As a young camper, Thomas Mould didn’t want to leave camp when the summer ended. Decades later when he returned with his daughter, he felt the same way.
3 min. read
Thomas Mould (Sparkey) and his daughter.
Thomas Mould was 10 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer. When he attended the Canadian Cancer Society’s (CCS) Camp Goodtimes for the first time in 1987, during the camp’s early years, he gained the camp name Sparkey – and so much more.
“Kids lose some of their youth dealing with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis,” he says today. “But at Camp Goodtimes, cancer was never the focus – instead I got to just be a kid. What I remember most was how much I wanted to stay when it was time to leave.”
“Kids lose some of their youth dealing with the trauma of a cancer diagnosis,” he says today. “But at Camp Goodtimes, cancer was never the focus – instead I got to just be a kid. What I remember most was how much I wanted to stay when it was time to leave.”
Sparkey at Camp Goodtimes as a camper
This summer, Camp Goodtimes will celebrate 40 years of offering an extraordinary camp experience for children and youth affected by cancer, like Sparkey. Since its beginning, camp has grown from hosting 46 kids during its first summer, to providing more than 1,100 camp experiences to children, teens, and family members across Canada annually.
Sparkey always knew he’d return to Camp Goodtimes so when his daughter, Olivia, became old enough to volunteer with him, he applied to become a Camp Goodtimes counsellor.
“I couldn’t believe it when Dad said he was going back,” recalls Olivia. “I had heard so much about Camp Goodtimes. When he asked me to volunteer with him, I told him he couldn’t go without me!”
Sparkey always knew he’d return to Camp Goodtimes so when his daughter, Olivia, became old enough to volunteer with him, he applied to become a Camp Goodtimes counsellor.
“I couldn’t believe it when Dad said he was going back,” recalls Olivia. “I had heard so much about Camp Goodtimes. When he asked me to volunteer with him, I told him he couldn’t go without me!”
Sparkey and his daughter Olivia at Camp Goodtimes
Seeing the impact the camp experience still has on kids today has been life-changing for both Sparkey and Olivia.
“To be at Camp Goodtimes, in a different role, together with Olivia, has been an amazing experience,” explains Sparkey.
“Being a part of the kids’ smiles and laughter – and seeing their transformations over the week – is what it’s all about. We both cried the first time we pulled away to drive home at the end of the week. I recognized that feeling from when I was a kid of wanting to go right back.”
Looking forward to going back and never wanting to leave Camp Goodtimes is a feeling Sparkey has passed onto the next generation. Next year, Sparkey’s youngest daughter will also be old enough to join camp as a volunteer. Their family looks forward to Camp Goodtimes continuing to be the backdrop of new family memories.
“Camp is what I look forward to all summer,” says Olivia. “It’s changed my life seeing the resilience of these campers, and understanding my Dad was just like them. It’s so heartwarming to think of the history of Camp Goodtimes and how many lives it has made better.”
Learn more about how CCS supports children, youth and families affected by cancer, and make a donation to camp programs today.
“To be at Camp Goodtimes, in a different role, together with Olivia, has been an amazing experience,” explains Sparkey.
“Being a part of the kids’ smiles and laughter – and seeing their transformations over the week – is what it’s all about. We both cried the first time we pulled away to drive home at the end of the week. I recognized that feeling from when I was a kid of wanting to go right back.”
Looking forward to going back and never wanting to leave Camp Goodtimes is a feeling Sparkey has passed onto the next generation. Next year, Sparkey’s youngest daughter will also be old enough to join camp as a volunteer. Their family looks forward to Camp Goodtimes continuing to be the backdrop of new family memories.
“Camp is what I look forward to all summer,” says Olivia. “It’s changed my life seeing the resilience of these campers, and understanding my Dad was just like them. It’s so heartwarming to think of the history of Camp Goodtimes and how many lives it has made better.”
Learn more about how CCS supports children, youth and families affected by cancer, and make a donation to camp programs today.