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Annual swim benefits summer camp for kids with cancer By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF 9 · Wednesday, July 21, 2010 OAKVILLE BEAVER · www.oakvillebeaver.com hether rain or shine, on July 24 former Oakville resident Joy Jarvis will be swimming for the kids in her 10th year across Lake Rousseau in hopes of raising $10,500 for Camp Oochigeas. Jarvis had been a resident of Oakville for 33 years before moving with her husband to Novar, just north of Huntsville in 2005. She began the swim for Camp Oochigeas in 2001, while still living Oakville. But Jarvis first got the idea to do a swim for the kids back in 1995, she explains. "Back in spring of 1995, my godmother's granddaughter was diagnosed at the age of 10 with incurable leukemia, and that kind of gave me an idea that I always wanted to do a long distance swim for kids with cancer," said Jarvis. "Just hearing about her just kind of got me going and plus we have a cottage on Lake Rousseau. "I wanted to do a swim that was kind of close to home and I knew the lake. But that was when I started, it was for another cancer camp and then I joined on with (Camp) Ooch in 2001." Over the past nine years, Jarvis has managed to raise a total of $140,000 through all of her swims to support the camp. If she reaches her goal of $10,500 this year, it would be enough to send three campers to Muskoka for two weeks. "I think most of the campers are able to be up there for the two weeks. They get all the treatment and anything they need, which is neat because it doesn't cost them anything to go," said Jarvis. "If I raise more than $10,500, then that's great, too. Every little bit helps. Last year, I didn't reach my goal and I think I sent one (child). "But it wasn't a good year for anyone last year. Hopefully it will be good conditions this year and we will be good to go." Camp Oochigeas is a volunteer-based organization that offers kids with cancer and kids affected by childhood cancer a unique opportunity for development through challenging and W Joy Jarvis memorable experiences. The camp offers yearround programs for children affected by childhood cancer at their site in Muskoka, at the Hospital for Sick Children and in the community. "(At) Camp Oochigeas, the focus is to provide magical camp experiences to children affected by childhood cancer. We do that at our residential campsite in Muskoka, so we offer six weeks of summer camp for kids with cancer," said Michelle Afinec, director of development at Camp Oochigeas. "We do one week of camp for newly diagnosed teenagers and we do a week of camp for bereaved siblings. If a child has lost a brother or sister to cancer, we do a week of camp for them," said Afinec. "The whole point of what we're doing is giving kids back their childhood. A lot of kids are surviving childhood cancer now, but are missing a lot of school and social activities. "When they come up to camp they get to reconnect with their childhood and be a kid. Not worry about the hospital, not worry about doctors or nurses and just have fun for two weeks at camp." Jarvis and her annual Swim for the Kids event is key to the success of Camp Oochigeas, since it's privately funded with no government support. "It's important for our fundraising efforts since Joy has been doing this for so long. She's raised such a great amount of money for us over the years that it helps sends kids to camp and that's really what we do," said Afinec. "We couldn't do what we do without events like Joy's swim because we don't receive any government funding." It usually takes Jarvis, on average, between seven and eight hours to swim the 24 km across Lake Rousseau. Her goal this year is to swim across the lake in seven and a half hours. One year it took her 10 hours and 45 minutes to finish the trek because of rough weather. Water temperature and wind can have a tremendous impact, both on her timing and her body. "The year that I did it in the seven hours and four minutes, I basically had warm water and then a tail wind for the last bit. I was able to just fly but the lake does have choppy spots, usually in the middle and towards the end," said Jarvis. There are three ways to make a donation. To mail a payment, make a cheque out to Camp Oochigeas and note that it is for Joy's Swim. Payments can be sent to: 60 St. Clair Ave. E, Suite 201 Toronto, ON M4T 1N5. Or donate over the phone by calling 1-888-GO-4OOCH. The third option is online through Camp Oochigeas' website at: www.ooch.org/. Sore Feet? Sports Injury? Painful Ingrown Toenails? We can help! Routine foot care is important to your health nd well-being! Healthy feet are happy feet. Exceptional footcare for all ages. Rick Werkman, D.Ch., B.Sc. 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