Mark Tulchinsky began teaching in South Bend in 1968, and officiating school sports in 1970's. Educating, nurturing and developing strong children were more than just passions; they were a way of life for both Mark and his wife Nan. Mark quickly moved from teacher to administrator to create a greater impact in the lives of the children in our community. Nan taught for 36 years before taking on the role of Athletic Director for the South Bend Community School Corporation. Together they built strong children who would become leaders in our community as adults.
When Mark died suddenly in 2008, the community was in shock. After some of the grief and shock subsided, an inspiring initiative was born in his honor. Lynn Kachmarik spearheaded Camps 4 Champs out of the Tulchinsky's devotion to children and their belief in the role athletics play to develop character, perseverance and collaboration. The Mark Tulchinsky Camps 4 Champs program is committed to carrying out Mark's mission of providing opportunities for at-risk youth to demonstrate their "personal best." It also honors his commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs, where he had served as a board member.
Camps 4 Champs provides at-risk boys and girls of all ages with an opportunity to demonstrate their personal best by attending different camps at all local high schools, colleges and other camp locations. Participants attend day and overnight camps that focus on character development along with life skills taught through drills learned in basketball, football, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, softball and more. Thanks to the generosity of area businesses, individual donors, schools and universities, open camp slots are offered free of charge to children enrolled at the Boys & Girls Club or living at the Center for the Homeless.
Each year, the program provides over 200 camp spots for at-risk youth. These are opportunities that that the low-income families served by the Club could not otherwise afford.
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