The Inauguration of the Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club Camp Cosmo
The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club proudly assists in the funding of the diabetes research centers, such as Cosmopolitan International Diabetes and Endocrinology Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Strelitz Diabetes Center, at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Locally we fund camps for youngsters living with diabetes. Formerly two camps were accessed for our diabetes camps, Camp Gilbert, near Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Camp Hertko Hollow, near Boone, Iowa. These camps offer a camping experience for diabetes students, community building of the youthful diabetic campers, further instruction on diabetic diets and using the diabetes tools, such as their pumps. The Sioux City Cosmopolitan Club as sponsored over 100 campers at diabetes camps over many years. The club also promoted some of the participants to be counselors at future camps. The club also gave college scholarships to those counselors. The Covid-19 pandemic and social distancing precautions created a nearly impossible situation for those living with diabetes to camp.
The Sioux City Club continues to sponsor camps for diabetics. Our present club president, Todd McCabe, approached the leaders of Camp High Hopes in Sioux City. The club and the camp came to an agreement to have a diabetes camp. In the first six months of diligent planning by President McCabe led to no one registered for the April 2024 camp. You cannot keep a dedicated Cosmo down. President McCabe kept promoting in creative new ways. He persevered when other members were lagging behind. The Club had a Cosmopolitan social event at El Fredo Pizza. El Fredo donated 20% of the proceeds and then gave a significant extra $250 donation to boost the club’s financing efforts.
In the last few weeks before the staff of Camp High Hopes would inaugurate the first Cosmopolitan Club diabetes camp, almost single-handedly President McCabe had 17 campers registered. President McCabe reported a lively bunch of campers who had a great Cosmopolitan experience.