The recipe for a good day at SIBSPlace included plenty of flour, sugar, teamwork and a dash of friendly competition, as more than 30 campers put their baking skills to the test during a summer bake-off.
The third- and fourth-grade campers known as “The Rexes” took home the Creative Commanders Award for their volcano-inspired creation, which featured a lava-shaped cake, dinosaur-shaped chocolate chip cookies and cupcakes.
The bake-off, held Aug. 5 as part of SIBSPlace’s summer camp program, gave campers the opportunity to step away from the stress they may experience at home and focus on something as simple as creating a tasty treat. With guidance from SIBSPlace staff and volunteers, the children received a variety of baking ingredients and worked in friendly competition to prepare brownies, cookies, cakes, cupcakes and other creations.
“Camp is one of the only places our kids get to set aside the weight of what’s happening at home,” said Joanna Formont, LMHC, executive director of SIBSPlace. “Between the mental health support and programming we provide throughout the summer, and days like the bake-off, campers build resilience while also just having fun.”
SIBSPlace supports children whose siblings or parents face cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The organization serves children whose parents often cannot devote their full attention to them because a family member requires ongoing medical care.
During the summer months, many of those children lose access to counseling and other support they receive during the school year. SIBSPlace provides counseling and prevention-based mental health programming through its summer camp, helping bridge that gap while giving children opportunities to connect, build resilience and enjoy being kids.
