Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times campers and counselors with the popular Comic-Con cow, popular with campers because it elevates courage, strength and hope.Photo courtesy of Brian Crater
Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times campers and counselors with the popular Comic-Con cow, popular with campers because it elevates courage, strength and hope. Photo courtesy of Brian Crater

Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, in Mountain Center, provides camping experiences for kids with cancer. Over this past summer, a herd of 10 brightly painted fiberglass cows raised the spirits of campers as the herd moved each day from barn to pasture.

“Our campers don’t want to feel defined by cancer,” said Brian Crater, associate executive director of the camp. “Camp was created to give them an excuse to be themselves, to laugh and have fun in a medically-supervised outdoor environment. The cows provide the kids fun photo ops and promote conversations among campers and counselors. The Comic-Con themed cows depicting super heroes resonate most with our campers as we spend a lot of time at camp talking about courage, strength and hope.”

The campus cows were part of a herd of 32 commissioned by a California Got Milk campaign called “Milk Loves Art,” promoting California’s rich cultural heritage. Cows were painted by artists from California and themed to showcase the state’s cultural mosaic. Twenty artists created the varied cow designs ranging from stunning scenery to cultural icons – Highway 101, its string of missions and the California coastline; the state’s history of musical diversity; Comic-Con; and a tribute to old Hollywood and legendary Hispanic stars.

Crater said camp cows will be auctioned off later this year with proceeds going to fund the camp’s year-round, cost-free program for children for cancer and their families.

Cows are colorful, specifically themed, and stand about four feet tall.

If interested in having a cow for your yard, and helping to fund Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times’ activities, contact Crater at (951) 659-4609 or [email protected].

To learn about ways to support the camp and see all 32 cow designs, visit http://rmhcsc.org/camp/events/view/118.