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| Contributed photo Louis and Annette Roy |
With Black Friday behind us, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season fully under way, it’s so easy to get wrapped up in all the hoopla of the holiday season and stressing completely out about getting everything done on all of your never ending to-do lists.
But most importantly, the Christmas holiday is a time for giving and cherished family traditions and what better way to celebrate family and the season than honoring your loved ones.
Last year, one local family’s holiday tradition of giving not only honored their loved ones, but their generous gift helped to make Camp Adventure, a week-long summer camp for teens with Type I diabetes, a reality.
Rather than exchanging gifts each year, Anita (Roy) Dickinson’s family, all 25 of them, gather monetary donations with the intent to donate the money to a charitable cause. Then, a family member is chosen to pick the charity. Anita was the recipient of the Roy family’s traditional Christmas cash last year and decided to generously donate the Christmas funds, along with a personal donation, to purchase a leaf on the Jefferson Cary Foundation Tree of Life.
The Tree of Life adorns a prominent spot in the Cary Medical Center entrance and provides a permanent record of the philanthropy of those who have contributed to the foundation. A donation of $1,000 to the Foundation’s memorial fund, annual appeal, or endowment, is commemorated by the placement of a leaf, with the donor’s name inscribed, on the tree. This donation may be a one-time contribution, or a donor may contribute over a period of time. The primary purpose of the Jefferson Cary Foundation is to establish a permanent fund to generate income to support the expansion of services, purchase new technology, and fund special projects at the hospital.
Anita, and with the rest of the Roy family, chose to designate their Tree of Life donation in honor and memory of their parents, Louis and Annette Roy, to Cary Medical Center’s Camp Adventure. Camp Adventure is an annual summer camp for teens with Type I diabetes. The week-long camp is held annually in June, with the goal of providing a safe, exciting and fun experience for teens living with diabetes and conquering its challenges. Under the supervision of physicians, nurses, diabetes educators, dieticians, registered Maine guides and Maine game wardens, campers participate in a variety of activities including hiking, camping, canoeing, biking, swimming, and waterskiing.
“When my children were young, they were fortunate to have been given a scholarship to be able to attend a diabetic camp and it was such a positive experience,” Anita explained. “We were happy to be able to give something back so that other children could have the same experience, and, honoring our parents with a leaf on the Tree of Life made it just that more special.”
Family members contributing to the generous donation included the families of Bob and Alice Roy; Greg and Anita Dickinson; Roger and Mona Roy; Rose and Edgar Morin; Rita Roy, Bern and George Albert and Sister Jeanette Roy.
The holidays bring the joy and magic of the season, the fellowship of family and friends and many stories of giving and generosity happening all around us. As you celebrate the holidays this year, take time to witness and think about the miracles brought about with love, caring and selflessness, because of people celebrating the true spirit and meaning of Christmas. After all, we all know that the best gifts are tied with heartstrings.
