Imagine a place where children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses and ongoing medical problems can escape the clinical setting and learn a new skill, grow, have fun and enjoy excitement and feel empowered in the outdoors in a safe environment.  These past months Cal’s Angels has provided that and so much more.

The first phase occurred this past August, Cal’s All-Star Angel Foundation partnered with The Road Less Traveled (www.theroadlesstraveled.com) to offer teen cancer survivors from Chicago the opportunity to travel to Devils Lake Wisconsin for a weekend of fresh air, blue skies and outdoor adventure camping beneath the stars. They hiked forest trails, rockclimbed sandstone cliffs, kayaked sparkling waters and road through the Upper Dells waterway exploring some of the tallest rock formations in the region.  Between early morning adventures and evenings around the campfire with s’mores and ghost stories, the young people whose lives have been a series of medical procedures and hospital stays were transformed into just "kids.”   They had a chance to be with peers coping with similar illnesses and realized that they are not alone. They developed special relationships with one another and with their counselors and the only prescription they had to worry about was having fun.  Empowered to do things they never dreamed they could possibly do, we witnessed a transformation of spirit, infused with accomplishment at every turn, all with the simple gift of freedom that Cal’s provided to be just a kid in the outdoors – without a diagnosis.

The gifts of the Cal’s program reached beyond the young people to their families. Given a well needed respite from the oftentimes overwhelming emotional, physical and psychological demands of dealing with a life threatening illness, parents were grateful and appreciative to have a moment to care for themselves -- if only for a short time -- so they could be the best possible caregivers for their children upon their return on Sunday night.  We witnessed the miracle of a mere 48 hours.  For most, it was as simple as a good night’s sleep knowing their child was in safe hands having fun outdoors being a kid.

Since August, the group has gathered once again for a beautiful fall day biking the Kal-Haven trail and sailing in Lake Michigan in South Haven and other activities are being planned throughout the year.

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