Founded in 1984, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta was established through the efforts of Ted and Debby Kessler to recreate the mind and body healing experiences their son Todd, had received at a cancer camp in New York State. At the very beginning Camp was just a great idea without a name. While in the Pediatric Oncology Unit at the hospital discussing the possibility of a camp where "kids with cancer" can just be "kids", one of the children still too young to attend exclaimed in frustration "but I want a camp to come ta!". The name was perfect, and eventually she did get her "Camp Ta-Kum-Ta". Today, she is one of the many survivors volunteering on staff!

 Each year Camp Ta-Kum-Ta tries to squeeze in as many life experiences and memories as possible into one magical week. Along with traditional camp activities such as swimming, athletics, ropes course, and arts & crafts, Ta-Kum-Ta offers once-in-a-lifetime opportunities such as rock climbing expeditions, hot-air balloon rides, formal dances, and lake cruises. For 24 years Camp Ta-Kum-Ta took place in August at Camp Holy Cross on the shores of Malletts Bay, Lake Champlain in Colchester, Vermont.

In early 2008 the T-K-T Board of Directors learned that the facility would no longer be made available as a campsite. A search began for a new, permanent home. In August of 2008, it was announced that Camp Ta-Kum-Ta would move to the former Willey Farm in the Town of South Hero, Vermont in the Lake Champlain Islands. There, a new camp is being built from scratch. Although told by many that Vermont just wasn't big enough to sustain such a camp, Ted and Debby went ahead with it anyway. Thanks to the support of the community, some 120 staff volunteers, and leadership from a seven member Board of Directors, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta has expanded from it's one week summer camp to offering programs year round. Camp Ta-Kum-Ta is independent and self-sustaining, financed completely through private donations and fundraising. With an all-volunteer staff of 70, Camp Ta-Kum-Ta accepts all of its children tuition-free.

Mountain Rottie Rescue

Some of our dogs are owner surrenders , but most of our dogs come from kill shelters in The New York State area. We also pull dogs from out-of-state shelters, such as Virginia , Arkansas, Alabama and Georgia, where the Gas Box is still used to euthanize dogs.

Some of our dogs are cruelty cases & come from abusive pasts. We offer rehabilitation & training to these dogs and have successfully placed most of our cruelty cases into loving new homes. All of our our dogs are temperament tested before acceptance into our program. Our members consist of certified dog trainers, experienced animal handlers & experienced rottweiler owners.

Any dog adopted from Mountain Rottie Rescue of New York has been fostered in a home prior to adoption. All of our Dogs are up to date on vaccines, heartworm tested and on prevention, spayed /neutered, micro-chipped & activated. Mountain Rottie Rescue adopts out to the following locations: NY,NJ,VT,CT, parts of PA & Western Mass. We also adopt out to other neighboring states based on volunteer availability so please contact us to see if we cover your area! 

Travis Roy Foundation

The Travis Roy Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the life of individuals with spinal cord injuries and their families by providing adaptive equipment and to finding a cure through increased funding of research, resulting in self-reliance and the ability to be as independent as possible.

It's amazing how the little things in life are so precious when they are not so easy to accomplish. When you have a spinal cord injury, it has an impact on every aspect of your life - from your emotions to your finances. A portion of the money raised by the Travis Roy Foundation goes toward individual grant funds to purchase adaptive equipment to help paraplegics and quadriplegics live their lives.

For someone with a spinal cord injury, having the right wheelchair can mean the difference between feeling helplessly insufficient and being independent. You're not just helping the recipient. You also relieve some of the physical and emotional strain on family and friends. It is the wish of every paralyzed person that one day their wheelchair will no longer be needed.

The Travis Roy Foundation has awarded more than a million dollars in research grants. For researchers and scientists the most important question is basic: How can an injured spinal cord be regenerated? Researchers are working tirelessly to determine how cells in the central nervous system communicate with one another, but the research is expensive and a cure is likely still years away. The more money we raise, the sooner a cure will be found.