Pictures from Fundraising!

Lots of stuff, eh??

Another great fundraising idea! A friend suggested a spaghetti dinner. Set a night and invite friends/neighbors to the dinner. Have your kids work as waiter or busboy or whatever needs to be done. I suggested that bunch of families get together to work together to figure out the logistics!

Be creative!

April Update

23 kids signed up. I have about 10 more kids whose applications I have not yet received. Have you checked MNKODA website? They got some neat events going on! Milwaukee carwash fundraising will be in May! If you want your kid to earn money through the car wash. Contact Janet Kunz at jkunz2@wi.rr.com for additional information. Madison carwash is still pending. Need to confirm a place. This is a great way to raise funds! Remember, anytime the kid do any type of fundraising in Wisconsin, all the funds go to pay for that child's camp, NOT for any other kids.

The cookie dough/pizza sale in March was very, very successful! Many thanks to Janet Kunz for coordinating this and to the families who have done their share. According to Janet, they were the top sellers! Since this was very successful, there is a plan to do it again next year but the fundraising will be in April, not February/March.

Dont forget to attend the KODA camping during the weekend of August 6th at the Mirror Lake State Park! I got my park sticker already! Did you??

WAD Conference is coming up in June. Plans are making to have some kind of KODA related activities there. Watch for additional information!

March Update

I am getting applications every week. The deadline is May 15th so I can have a good count of how many kids will be at the camp so we can have enough counselors. The ratio of counselors is 6 kids to one counselor. So far we have 17, this means 3 counselors.

The camp is waiting for us to stay with them. The staff are looking forward to work with us. No agenda have worked out yet. This year, the water park the kids are going to will be the Mount Olympus in Wisconsin Dells.

I contacted each state to find out if there is an organization that could help with financial aid. I am still searching for financial aids. Fundraising is very hard but it can be done. Wisconsin is planning to host two car washes, one in Milwaukee and one in Madison. This is a good fundraising and good for the kids to work together. All you need is at least 10 people to work with and a place to sponsor such as a gas station or a food store.

As always, I am here to help you.

Application Form

I have been trying to upload the application on this blogspot. I have not been successful with it. I will need to play with it a little more. In meantime, please contact me for the form at karen5d@yahoo.com. Thanks.

Mirror Lake State Park Camping

It is offical! The dates have been picked for the next WIKODA camping and it is August 6 to 10th!! Sarah and few others have reserved the campground #301, 302, 303 and 306 (I think) and that is limit to 80 people. Be sure to pay Sarah Peeks (peeks_05@yahoo.com) $3.00 per person asap. There is a waiting list but some people may back out. Check with Sarah!

For those who prefers popups or rv or other type of camping than tents, be sure to contact the Park directly yourself.

FundRaising Idea

Janet Kunz is helping to pass out information to parents who may be interested in doing fundraising to be able to afford the $800 to send their kid to the KODA Camp this year. This is a fun event and many of you are expert in this. Joe Corbis Company is the place where we sell their products. There are many good stuff in the catalog. I couldn't make copies of every page but you can go to their website, wwwjoecorbisdirect.com and get additional information or contact Janet Kunz to mail you the catalog. Her email is jkunz2@wi.rr.com or vp at 262-703-0556. Remember, the deadline is March 14th!!

WIKODA Bowling on Jan 31st

The event at the KingPin Bowling Alley in West Bend to raise funds for the WIKODAs was fun! It was great to see 20+ kids bowling for a cause! Pictures will be included at a later date. Eight six dollars was raised! Kudos to Denise Pribnow and Sarah Peeks for their hard work!

Next event?!! PLENTY! For sure, WAD conference on June 18th and 19th and WIKODA Camping from August 6th to 9th at the Mirror Lake State Park.

Donation/Sponsor Letter

Yikes, you think, $800 for my child to go to a KODA camp? You think it is not worth the cost to send the kid to the camp plus you have to think about the transportation, etc. I know! I agreed with you. I have five KODAs and when I sent my first one to a camp and she came home with such a positive attitude about deaf parents and their culture, especially sign language, I thought to myself, ALL KIDS SHOULD GO!! Ouch, it is expensive. Well, that is the cost to run the camp per kid. Many other day camps have already established many years of fundraising and have many backings. My job is to find any backing that would contribute to the camp every year.

So what should you do? I have talked to many other parents and they send out letters to any organizations, work places, church places or even your relatives and your relatives' contacts. One KODA was able to raise funds from her relatives. One KODA was able to raise funds from church group. There are plenty possibilities but you must do it yourself, actually a KODA should do it. A ten dollar times 80 contacts bring in $800 easily!

