Kesem at UW-Madison is a student-run, year-round support system for children impacted by a parent’s cancer. Our largest flagship program is Camp Kesem, in which we host three weeks of free summer camp. We are one of 122 campus chapters supported by Kesem National, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a tax ID number of 51-0454157. There are no other camps, supplemented with year-round support services, offered in the Madison area to ease the fear, anger, guilt, and sadness associated with undergoing a parent’s cancer. Our summer camp offers kids the unique opportunity to have a week of carefree summer fun by participating in engaging and inclusive activities that allow first-time campers to get comfortable with camp and returning campers to bond further. As a whole, the kids have the opportunity to engage in a week of fun, let their true selves shine, and gain strength from their peers who face similar day-to-day challenges. 

To continue expanding Kesem’s reach of support, our chapter aims to raise $120,000 at our 2024 Make the Magic Gala. The cost of year-round support for one of our campers is $1,200, and since our services are free of charge, we greatly rely on our community sponsors to help us in our mission: to support children through and beyond a parent’s cancer. Additionally, we are proud that our chapter has the annual opportunity to donate surplus funds raised in a fiscal year to Kesem chapters that are new and/or struggling via a program called Kesem it Forward. This expands our fundraising power beyond the geographic limits of Kesem at UW-Madison. 

Our annual Make the Magic event is a gala dedicated to sharing Kesem’s unique mission and impact with community members. We also take this gala as an opportunity to proudly display our sponsors who make our mission possible. If you are interested in sponsoring our event, we have included a flyer with sponsorship amounts and their respective recognition level that will be displayed at our Make the Magic Gala. All donations are used to fund our year-round programming that directly supports the children within our community.