This year Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Annual Sportsathon will support purchase of state-of-the-art equipment geared specifically to children with cancer for Camp Sunshine's Medical Center, located in Casco, ME. All of the hospitals that Pediatric Cancer Foundation support send families to this specialized camp for children who are seriously ill, many who have a child in their family stricken with cancer.

The equipment that our 2006 Sportsathon purchased included: a GE Dinamap 420, a unit which measures blood pressure, oxygen saturation (to assess children in respiratory distress); Dura-Cuff blood pressure cuffs, a unit that is used to provide more accurate and prompt assessment of vital signs in sick children with cancer and their family members; and an Alaris Turbotemp Thermometer, which gives you an oral temperature in seven seconds.

In conjunction with the equipment we are going to provide some counseling services for parents and children to learn to cope with cancer. These services come under the umbrella of Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Patient Care.

7 Yellow Meeting House Road, Millstone Township, NJ 08514; Camp Director, J.R. Pugliese

Camp director J.R. Pugliese remarks, "The ability to make a difference in a child's life has always driven me. Throughout my 14 year career as a Camp Director, I have searched for new and innovative ways to enhance the lives of children and provide them with a memorable experience. My introduction to Pediatric Cancer Foundation and its 'Kids Swim for Kids' program to help benefit children with cancer was just what I had been looking for. Frogbridge Day Camp's campers and staff will not only be able to contribute to a worthy cause, but also be left with a memorable 'life changing' experience. I only hope other camps and organizations around the world will share our excitement and intrigue in such an absolutely incredible cause. Helping children not as fortunate as ourselves is the very least that we could do. We look forward to holding the hand of a child with cancer."

Sports & Arts Center at Island Lake was founded in 1986 by the Stoltz family. The owners have spent their careers in education, caring for and nurturing children with the love of children as their motivation. We have always believed in giving back to the community, and do so in many different ways. Helping to raise money for the Pediatric Cancer Foundation gives us great satisfaction. By doing this, our campers are also learning the value of sacrificing for those children less fortunate. Summer camp helps children learn lessons and gain experiences that can not be replicated in any other environment. We are proud to be participating in this wonderful event.

Mountain Road, Pomona, NY 10970, Camp Directors, Arthur and Natalie Kessler

Camp Ramaquois is situated on 40 acres with outstanding staff as well as facilities. Camp owners Arthur and Natalie Kessler have actively recruited other camps to participate in this year's fundraising effort. The camp's philosophy of sportsmanship, fellowship and caring is reflected in every aspect of their camp program.

Sleepaway Camp, HCR 62 Box 461, Center Harbor, NH, 02226; Camp Directors: Jon and Bart Sobel

Camp Winaukee, an American Classic since 1920, is among the nation's premier boys' sports camps. In 1981 Dr. Bart Sobel and John Sobel succeeded their father, Jesse Sobel, as year-round directors of Camp Winaukee. They are joined by co-director Jeff Freedman. Camp Winaukee has outstanding staff as well as facilities. Camp Directors Dr. Bart Sobel, John Sobel and Jeff Freedman remark about the purpose of Camp Winaukee's involvement in Pediatric Cancer Foundation's Swimathon, "We want to provide our campers with an opportunity to help children who are less fortunate. We feel that this experience will be both rewarding and inspirational as well as a positive statement showing that "Winaukee Kids Care"!

HCR 62 Box 468A, Center Harbor NH, 03226; Camp Directors, Nat and Ann Greenfield

Directors and Counselors at Robindale have been very supportive of Pediatric Cancer Foundation's annual swimathons. The kids at Robindale are terrific, enthusiastic and most of all, charitable. Nat & Ann say "Yeah for kids!"

330 New Windsor Rd., Hinsdale, MA 01235; Camp Director, Jill Kleinman

Camp Taconic is a beautiful sleepaway camp located in the heart of the Berkshires. Campers ages 7-16 are welcomed for full seven week sessions or half summer sessions as well. Camp Taconic's director Jill Kleinman says "We are thrilled that Taconic campers will have this opportunity to help other children in need." For more information contact JakTaconic@aol.com.