Need a sample letter? Sure, I have included it at the bottom. Change it to fit your needs. Make it personal, write it to say why it is so important for KODA to go. You need to do it now to give supporters time to have their meetings, time to get funds. Be sure to followup with a thank you note! It also doesnt hurt to followup to see if they have received your letter if you have not heard from them within reasonable amount of time.

SAMPLE Letter:

I am xx years old and my brother is xx years old, we are requesting monetary donation to help our parents to send us to a camp called KODA camp this summer. It will be at the MacKenzie Center of Poynette, Wisconsin. It is the only one of the handful camps in the United States that are especially designed for children of deaf parent(s).

Here is the Midwest KODA camp information at www.wikoda.blogspot.com.

We really would like to attend this camp. It cost $800 per person for two weeks. We want to learn how to feel comfortable having deaf parent(s) as well as to share experiences with other children of deaf parents similar to us. The deadline for signing up for the camp is May15th, 2009.

We appreciate any monetary donations you can give to us. Thank you very much for your considerations. Here is our home address, .............

Thank you.

Both kids sign

Good luck! Be sure to sign up your kid now! If you have any questions, please do contact me.

Camp July 19th - August 1st

It will be the second year for Wisconsin to host the camp! I will post more information later when I get additional information such as how to raise funds with fundraising ideas! Stay tuned!

We are in the newspapers!

Check it out!

http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/local/301109


Last Saturday some of the kids got together for a mini KODA reunion at the 4 Deaf Clubs Picnic in Darien, WI. It was fun for them and unfortunately, some kids that were there did not stay long for photo session.

Enjoy!

Thank you Bert, Shaun, Ty, Barissa and Arianna

Kids' final thoughts on August 1st. Enjoy the clip! I will work on finishing the 2 hours taping of the closing ceremony and share with you. I am checking out ways on how to share it.

Pictures from the KODA Camp

Here is the group of 23 kids! The second photo shows four counselors on the left. On the right are kids. The last two pics are of kids doing team building!

KODA Camp - Midwest Started!

The camp have started! There are 23 kids all together more girls than boys! Otherwise, everything is going great and the pictures will be uploaded soon or I may have a link set up.

Pictures of the Campground

As you drive down the long driveway to the residential center, you will see on your right, the field where the Game Farm raised pheasants for hunting.

Picture shows the entrance to the campground. It is still Wisconsin and yes we still got SNOW!! Been a recording breaking winter for snow! 100 inches!! If you look carefully in the end of the walkway, you can see the building which is called the Great Hall where most of the activities will be held.

This is the great hall where the kids will eat and play. If you go further inside, there is a fireplace with seatings, and another big room and a class room. On the right, is a kitchen.

This is one of the two cabins.

What is Like to be in Wisconsin?! FAQs

Questions and Answers Time!

What is weather like in Wisconsin in July?!
HOT! Weather can be fickle! I would dress as if it is 90 degrees and humid as well as if it is low 60s. Be sure to pack long pants, long sleeves, sweatshirts, as well as short pants and short sleeves and swimming suits!! Mosquitoes are not that BIG but they do BITE! Send along a can of mosquito spray or wipes. Also, sun lotion is very important too!

If I want to fly my kid, where is the closest airport?
Madison is the closest, about 20 minutes away. Milwaukee is almost 1 1/2hours away. Chicago is cheapest but further away. If you do choose to fly your kid to Chicago, make sure to let the staff know what time of arrival (preferably between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.). Someone will be in Chicago to pick up your kid and bring the kid to the camp. This will cost about $53 round trip. It goes the same for Milwaukee airport and Madison airport. An email will be send to the parents confirming the pickup. Kids are very precious to us!

What kind of bedding is available?
Every kid must bring their own sleeping bag and a pillow or two. Each cabin have 8 bunk beds. There are 4 cabins.

How much cash should a kid bring?
It depends what you will let kid to buy. To be safe, $100 is a good bet. There is a soda machine at the camp. We will travel to Mount Olympus (Wi Dells), and kids may want to spend on souvenirs, fun food, candy, and locker storage if needed. On registration day, each camper's money is turned over to the office manager for safekeeping. Money can be withdrawn certain hours daily. It is preferable that the parents bring $100 in increments of ones, fives and tens.

Mount Olympus looks huge, will the kid be safe there?
Yes, the park is huge. It has rides, waterpark and things to do. However, every safety measurements will be taken such as have a buddy system and head count at certain times and each counselor will be responsible for their own group. Each counselor have 6 kids.

