Every three minutes, a child gets cancer, according to Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas. The organization cites cancer as the number one disease that kills children. And yet, they’re providing hope one box at a time.

They put a twist on the traditional summer camp, opting to take Camp Victory: Go for the Gold to a digital format due to COVID-19.

Over 160 families participated from the Carolinas, and each family got a customized box full of arts and crafts, cooking supplies and ingredients and other activities for the three-day camp experience.

Kids also got to take place in a virtual dance class and do at-home escape rooms. Danielle Kalu’s son has leukemia. Kalu said the camp has been an outlet to keep her son busy and having fun during the fight of his life.

“When these kids get cancer, our families are brought into a different world,” Kalu said. “We can’t go do everything normal children can do. So it’s been difficult for him to not see friends, but being able to have that little bit of seeing familiar faces during some of these activities has been really nice.”

Laura Allen, the executive director for Children’s Cancer Partners of the Carolinas, said the idea sparked from trying to make something special out of a camp that has been helping kids since 2008. The organization provides financial assistance and resources.

“These children battling cancer need an activity, something to do,” Allen said. “They’re isolated, and so we thought of a way we could bring our families together. We want them to be able to be kids, to not think about cancer, to not think about that clinic appointment, to not think about another COVID test to be able to go into the clinic. This camp has meant a weekend of just being kids the way all our children should be.”

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