Welcome, and thank you for your interest in our "Play for Good" campaign.Ā
Weāre sending 250 kidsĀ
with life-limitingĀ conditionsĀ to MagiCamp!
When you register as a volunteer for a RUF campaign, you become part of our international community of Romanians and non-Romanians alike. Regardless of where we each live - whether in Romania or in the diaspora - we are allĀ committed to making good happen byĀ donating our time and resources to helping those in need.
We need šÆvolunteers to make MagiCamp a reality for 250 kids.
How can you help?
- Campaign Fundraiser: Raise, donate or pledge your birthday - commit to sending ONE child to MagiCamp. You can do this with friends and loved ones. The cost for one child is $462. Learn MoreĀ or Pledge Your Birthday
- Campaign Ambassador: Bring in your friends and ask them to sign up to send one child to MagiCamp.
- Campaign Volunteer: We needĀ help posting, calling, thanking people on Facebook, creating social media content, and persuading others to join us as Ambassadors.
Are your friends in? Awesome. Stay tuned for the next step.
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What does $462 cover for 1 week of Magicamp?
This cost is an approximation of the real costs for every child. At the end of the campaign, all actual costs will be reported by Magicamp and only the actual costs will be covered, as incurred by our partner in Romania.
Our estimate covers transport, meals, accommodation, programs, and medical staff on the premises (or on the go, for off-site camps). We also included a 10% "miscellaneous" category (our estimate was $420, so we added $42).Ā The ratio of counselors, medical staff to patients is very small compared to regular camps, which is why these camps are more expensive than camps for healthy children.Ā
All camp counselors are volunteers, but this covers accommodation and meals for volunteers as well. It covers vaccination and testing, for camp counselors and for all children that need it.
To learn more, you can see images from the camp on Facebook and Instagram.
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When does the Play For Good campaign start?
The Play For Good Campaign, 2021 starts on June 1st and ends on June 30th. During the month of May we are signing up volunteers to participate in the campaign.
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What's the capacity of the camp?
30 children/week and almost as many volunteers. Because of the special conditions of the children, we provide extra care, there is 1 volunteer for 2 children, but often we need 1 volunteer for each child to make sure everything is flawless and make the best of their time there.
Depending on the pandemic restrictions and doctorsā recommendations, this number may vary this year.
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How do I select the 5 people that I should call?
Please think of friends that can make a meaningful contribution, and try to pick names that are outside of our existing area of influence (as in, theyāre not my friends or people weāre in a close circle with).
Other suggestions: the engagement of the people occurs when they relate to something from that cause. There are several categories in the case of this campaign (1) People who like to play or that are very outgoing and social are most likely to relate to the campaign - the key message here is that all you have to do is play (with friends or children) and you post photos so that people would donate because they like your playing. As simple as that. (2) Nostalgic Romanians that are willing to remember about the games in their childhood and dare to be children again - the key message here is that you join just because you miss some part of yourself that you can now freely expose - your childhood. (3) Romanians with children that want to share a moment of their childhood and bond with their kids in a very easy way that also brings back memories from home - the key message here is that in our communities they will find all the inspiration and resources they need to have a full month of playing with their kid(s).
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Where are the kids from and how old are they?
Children come from all corners in Romania. Commonly, we also have children from the Republic of Moldavia, but we will not be able to bring them this year because of the pandemic.
The children are between 6 and 16 years old. We group them based on ages and medical conditions.
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Where is the camp located in Romania?
The camp is located in the quaint village of Branesti (Dambovita), on a large lot with a beautiful orchard. There is one hill 5 minutes away from the camp where the adventure parkland climbing wall is installed and some of the activities (such as horse-riding, hot-air balloon fly or visits in the city) are organized in particular places.
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What is the financial situation of the children?
The children coming to MagiCAMP have all possible financial situations. The criteria are not the financial status but the medical condition. Children like them cannot access the typical camps because they need special requirements and need to be under medical supervision. We pay attention to their food, allergies, sleep needs, the amount of effort they are allowed to make or any other special requirements. Children are there based on medical approval from their doctor andĀ parents together with all the details of their condition or side-effects of the treatment. Each volunteer is provided with the camp's general rules and the childās special requirements and personalized approach.
If there are children with poor financial situations, we immediately provide everything they need in the camp from the moment they step in so that they all feel integrated. We are proud to say that MAGICAMP makes all children feel at home, or even better; they connect extraordinarily with each other or the volunteers. It is one kind experience that motivates them to fight for their lives and cherish each moment. We have great feedback from parents and doctors who say the children better cooperate with the treatment afterward. Their self-confidence is highly increased, many being willing to do anything to be back in MagiCAMP.
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What is expected from a Campaign Fundraiser?
As a Campaign Fundraiser, you create a Facebook fundraiser by yourself or together with some of your friends, to benefit the Play for Good campaign, by following the steps below or by watching this video.
- ClickĀ Fundraisers in the left menu of your News Feed. You may need to click See More.
- Click + Raise Money.
- Select Romanian United Fund, fill in the fundraiser details (decide on a goal for your campaign: how many kids would you like to send to camp? Cost for sending one child is $462), and choose a cover photo.
- Click Create.
- Invite people on your friends' list and engage with them! This is key.Ā Invite, invite, invite!Ā Share often on your timeline: remember that not everyone will see something when you post just once.
- Ā Thank people as they donate and watch numbers go up!Ā Seriously, these people are donating to MagiCamp because of YOU!
A detailed video with these steps isĀ click here
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What is expected from a Campaign Volunteer?
You can help with creating content, participate in prep-meetings to assist with small, general tasks; post on Facebook, call and thank donors, and find Campaign Ambassadors.
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Where does the money go?
RUF is a 100% pass-through entity. This means that every cent that gets in our account (after credit card processing fee) is transferred to the beneficiary organization, in this case, Magicamp. We have a thorough selection and tracking process to make sure your money only goes to the most meritorious organizations and that they are spent wisely.