What should my kid pack?
The kid should pack enough clothes for two weeks. There is a washing machine and a dryer at the camp if kids need their clothes to be wash. Packing jewelry is not recommended. Pack some fun and wacky clothes for one night of dressup such as wild scarf, weird dress, weird tie, etc. Each kid should bring their own shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, body soap, shaving cream, brush, hairspray, personal items, etc. We do not encourage "sharing" the products. A camera is a must and so is flashlight!

Is there a medical staff on site?
By law, the camp is required to have a staff with certification in the first aid and certified CPR on site 24/7. Be sure to list any possible medical condition the child may have so the staff is prepared.

What kind of sports are there on the campground?
Many! There is a softball field and a volleyball court. It would be a good idea if your kid brings his or her own baseball glove. The center is over 200 acres and there are several nature walks, rehabilitation center and museums.

Could I call my kid?
Parents are welcome to email me at karen5d@yahoo.com or vp at 608-234-5049 to check on the wellbeing of your kid. Kids are allow to email their parents via email. Bert Pickell will make these kind of arrangements. There is no videophone on site, the kids will be too busy to call home. I will email every parent almost daily with updates.

What is the schedule for two weeks?
I dont know. Even if this is my second year, I still don't know. The first Sunday is registration day starting at one, all staffs will be busy with registrations as well as meeting kids. Generally, every day will be different. A trip to Mount Olympus may be on Wednesday, first week. It will not be on the weekend as it is crowded there. During the second week, there will be a trip to a local swimming hole. Usually, every night, the kids spend time around the campfire. I have heard it is a very special time for them. Bert Pickell is a very experienced counselor, having done this for eleven years already. Everyday, there will be teambuilding activities, arts/crafts, as well as other activities that I dont know about! August 1st is the last day, and all kids should be off the campground by noon (12:00) so the campground can be clean for the next group. But be prepared for the kids to drag their feet!! It might take you two hours to leave!

What is the Parents' Night?
What a treat! It is on the last Friday night (July 31st). The kids put on a play for the parents. It is very special to watch them. I recommended all parents to come if possible. Plan to come around 4 p.m., eat supper with your kids. Watch your kids at the show. During the time when kids say their final goodbyes at the campfire (parents are NOT allow there), the parents will get together to talk about parenting issues as well as any other ideas, etc. Parents are welcome to stay overnight at the cabins so bring your own sleeping bags and pillows. Space will be limit this year compared to last year, so let me know if you plan to do that! There is a motel in town (about two miles away), however, it is small, I think about 10 rooms.

Any other questions? Feel free to ask!

What is KODA Camp? How Can You Help?

This six minutes long will talk about how and why I am doing the KODA Camp here in Wisconsin. Please do email me at karen5d@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Subscribing

I tried not to have a mailing list to mail out updates. It is time consuming especially when I am maintaining a blog. It is almost like a double information so please do subscribe to this blog. I believe the link is at the bottom and you will get notification when this blog is updated. I am not sure if I got that right, please let me know if it is not working. I am worried that other parents would not know about this blog and with email system they would have not know the past history. So to be fair for everyone, I will keep all the information on this blog.

For those who have not gotten the email announcement from me, I have included in here.

"As some of you know, I have been working on establishing a camp for KODAs in Wisconsin. I met with Bert Pickell who is the director of the KODA Camp nationwide during the last week of December as well as with the camp people at the MacKenzie Center, going over fine details.

I am thrilled to let you know that YES, there will be a KODA camp in Wisconsin. The dates are July 20th to Aug 2nd, 2008. Price for each kid? Sigh, that is being still worked on. I am afraid that it might be $800. Never fear, I am trying to find donations to help kids to come to the camp. It will be a good idea for you to send in $200 to hold a spot for your kid and start sending letters requesting donations. A parent did that last year and was very successful. If she can do it, so can you! It is open to any KODA from anywhere, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, etc. The age group is 9 - 16.

Be sure to check www.wikoda.blogspot.com for update information. I try to update it monthly. I am trying to figure out how to add "RSS". This tool will let you sign up and get alerts everytime it is being updated instead of going there all the times and find that it is not updated.

My next step is to find someone to volunteer to work in kitchen. I need at least two volunteers a day to take care of meals all day. I am also looking for a chef, altho I am working with one person. He has not yet decided if he wants to do it or not. I am also looking for a nurse to be on site 24/7! If you know of a CODA who is RN, please let me know!

Fundraising plans are in the works. More details later.

Please, please pass this email on to other parents that are not on this list. I know there are alot out there!

Thank you and Happy New Year!"

Welcome!

To this blog. I hope you, as a parent will find this a good tool and a good information to get together with other parents!

Part 3

Part 2