April 27, 2007                                         

Decatur Club Fundraiser to Benefit Camp COCO

The Decatur Breakfast Optimist Club is sponsoring a fundraiser to benefit Camp COCO on Saturday, May 12.  “Rockin’ the House” is set for 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur.  The funds will go to Camp COCO, a summer camp for children with cancer, sponsored by Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

Entertainment will be provided by Rock-of-Ages, picked as best local band by Decatur Herald & Review readers in 2004 and 2005.  The cost to attend the event is $25 per person.  Dress is casual.  Hors d’oeuvres will be served and a cash bar will be available.  There will be a 50/50 drawing and a silent auction.

Camp COCO, a one-week camp for children with cancer and other blood disorders, hosted 119 children from 59 towns in central Illinois last July.  This year’s camp is July 8-13 at Timber Pointe Outdoor Center in Bloomington.  Camp COCO is headed by Dr. Gregory Brandt, assistant professor of pediatrics and director of pediatric hematology and oncology at SIU School of Medicine.

The campers spend the week enjoying typical camping activities: fishing, boating, swimming, horseback riding, hiking, arts and crafts and singing around the campfire.  They also receive special attention from SIU’s pediatric staff, several of whom spend the week providing medical care and getting to know their patients better.  Its Web site is www.siumed.edu/foundation/campcoco.htm.

For more information about the fundraiser, contact the SIU Foundation Office in Springfield, 217-545-9402, or Steve Caldwell of Decatur, who organized the event, 217-720-3861.

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