By Deron Hamel
Kelly Cvijanovich says she hopes Epilepsy Ontario’s second annual fundraising cruise in support of Summerfest Camp will build upon the success from last year’s inaugural event.
Cvijanovich, the cruise committee’s chair, says organizers have commissioned a larger boat for this year’s event and are selling more tickets due to the excellent turnout in 2014.
Cvijanovich says the committee doesn’t have a specific dollar amount it’s hoping to raise for Summerfest Camp. Instead, committee members have focused their efforts on increasing awareness of the event as well as creating more exposure for Summerfest Camp and its importance to children living with epilepsy and their families.
“We really want to get the message out about (Summerfest) and the service that it provides,” Cvijanovich tells Voices of Epilepsy. “We’re really excited about this year’s cruise.”
For 21 years, Summerfest Camp has seen an average of 20 to 40 children and youth attend each session, where they participate in activities such as hiking, kayaking and sports at Camp Couchiching, near Orillia.
Summerfest enables children aged six to 15 who are living with seizure disorders to attend camp with other children. The camp provides a setting where children can forget about their epilepsy and enjoy a camping experience with others.
Last year’s cruise didn’t go without challenges. Stormy weather rolled in over Lake Ontario shortly before the event began and there was concern as to whether or not the event would proceed. In the end, people did get a little wet, but the cruise carried on and, literally, weathered the storm.
Cvijanovich says this experience “was a nice analogy for epilepsy.”
“We panicked at the beginning when the clouds were upon us, and we thought that there would be no way to sail, but we overcame the challenge and the fear, and we pushed on through,” she says.
Global News’s Mark McAllister, who is living with epilepsy, will emcee this year’s cruise.
The Summerfest: Sail Away cruise, which includes a buffet dinner, dancing, silent auction, 50-50 draw and gift-giveaways, will coast along Lake Ontario’s shoreline for three hours on June 17. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking here.
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