Chai Lifeline

http://www.chailifeline.org https://www.facebook.com/chailifelinepage

Chai Lifeline is a New York City volunteer-based501(c)(3) non-profit organization that primarily works with children battling cancer. It has multiple regional offices in the United States as well as affiliates in Canada, England, Israel, and Belgium. Founded in 1987 and currently headed by Rabbi Simcha Scholar, Chai Lifeline was primarily a cancer support organization that mushroomed into an umbrella organization which carries the motto Fighting Illness With Love. A widely acclaimed project is its pilot program Camp Simcha, a summer camp for children battling cancer and other hematological illnesses. Camp Simcha has since expanded and opened a second branch, Camp Simcha Special, for children with debilitating chronic conditions. Another program they initiated is the Project C.H.A.I. Crisis Intervention program. This program ensures that children, their parents, teachers, clergy and communities can properly deal with traumatic events, often partnering with organizations such as Jewish Family & Children's Service of Arizona's Aleinu program and Misaskim. Chai Lifeline is funded by Jewish philanthropists and other fundraising receptions. They also receive government funding and grants.

Camp Simcha is a 125-acre (0.51 km²) campus located in Glen Spey, NY. NY that offers children with cancer ages 5–20 an unforgettable experience to forget about their illnesses for a while. Campers enjoy traditional camp activities, including mini-golf, pottery, crafts workshops, modified sports, color war, and talent shows. Special events include: helicopter rides, concerts, and interactive games and shows. There's also an on-site arcade, computer-games center, library, and screening room. A magnificent pool with innovative ramp and water-submersible wheelchairs enables that every child can go swimming. A waterfront boasts the Chai Seas motorboat, a pontoon boat capable of holding an entire bunk, including wheelchair-dependent children, paddle and bumper boats.[13][14]

On July 18, 2011 Camp Simcha set the official Guinness World Records™ entry for the longest awareness ribbon with a 1,340-foot gold-colored ribbon to generate pediatric cancer awareness.[16][17][18][19]

It maintains a website at http://campsimcha.org launched in June 2010.[20]