NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala was unable to attend the October 18 dedication ceremony for the building because of illness. Representing the industry along with Webb at the event were Atlanta-area shop owner Gene Hamilton and Jeff Hendler of J.D. Hendler and Associates.

"No where does the collision industry stand any prouder than we stand today doing what we're doing for these kids," Hendler told the approximately 100 people at the ceremony.

Camp cares for patients in treatment

Although there are as many as 60 "cancer camps" for young people around the country, one of the things that makes Camp Mak-a-Dream unique in that it serves children and young adults actively being treated for the disease. This necessitates that a volunteer medical staff - up to four nurses and two doctors - be on site during the weeks camp is in session. Prior to the completion of the new medical facility, this staff and its patients had little more than a 3-bed exam room.

"We wanted to make sure all the rooms had nice views, because we want [patients] to still be involved, we want camp to continue for them," Jennifer Benton, executive assistant at the camp, said. "This building is going to allow us to keep them on campus regardless of what kind of care they need."

Two of the rooms are pressurized and have their own ventilation systems in case a patient's condition unexpectedly requires them to be "isolated" from the rest of the camp population.

The building also houses a conference room, small bedrooms for the medical staff, and some gathering areas that can be used while camp is in session or while the facility is rented out when not in use to help fund the camp's operating budget.

"I've been with the [camp] about seven years, and almost the first day I got here, I was told we need to build this building," Gregg Doerfler, executive director of the camp, said at the dedication ceremony. "This is a 7-year dream realized. This building does a lot of new things for us. It provides a brand new entry into camp. We've got beautiful sleeping area downstairs for staff and so we can rent this building out. We've got a beautiful conference room. But the heart of this building is the medical center. That's the only reason this building is here. It's going to do a lot of things for us. We're very proud of this, and the collision industry should be, too."

Kids can just be kids

"If you're here during a camp session, you might see 50 to 60 kids or young adults running around doing what kids do and you might not be able to tell they're here because they have cancer," Stuart Kaplan, the camp's medical director, said.

"They have a week of being absolutely normal kids. The reason they can do that is because of this building. Unbeknownst to them, they're being very closely watched and monitored so this environment is safe for them. We can meet their special medical needs that they couldn't get met at another camp. At the same time, they get a really nice view of camp; they're not in a dark, dingy place. We really hope that none of the kids at camp ever have to see the [medical center portion] of this building, although some will. But this building will help make it as pleasant an experience as it possibly can be."

One of the new patient rooms in the Camp Mak-A-Dream medical facility.

 

A donor wall inside the building identifies the individuals and organizations - most from the collision industry - that donated $250 or more toward the building. A plaque near the entrance also states that the medical center is "named in honor of the collision repair industry, with great appreciation from the board of directors, staff and volunteers of Camp Mak-a-Dream, and especially the children, young adults and others with cancer who will benefit from the generosity which helped build this facility."