2042 North Main Road, Lee, MA 01238; Camp directors: Monte, Richard and Stephanie Moss

Since 1918 Camp Lenox has maintained a philosophy, which has built a strong community feeling among campers and staff during a seven week residential program of sports, art and outdoor education. Directors Monte, Richard and Stephanie Moss, believe that the most valuable asset in a child's life are those gained through positive, yet meaningful experiences. They have developed and continued to support "The Lenox Project", which funds inner city children's opportunity to experience sleep away camp. Our families anticipate an awesome PCF Sports-a-thon, and most of all helping any child diagnosed with cancer.

info@chichestersoccer.com

Chichester Youth Soccer League is a Fall Recreational, Spring and Travel Club. CYSL houses children 4 years to 16 years of age. Our goal is to teach the skills and knowledge needed to play. To install a love of the game, team loyalty and sportsmanship. CYSL chose to do a Goals 4 Cancer tournament for a few reasons. One is that our league has been touched by the loss of children to cancer. Two, we thought it would be nice to let our players learn that even they can make a difference in someone's life.

In 1996, Natalie and Arthur Kessler, owners and directors of Camp Ramaquois, developed a program where "Children Swim for Children." Their concept was to have children participate and become involved in helping other children. The Kesslers selected Pediatric Cancer Foundation as the best organization for their camp because donations raised would be allocated specifically to help children with cancer. Launching the Swimathon, Camp Ramaquois developed a program which involved their campers, families, and staff members who tirelessly raised thousands of dollars for pediatric cancer research. Due to their tremendous support, friendship, and commitment to our cause, PCF honored the Kesslers at our 1999 Annual Benefit at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.

The mission of PCF's Swimathon is to involve campers in…holding the hand of a child stricken with cancer. Campers actively participate in a swimming program which results in raising funds for a specific piece of much needed equipment for children inflicted with cancer. Additional funds support pediatric cancer research, purchase of state-of-the-art equipment and patient care.

Thanks to the Kesslers' introductions, and our Swimathon PCF committee, many other camps joined us in 2001 and 2002. The Swimathon funds in 2001 purchased light florescent digital cameras which will allow quantitative image analysis of blood vessel morphology in pediatric patients with malignant solid tumors such as neuroblastoma and Wilms tumor. In 2002, PCF Camp Swimathons funded an "infant pelvic muscle stimulator." This device, specifically designed for children, allows removal of difficult pelvic tumors without interfering with the muscles responsible for continence. Again in 2003, participating Swimathon camps worked hard to purchase a Fiber Optic Surgical Light, a device that mounts on a headband and is used in the operating room for increased visibility during surgery.

In 2004, day and resident camps raised money for the purchase of hospital quality hepafilters. These hospital grade air filters filter out microbes from the air (circulating in the room) including spores of fungi. Children on chemotherapy frequently have very low white blood cell count and are unable to fight infections, especially fungal infections. Such infections are very hard to treat, and can be fatal. Quality hospital hepafilters have been proven to prevent fungal infections in children who receive chemotherapy.

In 2005, monies raised from our Annual Pediatric Cancer Foundation Sportsathon went towards the purchase of a special Television Camera. This camera is mounted inside the surgical light immediately over the operative field. The educational and instructive tool has been requested by the Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital which recently installed a spectacular operating room designed specifically for minimal access surgery as well as traditional open surgery.

With this device they will be able to display exactly what the surgeon sees when performing pediatric cancer surgery at any one of six monitors in the room for all to see anywhere in the world. Any student, resident, or fellow attending with an interest in seeing what the surgeon sees and learning all there is to learn from surgery will be able to do so with ease.

This device allows the doctors to conduct educational programs locally and remotely. It allows them to show what they see in the operating room to a consulting surgeon anywhere in the world and gives that consultant the opportunity to give immediate feedback.

The equipment that our 2006 Sportsathon purchased included: a GE Dinamap 420, a unit which measures blood pressure, oxygen saturation (to assess children in respiratory distress); Dura-Cuff blood pressure cuffs, a unit that is used to provide more accurate and prompt assessment of vital signs in sick children with cancer and their family members; and an Alaris Turbotemp Thermometer, which gives an oral temperature in seven seconds.

The Swimathons have been a major source of PCF funds. Since there are many different types of camps, in 2005, we renamed our summer fundraiser to Sportsathon. This new name reflects our desire to welcome and encourage all children's camps to select any activity of their choice and continue our summer tradition of …holding the hand of a child.