Camp Kudzu raised over $8,661! Because we finished in third place, we were awarded an additional $4,000, totaling
$12,661.
These funds will support our goal of sending 100 NEW campers to our summer programs. Thank you for your support, and thanks to Atlanta Magazine for this opportunity.
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Camp Kudzu Ambassadors Support 10 NEW Campers for 2018
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The inaugural class of Camp Kudzu Ambassadors, consisting of Kaki Bennett, Jamie Cross, Anna Rambo, Katie Rhea, Kelsey Rogowski, and Andrew Sturniolo, was honored at the 10th Annual Benefit Luncheon on November 14, 2017. These six individuals light the way for our campers, enabling them to see that T1D cannot stop them from achieving their goals and becoming successful, independent adults.
This group set a high goal: send 10 campers to Camp Kudzu in the summer of 2018.
They have already exceeded that goal, raising over $13,000!
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Calling all Camp Kudzu Volunteers!
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Remember to check your emails for details on our Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party on December 15. To RSVP, please contact Anna Rambo at
arambo@campkudzu.org or simply click an RSVP option on the invitation below.
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Camp Kudzu Volunteer Appreciation Holiday Party
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LOCATION
Camp Kudzu Office, 5885 Glenridge Drive, Sandy Springs
DATE AND TIME
12/15/17
6:30pm -
12/15/17
8:30pm
Come enjoy food and drink at the Camp Kudzu Office as we celebrate the holidays and recognize our volunteer leaders!
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Teen Retreat Spots Still Available
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Camp Kudzu's Teen Retreat is happening February 2nd-4th, 2018 at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, GA. Many teens experience diabetes burnout or become overwhelmed with more responsibility in managing their diabetes on top of everything else involved with being a teen. Camp Kudzu's Teen Retreat focuses on just that: being a teen! Educational sessions will focus on many "tough" topics dealing with being a teen with type 1.
The fun-filled weekend will also include high-level activities and exciting programming. If your teen needs a pre-summer camp pick-me-up, register today!
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Outreach Committee Forming at Camp Kudzu
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As Camp Kudzu continues to grow and reach more children in Georgia, we are excited to announce the formation of a Camp Kudzu Outreach Committee. This committee will include parents, community volunteers,
and
Camp Kudzu Alumni.
Members will be tasked with innovating new ways to allow as many children as possible to be a part of our programs. If you are interested in being a part of the committee or have ideas about how Camp Kudzu can better serve your community, please email Whitney LeHew at wlehew@campkudzu.org
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The Corner Pub Helps Campers with "Buttapalooza"
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Third-party events allow friends of Camp Kudzu to put their creativity to work and help make camp a reality for even more kids. On November 30, the Camp Kudzu staff visited The Corner Pub in Decatur to thank Joshua Elrod for his support of our programs through his "Buttapalooza" event, which raised over
$12,000 for new campers in 2017! The event, which pits entrants against each other in a competition to see who can cook the best pork butt, will be open to new competitors in November 2018.
To find out how you can organize a third-party event and support the mission of Camp Kudzu, contact Doris Pierce-Hardy, Development Manager.
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Exciting Changes in Leadership Development Program
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Camp Kudzu is planning a
big focus on our Leadership Development programs in 2018, and we are excited to announce some of our planned changes! Among these are a streamlining of the Counselor-in-Training (CIT) role and the announcement of a new Junior Counselor role!
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Additionally, Camp Kudzu is proud to announce the development of a new leadership group dedicated to
Young Professionals and Alumni! We will be sending out a survey to some of our volunteers and alumni to gain interest and collect feedback for the group's development. To make sure you're on the list for the survey, contact Anna Rambo, Program Coordinator.
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The 14th Annual Kudzu Cup FORE! Kids is being held on
Monday, May 21, 2018
at Country Club of the South (Johns Creek). For more information and details on early bird registration, contact Doris Pierce-Hardy, Development Manager.
Co-chairs for next year's golf outing are Scott Richards, David Evans, and Andrew Sturniolo.
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Our Campers: More than a Number
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Type 1 diabetes: it's the all-too-familiar reason you are up at 2 a.m. checking your child’s blood sugar when they are first diagnosed. It's the reason you know exactly how many carbs are in your child’s favorite meal at the restaurant you frequent as a family. Diabetes is also the reason you were (and maybe still are) more hesitant than most to “let go” and let your child be just that: a child—think sleepovers, birthday parties, summer camps, and the biggest of all: college.
While summer feels like forever ago, our educational theme still resides close to our hearts: “you are more than a number.” Campers learned just what it meant to identify as something other than “a diabetic.” When asked what the theme meant to them, many of our campers said that diabetes didn’t define them: they knew that blood sugars were just pieces of information to make diabetes management decisions.
In the months following this year’s summer sessions, I stumbled upon this letter posted on the personal blog of a dad with a daughter who has type 1 diabetes. I couldn’t help but reflect on the summer’s theme, proud of how much our campers not only learned about their diabetes, but themselves as individuals. The letter is “written by diabetes” to a parent of a child with type 1 and offers an interesting and powerful perspective. The more we strive to learn, the better we get at managing diabetes to the best of our abilities. We hope you enjoy it just as much as we did!
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Contributed by Anna Albritton, MS, RD, LD
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Camp Kudzu Welcomes Collier and Colin!
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Camp Kudzu experienced growth in a lot of ways during 2017, including growth in the families of our staff! The Albritton household welcomed Thomas "Collier" Albritton on October 26th, weighing 7 lbs 9 oz and measuring 18.5 inches long. "Life sure has changed and I'm enjoying my time at home with him," said Anna Albritton, Clinical Program Manager. "That said, I look forward to returning to the office at the end of the month. I can't wait for him to meet our Kudzu community–look for him to make little appearances at camp this summer!"
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Earlier this year, the LeHew household welcomed Colin John Gillis LeHew. Born on May 30th, Colin weighed 8 lbs 15 oz and measured 20 inches long. "He's already crawling and being a very active little boy," said Whitney Gillis LeHew, Outreach and Program Manager. "I can't wait to introduce him to everyone in the Kudzu family!"
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