A 21-acre camp in Brandon that serves children and adults with disabilities has a new leader with deep roots in south Hillsborough County, a renewed school partnership for pediatric cancer families, and nearly $100,000 raised during a single Rotarian's two-year tenure.

Eleanor Saunders took over as executive director of Rotary's Camp Florida on Wednesday, July 15, according to the camp's website. Before the appointment, Saunders spent years as CEO of the Emergency Care Help Organization (ECHO), which operates food, clothing, and social services centers in Brandon and Riverview. ECHO's Riverview location serves ZIP codes 33570, 33572, and 33573, covering parts of Apollo Beach, Ruskin, and Sun City Center.

Rotarian Connie Gage, a past honorary mayor of Brandon who serves on the camp's board, told the Observer News that Saunders has the track record, relationships, and experience with staff and volunteers to lead the camp forward. Gage raised close to $100,000 for Rotary's Camp Florida during her two-year presidency of the Rotary Club of South Tampa, which ended earlier this year.

School partnership renewed for five years

In June, Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent Van Ayres signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the camp to extend the 1Voice Academy's partnership with the district's Hospital Homebound program for another five years. The academy, located at 1935 Camp Florida Road adjacent to the camp, is described as the first school in the United States specifically for children with cancer. It serves patients from birth to age 18, offering in-person classes on campus or virtual instruction.

Mary Ann Massolio, a pediatric hematology/oncology social worker who co-founded the 1Voice Foundation in 2008 after losing her son Jay to cancer, attended the signing. Jay was 9 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. His wish to attend school inspired the academy's creation.

Student Sophia Carraseo Fuentes, speaking in a video about the signing, said attending camp during treatment eased her isolation. "I knew that the kids that were here understood what I was going through because they were going through similar things," she said.

A camp built for community groups

Rotary's Camp Florida, at 1915 Camp Florida Road in Brandon, is an ADA-compliant facility with lakeside views, a chapel, community buildings, and cabins under tree cover. The camp does not register individual campers. Instead, organizations serving people with disabilities book the site for their programs.

Peggie Sherry, who founded the Tampa-based nonprofit Faces of Courage in 2004, uses the camp for medically supervised overnight stays for families affected by cancer and blood disorders. Sherry said her team moves all supplies, staff, and campers in for each session, then packs everything out so the next group can move in.

How Apollo Beach and Ruskin families can connect

Families in the South Shore area who want to access the camp's programs can reach out through partner organizations including Faces of Courage, the 1Voice Foundation, or the camp directly at RotarysCampFlorida.org or (813) 653-7200.