BRACKETS ARE CLOSED FOR NEW REGISTRANTS, BUT DONATIONS ARE STILL BEING ACCEPTED!
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This March, put your game face on and join the AMSkier All-Stars pool while raising funds for honorable causes, including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New Jersey and a charity to be decided by our winner!
Our goal is to raise over $2,000 and AMSkier has already contributed $250! The total raised will be split equally between the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of New Jersey and the charity chosen by our winner. Donations will be made in the winner’s name and she or he will also receive special edition AMSkier apparel!
The process is simple!
Fill out the form below.
After registering, you will be directed to our pool. You will also receive a link via the email you provide to join our bracket group, so you can join our pool at your convenience.
Play brackets!
Registering is $20 plus a nominal registration fee.
Get off the bench, join in on the competition and do something good for a cause!
Fill out the form below or click here to register.
World Cancer Day | Portrait of a Friend’s Experience
Cancer affects all of our lives, whether through a friend or family member or because we’ve had cancer ourselves. That’s why we’re supporting World Cancer Day, which aims to inspire others to take action as communities and as individuals. Cancer is a diverse disease, and it affects everyone differently too. Today, we zoom in on a close friend of the AMSkier family, an active community member, a lover of basketball and a Cancer survivor.
Spencer Williams is fun, upbeat and positive. He’s the kind of person that makes others feel welcome in social situations and is well-liked by everyone that meets him. A few years ago, Spencer noticed that something wasn’t quite right. He went to a local doctor and was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. After going through Crohn’s disease treatment for about a year, and not feeling any positive change, Spencer decided to get a second opinion from a Crohn’s Disease specialist. Listen to his personal recollection of his experience.
(Audio Summary: Spencer learns that he does not have Crohn’s Disease, but that he actually had stomach cancer.)
Spencer continued, noting how stomach cancer isn’t normally screened for in the United States. Because of this, stomach cancer is not typically found in the early stages. Spencer attributed his early detection to the biopsy done by the specialist and his thoroughness.
When Spencer was diagnosed, he experienced what he described as an “eerie calm” after hearing the news as well as some anger, confusion, and frustration later in the process. Like many people, Spencer wanted to know what might have caused his cancer. According to his doctor, his cancer was not caused by genetics or environmental factors; certainly a mind-boggling concept for anyone who likes feeling they have some amount of control over their health.
Spencer had a total gastrectomy, which eliminates the stomach as a holding cell and connects the esophagus directly to the small intestine.
When asked about his support network, Spencer had some valuable pieces of advice that he learned from a friend who went through something similar. Here is a clip of what his friend Bob told him, and what Spencer now tells others.
(Audio Summary: Assemble a small team of close friends and family. Help them understand your needs as you go through this process and put yourself first.)
Since Spencer’s total gastrectomy, he goes back and gets tested every 6 months. Fortunately, he has had a clean bill of health for a couple years, and we wish and hope that this good news continues. Spencer will tell you that having had cancer changes you and tweaks your outlook. Listen to his reflections below:
We hope this moment with Spencer gives you some insight and perspective when it comes surviving cancer as an affected family member, friend or as a cancer patient. Although cancer alters your life, it doesn’t need to take over your life. Spencer is so much more than a cancer survivor. Recently, Spencer participated in Coaches vs Cancer, helping to raise over $5,000 for the Northeastern, PA chapter. He’s also still the upbeat, fun-loving, outgoing person he has always been. In an effort to do better in our cancer prevention efforts as a community and as individuals, please visit World Cancer Day’s website.
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Ken Glotzer, ACA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Twenty-eight years ago I was lucky to meet a gentleman who had the foresight, knowledge and ability to pick up the pieces of the camp industry devastated by the sexual abuse allegations of the 1980s. He envisioned a strategic partnership between the insurance and camp industries, working together to insure the well-being of all campers. I have been with Henry Skier ever since. The addition of Norm Friedman to the AMSkier team only cemented this partnership with a unique individual capable of providing incredible insight, experience and judgement that, in my opinion, is second only to Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars fame!
