Weather and Economic Woes Hit Opening Family Weekend

Board Redirects Efforts to Help Families in the Area 

2008 has gotten off to a difficult start for O’Leary’s Clover Farm. After a challenging year of fundraising we were very excited to open our doors to families in February for the Kick Off Family Weekend.  However, Mother Nature had other ideas.  With families, volunteers and medical staff traveling from all over the Mid Atlantic, the resort was at the heart of a very nasty ice storm.  After one foot of snow on top of a ¼ inch of ice hit the night scheduled for registration it was clear that we had made the right decision to postpone the weekend and keep everyone off the roads and safe in their own homes. 

Unfortunately, the weather was not the only thing working against us this year.  With the economic troubles our nation is facing, many Diabetic Camps and Family Weekends are reporting extremely low enrollment.  The ADA canceled a family weekend in November of 2007 and Setebaid Services, the organization who markets and operates our camp, has struggled to maintain minimum levels of campers at its other winter and spring events.  We too had lower than anticipated turnout, even after a second round of aggressive marketing from Pittsburgh, to Philly, and South into Maryland, DC and Virginia.  While we were only at half the enrollment we anticipated for a first time event, the shocking news came in the numbers of families in need of Financial Aid in order to attend.  Over 80% of the families who enrolled qualified for Financial Aid when comparing income to poverty levels established by states.

After meetings with Setebaid Services and a heartfelt discussion within the Board of O’Leary’s Clover Farm it became obvious the financial risk of opening a camp in the current economic conditions was too large to precede with rescheduling our event.  Rather, the Board committed to re-directing our funds to Immediately help the families who wish to attend established Educational Family Weekends or to send their child to a Diabetic Summer  Camp but cannot afford to do so.  O’Leary’s Clover Farm will also look at ways to support existing camps by expanding their programs with activities such as art, archery, photography and music-in honor of Danny O’Leary.   While the Board is still exploring ways to proceed with establishing a camp program, they are pleased to be able to move forward from a strictly fundraising mode to begin the work we set out to do a few years back- help improve the lives of children living with diabetes.