Theresa Patterson wants to translate her passion of hunting into an act that can fulfill a child's wish.
Patterson and a team of hunters will take Billy Myers, 17, of York on his "Hunt of a Lifetime" for a western elk Saturday in Fryburg, PA.
Patterson, 41, of Hollidaysburg, is a hunter with "Wired Outdoors," a hunting show on cable television.
The group involved in the show decided to organize Camo Cares, a non-profit organization created through "Wired Outdoors." The goal is to raise money to help send terminally ill children on a hunting trip.
"These kids have a life-threatening illness, and yet they still share the same passion as I do for the outdoors," Patterson said.
Jason Say, owner of Sportsmen Portal and Wired Outdoors, said that Camo Cares donated the money raised this year to "Hunt of a Lifetime."
Patterson said her father, who taught her how to hunt when she was 12 years old, used to volunteer with "Hunt of a Lifetime."
Kyle Schwabenbauer, another co-host on Wired Outdoors, Patterson and Say decided to form Camo Cares because they could make the hunting dreams of terminally children come true.
"It's really important to the parents for their kids to have a good day, because maybe they don't have the money to do it themselves," Say said.
While the Camo Cares hunters chose to go on the hunt with Myers, who was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2009, Say said that Camo Cares has raised enough money through donations to send about 15 other children with life-threatening illnesses on a hunt.
This is an increase from sending three children last year.
"We have fans coming from as far as Missouri to watch us take someone on a hunt," Patterson said. "It's really become popular because it's about giving these kids happiness and smiles."
Patterson said that the upcoming hunt is about trying to make a child's dream come true, because they may spend months in a hospital.
"Theresa is really a good person who genuinely cares about these kids and wants to make these kids' dreams come true," Say said.
Camo Cares is supported through volunteers and donations. To make a donation or find more information, visit wiredoutdoors.com or call 717-304-2770.
