~Camp Moves Me Update~

This Fall is flying by! We are 24 days into October and that blows our mind. Do you know what else blows our mind? That over 160 people have donated and raised over $6,300 for the Camp Foley Scholarship Fund! Thank you to everyone who has donated and is helping to make it possible for more kids to experience a summer at Foley.

Donate Today!

Hear from some of our participants on how their individual efforts are going for this campaign!

Krista Strobel

"This view (to the left) has been my view for 130+ miles this month. I've been taking spin classes three to four times a week to hit my goal of 150 miles. I cycle quite often, but I'm usually only getting 80-100 miles a month. So 150 is no small feat.

The highlight of my month was the support I've received from my coworkers at The Lacek Group. Not only have they donated over $400 to Camp Moves Me, they continuously ask about my progress and provide a lot of encouragement. The hardest part about my Camp Moves Me participation? Offering up a five-song playlist to people that donate $25. It's so much more difficult than I thought it would be. (Poem writing though for $10 has been surprisingly easy.)

I've never been a participant in Camp Moves Me; in the last I’ve only donated. This year I chose to participate because I wanted to try something physically outside my routine. But more importantly, I chose to participate because I love camp and wanted to find a way to support more kids having the chance to go to camp."     

Kieran O'Connell and Emily McGuire

"Camp Moves Me this year has inspired me to be active all month long, even while adjusting to a new city and a crazy new schedule. There’s no better time to explore a new place than in October, and luckily I have one of my best camp friends, Emily McGuire, to show me how good fall looks in Omaha. 

Our passion for camp will never fade, and being able to pass on our love of Foley to more campers is reason enough to get moving and raise donations. Camp Foley has provided a summertime paradise for myself, my sisters, cousins, aunts, uncles and mom for the past 3 decades. We can’t go one holiday without talking about some memory sailing on Whitefish, trekking up to Upper Mosquito Treehouse, or laughing about old camp songs that have been taught to us over the years.

Camp doesn’t just give you something to do for 2 weeks in the summer, it gives you skills to use more than you think you will, stories to tell in new places, and lifelong friends to rely on and reminisce with. If every kid could go to summer camp at least once, I believe the world would be a better place." 

Kevin Beltz

"For camp moves me, I’ve been moving in three ways: biking, hiking, and running. I decided to include three activities this year because I doubled the miles from last year (from 100 to 200) and last year in October I ended up going on two backpacking trips that I couldn’t count because I was only counting biking miles. In addition to these movements, I’ve surfed three or four days, rock climbed a ton, and done yoga a ton!

My highlights have been the two days I mountain biked. Good times, got some air time, threw some dirt around. The mental “ highlight” was when my friend challenged me to run a 5k for $20. I HATE running and only included it because I thought it would be easier to do while traveling for work. I ran the 5k in a downpour!

I participated in CMM to encourage get my friends to donate to summer camps, make them realize that camp is important to me, and then me selfishly setting goals that I don’t want to do and proving to myself that I still have the grit I developed at summer camp."

Joe Harrington 

"This is my third fall participating in Camp Moves Me, and while the focus remains the same my experience has been vastly different. Since I am living in Guatemala right now, not only are my runs a great deal more beautiful than the boring streets of Nebraska, but what I see every day reminds me how great summer camp can be for a child. 

Every day here in Guatemala I see kids playing outside and exploring instead of sitting inside and playing Fortnite. While a child back home may spend hours a day in front of a TV, I have seen kids spend hours climbing trees or exploring the jungle. I am constantly reminded of how great spending time outside is, and it makes me even happier to be running every day for such a great cause.

I have seen first hand many times what a positive impact camp can have on a child’s life and how it will positively impact them for life, which is why I am so happy and proud to be raising money for Camp Foley this October."




Kylie Beltz

"I don’t know where to begin to describe my attachment to Camp Foley. It has been such an influential part of my life, and has given me a valuable set of skills I continue to use every single day. Constantly, I find myself thinking about camp and wishing every kid got the opportunity to go. 