Having this strategic relationship allowed Day Camp In The Park (DCITP) to concentrate on what we love and do best – create programs, develop communities with the emphasis on safety, have fun, make friendships and develop harmonious communities for children to learn and grow.
I created DCITP in 1979, after directing two very successful camps, Ramaquois and the RCC Sports Academy and finishing my master’s degree in school administration/supervision). I was then introduced to an incredibly talented, creative individual named Dr. Jay Sexter. With Henry on one side and Dr. Sexter on the other side providing the business acumen, we embarked on creating programs that benefited thousands of children and young adults.
The first series of programs we developed independent of our regular camp was the global camp program. For nine years we trained and incorporated Korean, Japanese and Chinese children and young adults into our camp community. They learned English in our camp immersion program and were acculturated to America; we helped them get into American this global camp program.
In 1992 and 1993, we worked with the ACA to create what was later called the Break Away Program for New York City, addressing the lack of comprehensive learning programs during the summer for inner city children and the impact on reading and math scores. We created a program where thousands of children learned math and reading skills through hiking, sports and play. For example, if the children went on a hike they had to write an essay on all of the potential life forms they saw on trees (termites, ants, moss, mushrooms, etc.). The program was featured on CNN and ABC, and almost became a national model in creating a camp/summer school.
Later, I retired from the Clarkstown schools after 31 years, and embarked on another journey with Henry’s vision and Jay’s help. We collaborated with Touro University to create the first fully accredited online/hybrid master’s camp degree program in camp administration and supervision. As a result, hundreds of young adults have received their master’s degree in camp administration. Also, with the encouragement of Norm Friedman, I wrote a book extolling the virtues of camp, “There is No Place Like Camp.”
For 44 years, I have dedicated my life to the camp profession. With people like Henry on your side, it is not difficult to be successful.
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Busy people often put their health on the backburner in an effort to save time. However, for those of us living in this incredibly fast-paced world, a focus on wellness couldn’t be more important for productivity. Nutrition, appropriate sleep, exercise and enjoying moments of play are all important ingredients to your overall health and quality of life. Learn real strategies on how busy people can balance family life and work life while staying healthy. If you don’t put your health first, who will?
Meet The Panel
Linda Vose
Registered Polysomnographic Technologist
“Sleep is biologically necessary for life.” – 2005 inaugural issue of The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, US National Library of Medical Science, National Institutes of Health
Linda Vose is a Registered Polysomnographic Technologist at Wayne Memorial Hospital’s Sleep Disorders Center and has more than 13 years of experience in sleep medicine. She recently received certification in Clinical Sleep Health (CCSH) as a Clinical Sleep Educator to enhance patient care with education and to promote the importance of good sleep habits to the community at large. Linda is also a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) who worked primarily in home-care respiratory medicine before entering the field of sleep medicine. For the webinar, Linda will address “Sleep Deprivation and How to Fix It” with what she refers to as “proper sleep hygiene.”
Linda works under the supervision of pulmonologist Sean McVeigh, MD, who is board-certified in Pulmonary Medicine.
Lisa Champeau
Moderator
Lisa Champeau joined Wayne Memorial Health System, Honesdale, as its Public Relations Manager in 2003, after a successful career in journalism. She worked as an award-winning TV newscaster in New York City, Baltimore, Scranton and Binghamton. In addition, Lisa has published articles in The Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Magazine, Barron’s and for several online and on-air media outlets, including HBO and National Geographic Television. Born in New York, Lisa graduated from Northwestern University and went on to graduate school at New York University to pursue an MFA. In the 1990s, she spent one year “on sabbatical” from journalism, working as a communications director for an international relief agency, a job that took her to Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Haiti and Poland. About the upcoming webinar: “I’m looking forward to fielding questions and hearing answers from experts on three of my favorite subjects,” says Lisa, “Eating, sleeping and playing!”
