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<\/p>\nFollowing a Caribbean getaway during his cancer battle, Pete Bossow Jr. set out to provide others with a similar opportunity.<\/p>\n
Marci Schankweiler, founder and CEO of the Plymouth Meeting-based For Pete\u2019s Sake Cancer Respite Foundation, noted her late husband continually thought of others even as his own health deteriorated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe kept talking about being able to do the same thing for people who may not have a lot of support,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Schankweiler recalled trips to Lake Winola in Wyoming County toward the end of Bossow\u2019s life, where he outlined his goals for the venture. More than two decades later, officials from For Pete\u2019s Sake and Woodloch Legacy Resort Collection broke ground Thursday on \u201cPete\u2019s Dream,\u201d a new, $25 million, 32-acre cancer respite center in Lackawaxen Twp., Pike County, which will serve about 4,400 patients and their families each year. Current program capacity allows the organization to provide a respite opportunity to approximately 700 people each year, officials said.<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring that time, Pete really put forth his vision of being able to begin a respite center,\u201d Schankweiler said. \u201cBefore he passed away, he actually kind of set it in motion. And here we are today, going back to the promise we made to Pete and constructing the nation\u2019s first-of-its-kind respite center and doing it right in this community, which is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The facility will feature a pool for therapeutic healing, a chapel, an art room, a family game room, and a dining room that will serve 60,000 meals a year, Schankweiler said. The center will also include immersive outdoor experiences for adults and children.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the first of its kind in such a comprehensive approach for young families battling cancer of all types,\u201d she said. \u201cWe found the right partner in Woodloch. They\u2019re experts in hospitality and we\u2019re experts in respite. We\u2019re bringing two amazing groups together to really effectuate the success of this center. I truly believe it\u2019s sacred ground because what\u2019s going to happen within the doors of this facility and within these walls is going to give families a chance to recognize that no matter what happens in this cancer journey, love really binds them.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shape of the building \u2014 designed to look like outstretched arms \u2014 also has a symbolic meaning.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want families to know that no one walks this journey alone,\u201d Schankweiler said. \u201cWe\u2019re walking along with them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bob Kiesendahl, owner and food and beverage director for Woodloch, envisions welcoming the first families to the 20-room, 32,000-square-foot center by the fall of 2027.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like a boutique hotel, and they\u2019ll also have access to all the Woodloch amenities and facilities,\u201d Kiesendahl said.<\/p>\n
After Bossow\u2019s death, Schankweiler left her job as an attorney and launched the foundation, which has served more than 12,000 people.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy husband, Pete, was diagnosed with (testicular) cancer at the age of 29, and he passed away at the age of 30,\u201d she said. \u201cDuring that time period, our friends, not really knowing what to do for such a young person who had advanced-stage cancer, threw us a beef and beer, a Philadelphia tradition, and raised money to help with the financial strain.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, Bossow pitched another idea for the couple to use the donations, Schankweiler said.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wanted to take the money and go away on respite to remove ourselves from the trials and tribulations of what I would call \u2018cancer chaos\u2019 \u2014 the appointments, the tests, the uncertainty \u2014 and just be able to rest, reset and reconnect, recognizing that no matter what happens with the outcome of this cancer journey you always have the base of love in everything you do.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Pete\u2019s Sake provides transformative respite experiences to cancer patients ages 21-55, their caregivers, and their children, officials said. Oncology professionals refer patients to the program.<\/p>\n
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A rendering of a new cancer respite center designed by For Pete\u2019s Sake being built adjacent to Woodloch Springs in Pike County. (Courtesy For Pete\u2019s Sake)\n<\/p>\n
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A rendering of a new cancer respite center designed by For Pete\u2019s Sake being built adjacent to Woodloch Springs in Pike County. (Courtesy For Pete\u2019s Sake)\n<\/p>\n
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A rendering of a new cancer respite center designed by For Pete\u2019s Sake being built adjacent to Woodloch Springs in Pike County. (Courtesy For Pete\u2019s Sake)\n<\/p>\n