Notre Dame alum Karen Moyer hosted successful event to benefit St. Josephs County children
South Bend, Ind. – The Moyer Foundation announced today that more than 125 people attended the Foundation’s Sept. 2 Dry Tailgate event on the University of Notre Dame campus. The event raised over $90,000 with all proceeds benefiting The Moyer Foundation’s Camp Mariposa South Bend initiative, a program dedicated to improving the lives of children in St. Joseph’s County living with addiction in their families.
“I grew up in this community so it’s important to me, as well as my husband and father, that children living with addiction receive the education and resources they need to live healthy lives,” stated Karen Moyer, co-founder and chairman of The Moyer Foundation. “Our goal with Camp Mariposa South Bend is to give kids the tools to live with addiction in their lives and the education to be different – impacting the next generation.”
Camp Mariposa is a first-of-its-kind program created to help meet the needs of children facing the difficult challenges associated with living in a home with an addicted or co-dependent family member. Camp Mariposa is a free, multi-day camp providing counseling and support, while teaching participants a variety of problem-solving and self-care strategies.
In the state of Indiana, studies show an estimated 9,000 residents of South Bend are abusing alcohol or drugs and 19.9-percent of children in Indiana had their first alcoholic drink before the age 13. Knowing that 95-percent of adult addicts start to use drugs before the age of 20, Camp Mariposa strives to intervene before a problem develops and help break the cycle of addiction.
The Sept. 2 event celebrated Notre Dame football’s home opener with live and silent auctions, entertainment by celebrity magician Josh Beckerman, singer/songwriter Cary "CKP" Kanno. Special guests in attendance included Jamie Moyer, and Karen Moyer’s father, Digger Phelps, who spent two successful decades at Notre Dame as the Head Coach of the men’s basketball team.
The Moyer Foundation also announced that Oaklawn Psychiatric Center in South Bend will be the local partner organization that will facilitate and host Camp Mariposa South Bend. For more information and to get involved, visit www.moyerfoundation.org.
(Source: This was a press release from Maroon PR)