Bake Sale Helps Local Camp for Those with Sickle Cell

Bake Sale Benefit Fundraiser for Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California on 4/30/11 Los Angeles, California – April 29, 2011- A bake sale being hosted by 10 local children from various public and private schools around Los Angeles – Carpenter Community Charter, Oakwood, and The Curtis School - will raise funds for Camp Crescent Moon.  The event will be held on Saturday, April 30 2011 from 1-4pm in Studio City.  

In operation for 44 years, Camp Crescent Moon is a medically supervised camp provided free-of-charge by SCDFC, for kids ages 8-14 with sickle cell disease.  The students joined together to raise money after learning about the disease in class and discovering that the camp, which services primarily low income kids with the illness, was at risk of closing due to rising costs and the on-going economic crisis.  Sickle cell is an inherited blood disease which causes severe pain, damage to vital organs and for some, death in childhood or early adulthood. 

There is no cure, but treatments and appropriate medical care can improve survival and the quality of life for those with the disease.  Camp Crescent Moon was one of the first camps of its kind in the nation and has continued to be a model for other special needs camps. 

However, the SCDFC has experienced drastic reductions in donations by the general public, the organization’s largest supporter. In addition, with the cuts in other programs and services provided by national, state and local government, the SCDFC has had a 76% increase in requests for assistance while experiencing a 78% decrease in donations.  

Now for the first time in almost half a century, camp is at risk due to lack of sponsorship. SCDFC has been serving the needs of the local community since 1957, educating, screening and counseling those with sickle cell disease and other hemoglobin disorders.  In addition to camp, the SCDFC provides a variety of program services and activities in California that assist individuals and their families in coping daily with this chronic illness including pain education programs, support programs and educational resources.  

The kid hosted bake sale will be held on Saturday, April 30^th from 1-4pm at 4256 Kraft Avenue, on the corner of Kraft and Valley Spring Lane, in Studio City.  In addition to the cookie sale, they will screen of a recent documentary featuring the camp, One Little Difference, which was produced last year by local college student filmmakers who volunteered at the camp. For more on SCDFC and Camp Crescent Moon, visit www.scdfc.org.  For additional information, contact D. Jefferson at dcjefferson@aol.com.     

Contact:
Mary E. Brown
President & CEO
Sickle Cell Disease Foundation of California5777 West Century Boulevard, Suite 1230Los Angeles, California 90045
Phone (310) 693-0247Fax (310) 696-0266

www.scdfc.org

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