“I would gladly give up two weeks or more just to be here with these kids and these incredible volunteers," says Sarah Swanberg.
While most people take vacations to get away, Sarah uses her time off to get involved.
"I've been a volunteer at Camp Goodtimes for 5 years, This camp is for 7 to 17-year-old cancer patients and their siblings who just get to come out here for a week of their lives and pretend that cancer is something that they don't have to deal with."
The camp has been in operations for over 30 years, and all costs for the kids to be here is covered by The Goodtimes Project.
"This is a place where you just get to be a kid, you don't need to think about having cancer or being sick or being in a hospital the rest of the year. Here you’re just a kid. You get to hang out, you get to have fun you make new friends. It's just a great place to be a kid."
Swanberg is one of a handful of Premera Blue Cross employees who gladly give up their vacation days so these kids can have days they'll never forget.
“We have about 5 in June and about 2 of us here in July,' she says, "We're very fortunate that Premera supports our opportunity to be out here and let us take the time to come out and volunteer. It's my privilege to be here. I feel honored to be a part of this organization and these children. They mean the world to me."
Camp Goodtimes and the volunteers mean a great deal to the kids, too.
"Even though this is like a cancer camp, you come here and know one, everyone knows what you're going through, but we don't even talk about that. You have fun and you put off everything that's your worries," says Leah, a camper at Camp Goodtimes.
Camper Alyssa, put it this way, “"If we could stay forever I think we would."
If you would like more information on how you can support The Goodtimes Project either financially or volunteering your time, click here.
