Pickleball Event at Tascosa Golf Club: Camp Alphie, a non-profit organization, offers more than just a summer escape for children diagnosed with cancer; it provides a space for healing and camaraderie. By bringing together children who share similar battles, the camp allows them to bond, heal, and find strength in each other.
“The whole idea behind Camp Alphie is for kids to just play with other kids who’ve had cancer, been through similar experiences as them, and just to kind of be able to heal from this, you know, horrible disease.” – (Camp Alphie board member Montana O’Dell)
Pickleball and Healing: A Special Event for Campers
Today, Camp Alphie held a special pickleball event at the Tascosa Golf Club as part of its ongoing efforts to create enjoyable and healing experiences for the campers.
“September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, and so we just put on an event today for the kids to come out here at Tascosa Golf Club just to play pickleball because we’re exposing the kids to pickleball. And we’re also going to have a pickleball tournament on Oct. 19.” – (O’Dell)
The event is another step in offering new activities to the children, fostering physical strength and emotional resilience.
From Camper to Advocate: Montana O’Dell’s Journey
Montana O’Dell knows the importance of Camp Alphie firsthand. Having been a camper herself, she reflects on how the camp helped her during her battle with cancer.
“In 98, I was just a kid going through chemotherapy, bald, and my mom dropped me off there at camp. I was just around a bunch of other kids who had cancer or survived cancer, and it just gave me the willpower, the determination, the motivation to keep on fighting.” – (O’Dell)
Her personal experience fuels her dedication to the camp, helping to provide current campers with the same hope she once found.
A Mother’s Love and Legacy: Lucy Hernandez’s Story
For Lucy Hernandez, the Vice President of Camp Alphie, her connection to the camp is deeply personal. Her daughter, who battled leukemia, found joy and comfort at Camp Alphie, even during treatment.
“My daughter loved every minute of camp. Actually, in the middle of the camp, she had to go to a hospital to get chemo. I remember I showed up at the hospital. She’s like, ‘What are you doing here? I’m going back tonight. We’re having a dance.’” – (Hernandez)
Though Hernandez’s daughter passed away after attending camp for a year, her legacy lives on. Now, Hernandez finds solace in seeing her daughter’s spirit in the campers she helps today.
“It’s just when you see these kids just having fun, just to think that they’re trying to forget about the hospital stays. By comforting them, by hugging them, I feel like I can give that love to my daughter again.” – (Hernandez)
News in Brief: Pickleball Event at Tascosa Golf Club
Camp Alphie, a non-profit dedicated to children battling cancer, hosted a special pickleball event at Tascosa Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas, to raise awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The camp provides a supportive environment where children with cancer can bond and heal.
Montana O’Dell, a former camper and current board member, shared her story of how the camp helped her through chemotherapy. Vice President Lucy Hernandez also reflected on her daughter’s experience at Camp Alphie before her passing, noting the joy the camp brought her. A pickleball tournament is planned for October 19.
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