For Karen Haag, the first-year coach of women's basketball at the College of Saint Rose, spending time at camps is routine. This year, she traveled to several blue-chip basketball camps recruiting for the Golden Knights.

But basketball certainly isn't life for Haag, and not all camps she attends have something to do with basketball.

Haag is co-founder of Camp Bravehearts, a retreat designed for women who have been diagnosed with cancer. A cancer survivor herself, Haag has described Camp Bravehearts as a cancer camp founded by cancer survivors, for cancer survivors.

"We want participants to see that we have a lot of living to do and a lot to celebrate," Haag said.

This year's camp took place in September at the YMCA Kamp Kresge in White Haven, Pennsylvania.

Forty women from the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area had the opportunity to share life experiences, to interact and to bond with other cancer patients for three days.

Underwritten by the Northeast Pennsylvania Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Bristol-Myers Squibb and many private donors, the camp is only $25 for the entire weekend and it is open to women with all forms of cancer.

"Our goal is to provide women who are dealing with cancer an opportunity to share life experiences," Haag said. "Through the exercise, crafts, wellness, outdoor, educational and social activities offered at Camp Bravehearts, we provide participants with an opportunity to learn new skills, increase self-esteem and confidence and also help address the risks and fears that many women face during and after treatment."

The camp offers a number of activities to promote the participants' well-being and recovery, including kickboxing, aerobics, nature hikes, boating, fly fishing and mountain biking.

There are wellness classes and crafts workshops, including knitting, wreath-making and ceramics. Nutrition and cooking classes, manicures, makeovers and massages also were available to the campers.

Haag, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 1999, continued to coach throughout her chemotherapy treatment.

Haag founded Camp Bravehearts with Joyce Chulock and Lori Walsh, also cancer survivors. The trio was inspired to begin its camp after visiting Camp Good Days and Special Times, a camp for cancer patients in Penn Yan, New York.

For more information about Camp Bravehearts, call Haag at 518/454-2064 or Joyce Chulock at 570/788-2363.