Family Camp

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Each summer, RMHBDA invites affected families living in Montana and Wyoming to attend a weekend retreat. The weekend is packed full of education, bonding, and fun!

Family Camp 2013

June 14–16, 2013
Luccock Park Camp
Livingston, Montana
For more information, visit www.luccock.org

For the 65 parents and teens, we will have teambuilding programming led by our guest, hemophilia leadership expert, Pat Torrey  and some time to relax with other families. This is a great opportunity to learn from and share experiences with one another.

We also have many great activities planned for our campers including arts & crafts projects, field games, and educational sessions for children with bleeding disorders and their siblings. Infusion classes will be offered from HTC RN, Sue Geraghty.

Call Brad with any questions at 406.586.4050

We need help organizing!

If you are interested in serving on the Education Weekend committee, please contact Brad at 406.600.2554.

This is your organization!

Mile High Colorado Camp

Save The Date! July 14–19, 2013

Leadership Pre-Camp Retreat July 12–14, 2013

Forms will be available in mid-March 2013! Stay Tuned!

The Hemophilia and Thrombosis Center (HTC) is proud to once again sponsor the summer camp program at Rocky Mountain Village.

Who Should Attend?

Children with hemophilia or other bleeding disorders Siblings of the above groups Mile High Colorado Camp is for ages 7–18. We accept 6-year-olds on a case by case basis. Programming is determined by age. Check back with us to learn about the different programs we offer at camp!

Why Attend Camp?

The purpose of camp is to learn about bleeding disorders, develop skills and have fun! Campers will have the opportunity to meet new friends and participate in a variety of traditional camp activities. As always, we have included educational components with the goal of encouraging self-confidence and independence. Many campers have learned to perform self-infusion, experienced teamwork, and discovered new skills during the week of camp. Staff at the Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center(HTC) and Rocky Mountain Village wants this to be a wonderful experience that creates a wealth of fond memories for your camper.

What Does It Cost?

Each family is required to pay a non-refundable $75.00 deposit. The remainder of the camp cost, approximately $1000.00 per camper, is underwritten by other sources. If you have questions or need additional information, please call Brad Benne at 406.600.2554. Scholarship forms are available. Scholarships will be granted on an individual basis.

RMHBDA Education Weekend 2013 Recap

A special "Thank you" to our HTC for co-sponsoring our Education Weekend!

Thank you to our generous program funders:

RMHBDA Education Weekend was held February 22–24 in Bozeman, Montana with 22 families attending — 32 youth and 40 adults. Educational sessions during Education Weekend included: infusion session, Von Willebrand disease, industry/product presentations, inhibitors, financial advice, how to be a good consumer, healthcare reform and overcoming challenges in dealing with bleeding disorders. All chapter members spent time visiting our exhibitors as they learned more about each company and their products.

RMHBDA welcomed three extraordinary additions to our Board of Directors: Sara Jestrab of Bozeman, Ben Kuss of Bozeman and Brian Schulz of Billings. We are truly grateful to Sara, Ben and Brian for volunteering their time to serve our community!

Everyone enjoyed the chapter trip to the bowling alley. Children enjoyed field trips to the Museum of the Rockies and Spire Climbing Center. Special thanks to Lisa Maxwell and Heidi Hart for assisting with the organization of the event!

NHF Walk Program Celebrates 5th Birthday

Hemaware Magazine Notes Success of RMHBDA Chapter

by Beth Marshall | 10.22.2012  Originally Published October 2012

[Excerpted from complete article ]

It has been five years since the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) launched its Hemophilia Walk program, starting with five walks, held in New York City, Phoenix, Cleveland, Raleigh and Houston. During the first Walk season, about 2,700 walkers, and national and local sponsors raised more than $1 million in support of their chapters. It was a promising beginning.

Since then, the Walk program has been growing at an impressive rate. This year, chapters across the US will host 23 Walks. At press time, 8,000 people had registered to walk, and the chapters had raised $1.3 million.

. . .

Brad Benne, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Hemophilia & Bleeding Disorders Association in Bozeman, Montana, says his chapter has experienced challenges similar to the Lone Star Chapter. His chapter encompasses all of Montana and Wyoming; many members travel long distances for fundraising and educational events.

“We are small, but mighty,” Benne says. The chapter held its first Walk on September 8, 2012. At first, Benne was somewhat apprehensive about the small chapter’s ability to generate enough interest and volunteers to plan and participate in a Walk. Then he realized the potential benefits were too great to ignore. “Our board of directors saw it as another way for our chapter to sustain itself,” he says.

The Rocky Mountain chapter has held successful fundraisers before but nothing on the scale of the Walk. “Most of our fundraisers bring in about $2,000,” he says. “If our Walk raises $20,000, that will be a huge success for us.” The chapter, in fact, raised more than $25,000.

Walks bring more than money to the chapters. They can add members, too. “Walks are a great way for families to get more involved with our chapter,” Compton says. Families with newly diagnosed children can feel overwhelmed at educational events, but Walks allow them to participate, she says. In addition, kids with bleeding disorders meet each other and families bond. “New families have gotten to know us through our Walks and then will start coming to our other events,” says Compton.

Walks also help make bleeding disorders more visible in the community. “My goal of the Walk is to spread awareness of bleeding disorders to every corner of Montana and Wyoming,” Benne says. The reasons are practical as well as aspirational. For many chapter members, the hemophilia treatment center in Denver, Colorado, is an 11-hour drive. “People wind up going to local hospitals and emergency rooms that aren’t as knowledgeable as they could be about bleeding disorders,” Benne says. “The Walk is a great opportunity for our chapter and community to get their stories out there.”

. . .

Read complete article .