SPIRIT OF COCA-I - BRANDON BRIERY - CAMP CAMP

This year’s Spirit of COCA honoree exemplifies the COCA-I Spirit is so many ways. He not only is currently the COCA-I Secretary, he has participated in several COCA conference committees, was the driving force behind the success of the 2012 COCA-I conference in San Antonio, been a speaker on a variety of topics at multiple COCA-I and other camp conferences, has mentored campers and counselors at camps across the country, and is a fierce advocate for COCA.

When volunteers are needed for different committees, speakers are needed for a conference, or a D.J. is required for a function, He is the first person to speak up and volunteer. He has given countless hours in support of COCA and member camps over the years. Whether serving on the COCA-I board, D.J.'ing a R.O.C.K. Camp event in Florida, or just cleaning up after a conference he attacks any and all projects with passion and dedication. His passion mixed with his years of camping knowledge make him an asset to any organization that he works with.

While his doctorate is in clinical child psychology, he decided early on the clinical hospital setting was not for him. While working with children with cancer in a hospital setting was rewarding, he found himself searching for ways to help outside of the hospital. He began volunteering for a variety of camps in 1992 to help escape the clinical setting and bring his training to a camp environment. His caring heart and amazing energy have served him well in this area.

Meanwhile his clinical training has been put to use helping children cope with their illness in a fun and supportive atmosphere. He exemplifies the COCA-I mission to strengthen the international community of camps for children with cancer and their families through networking, advocacy, and education. He is constantly putting different camps in touch with each other if he knows they share similar needs. He is a fierce advocate that if the world was more like camp, then it would be a better place. He embodies this philosophy by bringing his energy to any camp he is involved with. He is constantly sharing the message of COCA-I wherever he goes. Lastly he is always willing to share his knowledge with any camp that asks. He has traveled to many camps to see their operations and lend his ideas to the cause. He is always a mentor to those who he interacts with.

Brandon Briery embodies the Spirit of COCA-I in so many ways it is impossible to list them all.  It is this reason he has been named Spirit of COCA 2014.