On August 8, Voices Against Brain Cancer (VABC), an organization dedicated to brain cancer research and advocacy, announces their donation of a $30,000 grant to Camp Jinka, a summer program for kids and teens whose lives have been impacted by the diagnosis of a brain tumor.
Offered by the David S. Zocchi Brain Tumor Center at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, NJ. The camp, which is now in its fourth year, offers both indoor and outdoor activities, encouraging campers to communicate and express with others who are living similar life experiences. Those who attend the camp have a loved one that is either battling a brain tumor or has passed from one. In some cases, they are survivors themselves .The grant awarded to the camp by VABC will be used for overall operations, a trip to Lancaster for the teen campers and for lead sponsorship of The Camp Jinka Art Exhibition which features artwork created by the campers. This year’s exhibit will take place on August 8, 2013 , 6-8:30 at the Middletown Arts Center in Middletown NJ.
Judy Zocchi decided to create Camp Jinka after the loss of her husband, Dave, to a brain tumor. On the camp’s website, she explains how the difficulties of losing someone last long after the person passes away. The camp was designed as an outlet for children dealing with these difficulties.
Camp Jinka received statewide recognition recently as it was named New Jersey’s number one Therapeutic and Wellness Recreation Program by the New Jersey Parks and Recreation Association.
Zocchi discusses what this grant means for the summer program. “Camp Jinka is such a special place that the children continue to come back each year even as they grow into teenagers. In addition, new children find us so our numbers are growing tremendously. It is such a special place for the children to continue to come back to each year,” she says. “Because of Hurricane Sandy we were not able to have our winter fundraiser. This left us with a huge deficit. Many people and organizations pulled together to help us get camp started this summer. VABC came through as a major sponsor enabling us to finish our session and take the older kids away on a retreat. It was a summer to remember and one the children will never forget. My deepest gratitude to Mario and the team at Voices Against Brain Cancer for the tireless work they continue to do to benefit the brain tumor community.”
Michael Klipper, Chairman of Voices Against Brain Cancer, an organization dedicated to brain cancer research and advocacy, commends Zocchi for creating an outlet for the younger generation who have to deal with the repercussions of brain tumor diagnoses. “The stress-level for a child having to experience either a personal brain tumor diagnosis or that of a loved one are often left feeling helpless. Camp Jinka is a remarkable outlet for these children and teens to get together and forge relationships with others who understand exactly what they are going through. We are so happy that we are able to award this grant to this amazing organization.”
VABC has a wide variety of initiatives in place for brain cancer research, awareness and support. The organization’s research grants fund cutting-edge research programs that will have a monumental impact on the diagnosis and treatment of brain cancer. VABC currently funds research at several esteemed institutions such as Brookhaven National Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia, Cornell, Duke, Harvard, John Hopkins, Memorial Sloan-Kettering and Yale, to name a few.
VABC's mission is to find a cure for brain cancer by advancing scientific research, increasing awareness within the medical community and supporting patients, their families and caregivers afflicted with this devastating disease.
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According to the World Health Organisation, up to 60% of the population do not achieve the recommended 30 minutes a day of moderate physical exercise. Accordingly, the prevalence of many physical health problems are skyrocketing and the western population is experiencing what is known as the "obesity epidemic". The physical problems associated with lack of exercise are not the only concern. Physical activity has repeatedly been shown to influence psychology and neurology. Studies in this area suggest that exercise significantly improves cognition (thinking), decreases stress and anxiety, improves self-esteem and decreases depression. 
The hippocampus, the brain centre for learning and memory, is greatly activated during exercise. Furthermore scientists have recently discovered that exercise, especially running, increases production of brain derived growth factor (BDGF), in the hippocampus. BDGF is a chemical released in the brain that protects neurons and promotes their growth. This is believed to be a positive finding, but further studies are required to identify the direct effect increased BDGF has on memory and mood. 
Exercise has also shown positive effects in brain functioning with accumulating evidence that memory and learning can improve with regular physical activity. This is especially relevant for studies looking into various strains of dementia. Evidence to date supports the notion that physical activity can delay or even prevent cognitive function loss. In fact, even a relatively small amount of physical activity, equivalent to either 4 hours of light exercise or 1.3 hours of vigorous activity per week, is associated with a lower incidence of dementia risk. Although it is preferable that physical activity begins at an early age the positive effects on brain functioning can even be seen in 77 year olds which stresses the point it is never too late to begin an exercise regime!
Similarly to adults, exercise studies have yielded positive psychological effects in children and adolescents. The prevalence of psychological problems in this age group is estimated to be 10-20%. Depression and anxiety are the most common problems. 
For more information on fitness and exercise, including stretches, types of exercise, exercise recovery and exercise with health conditions, as well as some useful videos, see Fitness.
