“WANDER-thon” at the Christopher Farm & Gardens (Part 1 of ?)

“WANDER-thon” at the Christopher Farm & Gardens (Part 1 of ?)

NOTE: To read this article with related photos, click on the PDF at the bottom of the page.

The First Annual WANDER-thon held on August 19th and 20th at the Christopher Farm & Gardens benefiting SCCCF was a WANDER-ful success!

There were simply too many great experiences and stories to share in just one issue of this Local Cancer Community Update... so I plan to share at least one story in each issue for however long it takes and welcome other WANDER-thon participants to submit their stories and photos as well!

The WANDER-thon Flame at the Schell House Firepit!

We kicked the event off at 2PM on Friday with an Opening Ceremony that included the lighting of the WANDER-thon Flame at the Schell House firepit.

See attached PDF for photo submitted by Kathy Burch: Cancer Survivor and WANDER-thon Committee Member Lenny Bogenschutz lights the WANDER-thon Flame! Lenny would be the “Keeper of the Flame” to ensure the flame stayed lit throughout the 24-hour event!

The Schell House firepit was the primary gathering place for many of the activities throughout the event as well as an ideal location to relax and share a few stories between activities.

See attached PDF for photo: WANDER-thon participants relax on Friday evening after “WANDERING the WANDER-ful Gardens”!

See attached PDF for photo: The forecast leading up to the event was less-than-ideal, showing significant chance of rain almost throughout. But the weather was almost perfect (except for about an hour of rain in the wee hours of the morning while all but a select few were sleeping) and we were greeted with a beautiful and sunny morning!

See attached PDF for photo: The Schell House and the surrounding area provided a perfect picturesque location with the sounds of Lake Michigan waves along the shoreline below!

See attached PDF for photo: Cancer survivor and adventurer Leah Heusterberg submitted the photo at left along with the description, “Possibly the most immaculate campsite I’ve had thus far!”

See attached PDF for photo: There was ample space for about a dozen overnight campers to set up their tents for the night!

While many of the overnight participants enjoyed the ideal camping location of the property surrounding the Schell House, some fortunate participants enjoyed sharing the luxuriously comfortable accommodations of the Schell Guest House which included four spacious bedrooms, two baths, a large open layout with a kitchen, dining area, spacious sitting area with television, and a family area with couches in the lower level. The Schell House also has a beautiful wrap around deck that overlooks Lake Michigan and, as illustrated in the next photo, a fantastic location for an early-morning yoga session!

Yes, there were plenty opportunities to rest, relax, and connect with other WANDER-thon participants as well nature throughout this event. But there were also lots of activities throughout the 24-hour period. I’ll share stories about some of those activities in the next issue of this Update.

Special thanks to Lenny Bogenschutz, pictured above (center) with his daughter Jeanna (right) and son-in-law Josh (left) who kept the WANDER-thon flame burning brightly for 24-hours!

This was a fundraising event for SCCCF! Watch for a fundraising total! To see more photos and comments from this unique event, visit the SCCCF website photo page (www.scccf.org/contests)!

See details about our next scheduled visit to the Christopher Farm & Gardens on Sunday, September 18th!

Consider joining us at our September TLC Survivorship Session on Tuesday, September 20th for a session titled, “What I Did on My Summer Vacation.” Included will be stories and photos of the WANDER-thon along with the opportunity to connect with area cancer patients/ survivors and co-survivors. Join us beforehand or stick around afterwards for a Survivorship Can Be Fun Game Gathering! See attached flyer for details.

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