Kesem is a national organization that supports children ages six through eighteen whose lives have been impacted by a parent or guardian's cancer. Kesem is made possible by college students across the country who operate out of chapters through their universities. Kesem at Northern Illinois University serves over forty children in the northern Illinois area. Kesem at NIU works to provide a safe community where children can connect with others their age who are experiencing similar life events. Furthermore, we send each child to a free one-week summer camp. This includes fun activities such as archery, swimming, and nightly bonfires. At camp, it is a chance for these amazing children to be a carefree child in a world that has asked them to grow up too quickly.
Make the Magic is the largest fundraiser of the year for Kesem at NIU. It is a gala complete with drinks, dinner, dessert, a silent auction, and a paddle raise. All proceeds from the event go towards supporting the children and the cost of sending them each to camp. Each ticket purchase buys not only admission to the event, but also dinner, dessert, one free drink ticket, and access to the silent auction. Through generous donors, it is possible for these families impacted by cancer to never pay a cent for the support provided by Kesem.