Which is why, this October for Camp Moves Me, I decided to hike, hike, and hike some more to raise money to make that happen. I have always loved the outdoors, and Foley has always fueled that passion. Along with that, camp has helped shape me to be independent and adventurous. Hiking allows me to be active (which I love) and just revel in the beauty of nature, and this month it’s for a good cause!

I have hiked 130 miles of my 150 I pledged. I’ve gotten to explore Jasper National Park in British Colombia, I hiked in Montana, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico. I’ve connected with friends from Foley along the way, and we all know those are the most special friendships. I’m rambling now, but I will say Camp Moves Me is important to me because I love camp and I just really want every kid to have the opportunity to experience it.”

Donate Today!

Learn more about our October fundraiser here.

Camp Moves Simon. Participant Spotlight!

This October we saw our highest number of Camp Moves Me participants yet! 20 wonderful members of our Foley family dedicated their October exercise (running, biking, swimming, hiking, walking, kayaking/canoeing, etc.) and asked family and friends for donations. Donations go directly into the Camp Foley Scholarship fund, thus directly impacting our campers. 90% of the money raised will be deposited into our fund so we can help get more kids to camp next summer (the other 10% goes to the American Camp Association). We are ecstatic to say this Camp Moves Me campaign was our most successful yet! Thank you, thank you, thank you, to all of the participants and donors. You are incredible. 

We recently had a conversation with one of our campers who participated for the first time to get his thoughts on the Camp Moves Me campaign. Simon was a first year participant and raised over $400 during the month long campaign. The heart and drive this young man displays to help make this world a better place is inspiring. 

Featured Participant: Simon M.

Age & Years as a camper: I'm 12 and next summer will be my 6th summer at camp!    

                 

Simon racing in Vail, Colorado, while repping a
Camp Foley sweatshirt! 

Hobbies Outside of Camp: football, lacrosse, downhill ski racing, hanging out with family and friends, and helping people in need. 

Favorite Camp Meal:  Pancakes! They are so good!          

Favorite Camp Song: Down By The Bay

Why did you choose to participate in Camp Moves Me? I chose to do Camp Moves Me because I wanted to help raise money for people who couldn’t go to camp and experience the awesomeness of it so that they could go and experience it. 

What mode of exercise did you choose and how many miles did you complete?  I chose biking and I biked 100 miles. 

Completing 100 miles of biking is quite the accomplishment! What motivated you to complete your miles? My motivation was like I said before, because I like to help anyone in need. Also, I love to be outside and biking. 

Do you feel that all kids should have the opportunity to go to summer camp?  Yes, I do think that all kids should be able to go to camp, especially Camp Foley, because it changes your life. It makes you a better person and you have the most fun of your life. 

Would you recommend others participate in Camp Moves Me? Yes, I do think that more people should participate in Camp Moves Me because they are helping other people and it’s a good, healthy choice for them to push themselves to be active.


Way to go, Simon! We are proud of your accomplishments. Thanks again to all of the donors and participants - you help make camp great! 

Foley, Futbol and Friends of the Orphans

What is the number one most important piece of equipment around camp? It's the one thing that gets used every day, rain or shine?  You can't play GaGa, 4-Square, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Dodgeball, Bocce Ball, Croquet, Kickball and this year Spiekball and 9-Square without it. The answer: A ball.

