Since 2008, Magicana has partnered with Camp Oochigeas, a special organization created to help kids with cancer be kids. In addition to summer camp programming, Camp Ooch also offers occasionally day events in the city, called “Urban Ooch.” Magicana has provided “Magic Day” as one of these special days, working closely with camp counsellors in order to execute an intensive, full-day magic workshop for campers. The workshop’s goal is for participants to stage and star in their own “Big Show” for their friends and family at the end of the day.
With the success of Magic Day workshops, and because of the special energy that Camp Ooch engenders with children, we all decided to take the project to the next level. This summer Magicana offered to teach and share our My Magic Hands program with Ooch counsellors. This way, with magic literally in hand, counsellors would be able to work and engage with participants year-round,and in particular at SickKids Hospital in Toronto.
We first set out to run a pilot program, training a group of experienced counsellors to turn them into magicians. We all know that learning magic is so much more than just reading about secrets and acquiring special props. So to prove they had what it takes, Ooch counsellors celebrated the completion of their first course by putting on a show for the Ooch staff at their holiday get-together. They did not disappoint:
Thanks to Camp Oochigeas, especially to Alex Robertson and Petra Kovacs for organizing. And congratulations to our newly minted magicians on this fabulous start to sharing wonder.