Joshua Heath
Outdoor Adventure Manager
Joshua Heath is a native Mainer and has 16 years of outdoor experience. He has worked for state and local parks in Maine for several seasons. He ran an adventure based aspirations program for middle school students prior to join the Outdoor Adventure team at The Lodge At Woodloch, a destination spa in 2010. Josh holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Park Management from Unity College in Unity, ME. Josh spent his childhood in the western Maine Mountains, so it is just comes natural to spend his time enjoying and learning about the forests of northeast Pennsylvania. He has become very fond of forest bathing and fly fishing. He really enjoys a Japanese style of fly fishing known as Tenkara. He enjoys ice fishing, snowshoeing, camping, canoeing, geocaching, gardening, and making maple syrup.
He spends as much of his free time with his two children exploring the outdoors and introducing them to the natural wonders it can offer. He has a job that lets him play most of the time and a passion for it!
Erin Tiffany
Dietitian-Nutritionist
Since 2006, Erin Tiffany has been guiding others through the jungle of nutrition and food science. As a Clinical Dietitian, Erin has worked at Baylor and Geisinger, educating and training hospital staff around the country, participating in research and managing patient diets. Erin’s work and research has been published in the Journal of American Dietetic Association and she currently teaches group nutrition education with an emphasis on healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Iowa State University, is a Registered Dietitian by the American Dietetic Association, a Certified Nutrition Support Clinician and a Licensed Dietitian-Nutritionist (LDN), by the Commonwealth of PA Department of State. As a mother of two and a professional, Erin knows the struggle of balancing wellness practices. She is excited to share her expertise in “Eat” during AMSkier’s “Eat, Sleep, Play” webinar!
The grass is always greener — Do medical and recreational marijuana laws send workplace rules up in smoke?
All Camps prohibit to some degree the use of “controlled substances” (i.e. drugs) both on and off campus, unless in accordance with a lawful prescription. But what if the prescription is for medical marijuana? Can camps continue to forbid the use of a substance that is prescribed in accordance with law? And what about those states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use? Can you ban your staff from using a perfectly legal substance?
RECREATIONAL USE
The answer to this one is easy: An employer can prohibit its employees from using (or doing) much of what is otherwise legal. For example, most employers prohibit the use of alcohol while on company premises. Some camps even proscribe its use during off hours, even for those 21 and older. Some religious camps may not allow staff to eat non-kosher food while on a day off. All of this is one hundred percent allowable, and recreational marijuana laws do not change this fact.
MEDICAL MARIJUANA
The answer to this question is, for the time being, fairly clear cut. Most state medical marijuana laws DO NOT themselves require an employer to accommodate a staff member’s drug use (current exceptions are Arizona, Delaware and Minnesota, which allow an employer to take action only if it can demonstrate impairment during work hours). Similarly, for now, at least, the Americans With Disabilities Act does NOT protect those who use marijuana, which remains an illegal, Schedule 1 (most restricted) controlled substance under federal law, a situation that is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future (Although the Department of Justice has stated it will not prosecute the cultivation, sale or use of marijuana that complies with state law, marijuana remains a Schedule 1 drug).
Keep in mind, however, that states have their own version of the ADA. And while most mirror the language of the ADA, we know that states are free to impose greater restrictions on employers (and greater protections for employees) than federal law. To date, no state Human Relations Commission, nor any court, has taken that position. Yet cases involving this very issue are being litigated across the country, and a court could rule that those using medical marijuana in accordance with a lawful prescription are protected.
Nevertheless, until that time arrives, camps remain free to prohibit their employees from using marijuana under any circumstances, whether on or off duty.
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Twenty-eight years ago I was lucky to meet a gentleman who had the foresight, knowledge and ability to pick up the pieces of the camp industry devastated by the sexual abuse allegations of the 1980s. He envisioned a strategic partnership between the insurance and camp industries, working together to insure the well-being of all campers. I have been with Henry Skier ever since. The addition of Norm Friedman to the AMSkier team only cemented this partnership with a unique individual capable of providing incredible insight, experience and judgement that, in my opinion, is second only to Obi-Wan Kenobi of Star Wars fame!
