Mississippi State University is participating in a national voting campaign that would give the university a chapter of Camp Kesem this fall.

Founded at Stanford University in 2000, Camp Kesem is the flagship program of Los Angeles-based Kesem, a nationwide community of passionate college student leaders driven to support children age 6 to 18 with a parent who has been impacted by cancer.

As part of Camp Kesem’s “Chapter Expansion Campaign,” students, faculty, staff and the general public will be able to vote once daily from Jan. 28-Feb. 1 at http://vote.campkesem.org. Up to six new Camp Kesem chapters will be selected from the 13 finalists. Winners will be announced Feb. 6.

Through its free, weeklong summer camps funded by individual donations and corporate support, Kesem provides a network of supportive peers who understand children’s specific needs and are committed to helping them build confidence and strong communication skills.

In 2017, more than 7,300 children attended Camp Kesem—a 20 percent increase from 2016—but waiting lists for many chapters grew last summer. In 2018, nearly 9,000 children participated in the camp experience, through the efforts of more than 5,000 college student leaders at more than 110 chapters.

“The demand for more Camp Kesem chapters nationally is phenomenal,” said Susan Brooks, business manager for MSU’s Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and chair of MSU’s Staff Council. “With more than 5 million children in the U.S. impacted by a parent’s cancer, Kesem needs to continue expanding to support more children.”

For more information on the MSU campaign, follow on Twitter @CampKesem_msstate using hashtag #GiveMSKidsKesem or email campkesem.msstate@gmail.com. Brooks also can be contacted at 662-325-0731 or seb284@msstate.edu.