A portion of the proceeds raised during the Comcast Film Festival Benefiting NIH Children’s Charities supports the three NIH Children’s Charities:
» The Children’s Inn, a 55-room facility housing about 1,500 children each year.
» The Special Love Camp near Front Royal, Va., which offers outdoor sports year-round to children ages 7 to 17.
» The Friends of the Clinical Center, which provides emergency finances for the parents who give up their jobs to stay with a child undergoing treatment.
Everyone touched by NIH Children’s Charities has a favorite story.
Tim Gallant, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age 6, exemplifies many who have benefited from the program. A graduate of Elon College with a degree in sports management, he is now on the staff of the Washington Mystics, the WNBA team, where he is involved in sales and service and seeks innovative ways of bringing in sponsors to make a team successful.
NIH Charities is never far from his mind.
On Tuesday, children from NIH Charities attended a Mystics game at the Verizon Center and afterward were invited onto the court to practice free throws with star player Alana Beard. Although his job keeps him busy, Gallant is so enthusiastic about Special Love’s Camp Fantastic, he volunteers there on weekends.
“It’s a wonderful place where the cancer patients in remission and those going through treatment are encouraged to bring along their brothers and sisters and best friends,” he says. “I’ve loved sports all my life, so when I attended I entered into all the camp activities and discovered how important it is to be with others who know what you’re going through.
“Every weekend throughout the year is themed, like the teen ski weekend and the Oktoberfest weekend with a big parade through the town. There are hay rides, games, sports and campfires like other camps, and the bonding with others is uplifting and fun. The people there are the most caring I’ve known and they taught me to hang tough. It’s a unique opportunity to learn about yourself, your friends and your family that makes you stronger.”
