Create For A Cause: Camp Rainbow Gold Needs You

I blame my recent obsession with my Cricut machine and the vinyl/paper crafts I've been making with it as the reason why I haven't been to a "Paint Nite" in a while! But when I saw which cause was hosting this one, I knew it was time to brush off my smock!

If you've never been to a Paint Nite before, it's one of the coolest girls nights you could ever imagine! Once you buy your ticket, Paint Nite takes care of everything else to help you create your masterpiece.  They provide you with a canvas, paints, brushes, apron and an artist to teach you step by step how to paint a beautiful work of art!  You don't need ANY artistic ability or experience to create your masterpiece. (Honestly, I was the world's worst art student when I was younger and even my paintings come out looking great at Paint Nite!)  Having self doubts about your artistic ability? Sip on some liquid courage! Having wine or cocktails is part of the Paint Nite way.

Why is the August 3rd Paint Nite so special?

There's something very special about the next Paint Nite my friends and I are going to.  This one is a fundraiser for one of my favorite charities in the Treasure Valley, Camp Rainbow Gold.  If you're new to the area and not sure what Camp Rainbow Gold is, let me tell you it's not your ordinary summer camp.  Their mission is to help children suffering from cancer get to feel like normal kids through a summer camp experience.  The kids get to forget about their worries for a few days while they enjoy fishing, hiking, camp fires, crafts and make lifelong friendships in the Sawtooth National Forest. There's also got a fully stocked mobile medical unit on the camp grounds so that campers can keep on medications they need during their battle with cancer.  Camp Rainbow Gold hosts camps for kids and teens diagnosed with cancer from ages 6-17 and the camps are FREE to all campers (hence the need for a fundraiser like Paint Nite.)  They also host a sibling camp for brothers and sisters who may feel overlooked by their family members while their siblings are battling cancer.  It gives these kids a chance to be surrounded by others experiencing the same things.

I had a chance to be a bus monitor to one of the trips up to camp a couple of years ago and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.  During our bus ride, the Youth Camp kids weren't shy about their struggles fighting cancer at all.  Sometimes their stories were heart breaking, but it was amazing to see how camp changed their perspective on everything and how they lit up when they talked about swimming, horseback riding and campfires.

I want to paint so kids can go to camp! How do I sign up?

Tickets are $45 and a portion of that price goes directly to Camp Rainbow Gold! Come paint with me, my friend Kimberly and a ton of other Camp Rainbow Gold supporters at The Tailgate on Ann Morrison Park Drive on Thursday, August 3rd at 7 PM!

To buy your ticket and see the "A Night at Rainbow Pines" painting we'll be doing click HERE!