Camp Smile brought a week full of joy to campers at the annual event hosted by the Pediatric Cancer Foundation of the Lehigh Valley at Muhlenberg College’s Moyer Hall.

Held June 24-28, the day camps provided local kids battling cancer and their siblings, along with children who have lost a sibling to cancer, a chance to play games, work on arts and crafts, swim and participate in theater.

“We’ve had a great week,” Executive Director Michelle Zenie Rounds said. “We’ve been really excited to have so many kids again this year.”

She expressed appreciation for the volunteers, counselors and especially for the efforts of Camp Smile Director Kristine Buss.

“We have been doing Camp Smile for 12 years,” Buss said. “I’ve been involved for 11 years.”

The Upper Macungie Township resident also serves as the services and program director at PCFLV.

“This is my favorite program to do at the Pediatric Cancer Foundation,” Buss remarked. “It’s my most favorite week of the year.”

Activities are tailored for three age groups — 4-7, 8-11 and 12-15. Ten previous attendees had aged out but returned as volunteers.

A trio of siblings from Hanover Township enjoy Camp Smile activities. Accompanying 7-year-old cancer warrior Jude Marzen are his younger brother Isaac and older sister Cora. Jude’s favorite thing to do at camp is lacrosse.

“My favorite activity is theater,” said Cora, a seventh-grader at a private Christian school.

Hopping along in a potato sack race bag, Alyssa Smith completed a section of the Camp Smile obstacle course. The 12-year-old is a seventh-grader at Circle of Seasons Charter School.

“It’s just a very good time here,” Alyssa said.

She is one of three Schnecksville siblings participating in camp activities. Her oldest brother Gregory had been diagnosed with brain cancer at 9 years old.

“I heard about Camp Smile, and they invited us to come along,” said Gregory Smith, who had just completed chemotherapy at the time. “We started attending, I believe, the next year. It just was a really fun experience.”

The now 17-year-old volunteers as a camp counselor, along with 15-year-old younger brother Chase. The brothers are students at Parkland High School.

“It’s nice to see the other side of everything, where you get to help and kind of pay for the things you got to do as a kid as well,” Gregory said.

A seventh-grader at Eyer Middle School, Leslie Moore, who was diagnosed with cancer at age 5, started attending Camp Smile with a fellow cancer patient. Arts and crafts are her favorite camp stations.

Funding for Camp Smile is provided by corporate sponsors, grants and donations. The PCFLV provides free programming and services to local children with cancer and their families.

PCFLV is located at 4501 Crackersport Road, South Whitehall Township.

For more information, call 484-221-9294 or go to pcflv.org.