Did you know there are literally millions of kids around the world that would cherish a ball with their lives... IF they could afford to own one?  It's no coincidence that Soccer is the world’s sport as it is quite often the easiest thing for kids with little to no worldy possessions to play. Owning a soccer ball allows kids to be imaginative, practice teamwork and problem solve, plus it gives them an outlet for aggression and a hobby to keep them out of trouble. This type of play is what makes camp so great. Often the staff, leadership members and even the campers are making up games, coming up with new uses for equipment and using their imagination to interact. Wouldn't it be great if camp could provide kids across the world with the opportunity to do the same? Well, we are!
We are partnering with an organization a Foley Alum, Gaby Driessen, works for called Friends of the Orphans to donate soccer balls to children that live in orphanages in Latin America and the Caribbean. Through the One World Futbol Project, Foley families can donate a soccer ball directly to Friends of the Orphans. Gaby provided us with a bit of background information on the organization and what these soccer balls will mean to it: 

 READ ENOUGH AND JUST WANT TO DONATE? CLICK HERE!

Friends of the Orphans is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of orphaned, abandoned and disadvantaged children through the support of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH, Spanish for “Our Little Brothers and Sisters”) network of orphanages in Latin American and the Caribbean.  As the US branch of NPH, Friends of the Orphans raises both awareness and funds for the NPH homes located in nine Latin American and Caribbean countries.  Thanks to the generous support from our US supporters, the 3,800+ children of NPH are able to receive the basic needs that every child deserves – clothing, education, food, and most importantly, a loving family.   The key pillar of the NPH orphanages is that there is no adoption; the idea being that the children can be at ease, knowing that they will always live with their brothers and sisters.  In fact, all the children of NPH refer to each other as brothers and sisters – the children will tell you that they have over 3,000 siblings! Click here to donate a soccer ball to some of these children now.

The NPH El Salvador girls varsity team huddles
before a game in the 2012 NPH Futbol Tournament. 

Today, futbol (soccer) plays a very significant role in Latin American culture.  Similar to how children in the US start playing football and hockey at young ages, children in Latin America grow up learning how to play futbol.  Some of today’s best international soccer players, Messi, Silva, among others, are all from Latin America and learned how to play futbol in Latin America. Friends of the Orphans and NPH encourage its children to learn and play futbol.  Each NPH home has a boys and a girls varsity team and a boys and girls junior varsity team.  

The children practice year around, and ultimately they compete in the annual NPH Futbol Tournament.  In 2012, all the NPH teams met at NPH Nicaragua, where they competed for the 2012 title of best NPH futbol players.  Perhaps it was their home team advantage, or maybe they truly were the greatest players out there this year, but NPH Nicaragua boys and girls teams won the tournament and were named champions. 

Gaby's entire family (including Foley alum mom, Martha Lopez-Tolsa and siblings, Tali and Alex) has been heavily involved with Friends of the Orphans and NPH for over 15 years.  Gaby and Alex had the opportunity to travel to NPH Guatemala last May, where they played futbol with several of the children.  The Driessen family has had the opportunity to see first hand how futbol gives the children of NPH the opportunity to learn the importance of being involved, being active and being a team player. 

Gaby Driessen enjoying an indoor game of futbol
with the youngest children of NPH Guatemala.

Alli and Gaby along with fellow alum Maddi McCrea are heading to the orphanage in Guatemala in April and look forward to delivering some of the soccer balls at that time! Click here to assist Foley, the Driessens and Friends of the Orphans in its mission to better the lives of children throughout the world!

Donate a Soccer Ball Today!

Hopefully, you've already read a bit about why Foley is encouraging its families, friends and alumni to donate a soccer ball to the organization Friends of the Orphans. Now you just need to know how it works, which is very simple!

Photo taken from One World Futbol
Project's website.

Step 1: Visit www.OneWorldFutbol.com

Step 2: Explore the website if you wish, but to donate specifically click on "Buy Now."

Step 3: You can either buy a One World Futbol for yourself and by doing so donate one as well. Or you can just donate a ball. Please select the blue futbol as the gold is special for Chevrolet.

Step 4: In your shopping cart enter promo code "Foley."

Step 5: Proceed to checkout and know that you've officially brightened the day of many young people.

If you have questions or are confused by how to donate, please call the Foley office: 218-543-6161.

Thank you so much from all of us at Foley and Friends of the Orphans.