The Marin Treks Blog
Mr. C's Health Announcement
by Erika Fish on 06/05/15This information was recently shared with all of our Marin Treks Newsletter subscribers. We will add new Blog posts as we have announcements and new information to share. Mr. C will also be sending newsletters out to that list as often as he can; if you would like to be on that list, please let us know in the comments here.
June 2, 2015
Dear Friends of Marin Treks,
You may have heard that Mr.C recently had a health emergency. We want to let you know what happened, and what will be happening with Mr. C and Marin Treks.
First, The Good News
Mr. C is so dedicated to his students and his camps that, health permitting, he is planning to run his always popular summer adventure camps.
Caitlin Edwards (a great local teacher and friend) will be running the camps with Mr. C and their trusty counselors. However, we are shortening the full day camp schedule to six weeks, starting the week of July 6th.
The July and August camps will run as planned. There is no need to make alternate plans if you're joining us in July and August.
Marin Treks Museum will run half-day camps June 15-19 and June 22-26:
- Half-day Camps will be 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Drop-in hours will be 12:30 PM - 4:30 PM with fees going to Mr. C's Recovery Fund
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The Unfortunate News
On Wednesday May 6th, Mr. C was found unconscious by his employees. They frantically called 911 and our dear Mr. C was rushed to the Emergency Room. After five grueling days in the ICU, being transferred to a second hospital, and a battery of tests, we received the devastating news... Mr. C has a brain tumor. As of now, we don't know for sure what type of cancer he has. We are hopeful that this was found early enough and that the prognosis will be good.
Brian (Mr. C) has two daughters that he wants to see graduate; walk down the aisle; and have children of their own (if he has any say in it). (Imagine Mr. C as a grandfather and all the fun adventures he'll take with his grandkids!) He has mountains to climb, trails to hike, rivers to raft, and many adventures to share with Mrs. C after they both retire.
Even though it has been a short time since we received this tragic news, Mr. C's medical bills are already staggering, with no end in sight. Mr. C will see the neurosurgeon for his first official visit the week of June 1 to discuss surgery and post-surgery options. We are embarking on a very frightening, stressful, and challenging road. As a self-employed educator, Mr. C doesn't get paid if he doesn't work. Mrs. C is almost out of vacation time, so she will also be taking time off without pay. Our family would like to focus our energy on helping Brian beat this dreaded disease; not worrying about the mounting bills and the possibility of losing Marin Treks or our home.
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How You Can Help
As you can imagine, the Marin Treks Natural History Museum is very expensive to operate. We have two wonderful employees who are helping run the facility and programs and many amazing student volunteers who help take care of the animals. Of course, the animals eat a lot of food and, because they are mostly cold blooded, use a lot of costly electricity to stay warm and healthy.
We are setting up two funds: One to help Mr. C and his family pay their medical bills, and another to sustain the Marin Treks museum, programs, and all the animals. Please contact Erika Nelson Fish (via Facebook Messenger or email Erika at admin@marintreks.com) for fundraising information, ideas, and questions.
To Help Mr. C Directly: Local donations for the Brian Campopiano (Mr. C) Medical Fund can be made at any Redwood Credit Union location, in the name of Brian Campopiano, account # 7470-01. (Local RCU branches are in Novato, San Rafael, and Petaluma.)
To Help Marin Treks and the Animals: Follow the Marin Treks Facebook page, our newsletter, and the Marin Treks website blog for updates. We will have special museum fundraising events, you can sponsor animals, and you can gift directly to the museum so that Marin Treks will stay open for years to come. We will make sure that the animals are fed and cared for, and that you will continue to enjoy all that Marin Treks has to offer.
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Thank You!
We're not yet sure what the future holds. Knowing Mr. C, he'll fight to regain his health so that he can continue to be the wonderful husband, father, teacher, and friend that he's always been. Mr. C is a blessing to the Marin community, especially Novato, teaching children to treasure and understand nature, to respect the earth and all the amazing creatures around us. We appreciate all of your support over the years and we look forward to many more adventures with your children and Mr. C!
Warmest regards,
Mrs. C and the wonderful staff at Marin Treks
