EAST LANSING - Camp Kesem has been providing free summer camp for children all over the country whose parents are or has been affected by cancer. On March 28th, the Michigan State branch held its largest fundraising event at the Walnut Hill Country Club.

Eight years ago Sydney Arens joined Camp Kesem when her mother was going through cancer.

“I really want a place where i can get away from cancer. Camp Kesem really give me that escape, along with my two younger brothers. So all three of us has been going to camp. We’ve got so much out of it. We’ve got family. We've got friends. We really got the affection and love that we really needed at that hard time," she said.

In the fundraising event "Make the Magic", more than 160 guests were trying to help by joining the auctions, listening to camper's families and volunteers talk about the magic that Camp Kesem has made and what magic they are expecting to happen this year.

"At Camp Kesem Michigan State, we started in 2005 with 30 campers, and since then we've grown to 90 campers in the summer of 2014. And 120 campers this coming summer," said Garrett Kohler, Co-Director of Camp Kesem Michigan State.

As a national organization, Camp Kesem has operated in more than 64 universities. They will send 5000 children to camps this summer. But Director kohler said, that is not enough. "We have 3 million children in the united states that have a parent affected by cancer. So even though we've grown rapidly, there is still so much more we can do."

This year, Sydney Arens will attend the camp again, not as a camper, but as a councilor to help other children like her.

"Camp Kesem is a just a great organization. It helped me and I know it helped many others. Events like this really make the magic happens," she said.

The capacity for this summer in Michigan is 120 campers, there are around 65 children registered currently. The camp is free and open for children between six and sixteen years old.