Rotarian Robin Wheeler (right) presents a check for over $8000 to Sydney Mosher, one of the co-founders of Camp Kita in Maine.
Rotarians and Their Neighbors Raise Funds for Camp Kita
When one of our club meeting speakers talked to the members of the South Berwick – Eliot Rotary Club this past year, Rotarian Robin Wheeler, who had a friend whose band, Under Cover, wanted to donate an evening of dance music towards a Rotary fundraiser for a good cause, decided that this was the cause we should all support. The speaker, Isaiah Mosher, was one of the co-founders of Camp Kita, a summer camp for young survivors of suicide of a loved one, which has been offering one-week overnight camping experiences free of charge for the past 10 years. Rotarian Erica Place had heard about this worthwhile program and their plans to soon establish a permanent camp in Alton, ME to be able to increase services to the community, so she invited the Camp’s co-founders to inspire the club members to help. And that is just what happened. A dance was held at the Regatta Room in Eliot in April and the band was hot and the town members there were on the dance floor all night long! Robin and Erica organized a silent auction and there was a 50/50 raffle. When all the donations were accounted for, the South Berwick – Eliot Rotary Club was able to present a check for over $8000 to Camp Kita at their club meeting on July 13th. Other major sponsors of the event were Pelkey Funeral Home and Kennebunk Savings Bank where Erica is a branch manager. Sydney Mosher was on hand to receive the check and updated the club on Camp Kita.
Sydney and her siblings, survivors themselves, have 75 campers coming this year (there is a huge waiting list). Camp is free of charge to the campers and this year they are renting a camp in Belgrade, Maine. They are in the process of building their “forever home” in Acton, where they hope to offer more camperships, programs for adults (currently the age range is 8-17) and other groups. Camp consists of the normal summer camp activities plus peer group therapy each day, mentoring, crisis management, sessions about living with grief in more productive ways, and is staffed by mental health and other professionals along with camp counselors and staff. For now it is a one-week-long camp experience once per summer. Once they have the place of their own, they will be able to service many more people of all ages. To her knowledge, this is the only camp of this kind in the country and there is a great need for it. Campers come from Maine, New Hampshire and beyond. Many return each year until they age out. However, they can return after they turn 21 if they wish to be counselors. By the way, did you know that KITA means "listens" in Abenaki?
We are so happy to have helped this invaluable program and are thankful for all the community members and sponsors who supported this effort.