Reston resident Len Forkas is going to the ends of the earth — literally — to help children facing cancer.
The 65-year-old business owner, tech entrepreneur and seasoned endurance athlete founded the nonprofit Hopecam after witnessing the deep isolation his own son endured during leukemia treatment. Now, he’s climbing the world’s tallest peak to raise $1 million to expand the charity and make sure no child fights alone.
“These children are going through cancer, have to face their own mortality at a very young age, and it leaves a mark,” says Forkas. “What we do is really try to fill that empty piece, which is their friends.”
Hopecam’s Goal
Forkas’ mission began in 2003, when his 9-year-old son, Matt, was diagnosed with leukemia. Forced to stay home from his third grade classroom, Matt (who is now 32) became increasingly isolated from his classmates during treatment. “I realized he was depressed because he couldn’t see his friends,” Forkas says.
So the business owner who built cell towers collaborated with Matt’s school to install a webcam in the classroom. (In those days, Zoom and Skype didn’t exist.). That simple connection helped Matt feel less alone — and sparked the idea for Hopecam, which has since helped thousands of children maintain vital friendships that lift them up in their hardest moments.
“Seventy percent of the kids we connect attend Title One schools (which serve predominantly low-income students), and a lot of these kids don’t have the Internet at home,” Forkas says. “There’s no way they could afford a tablet or a Chromebook, so there’s an awful lot of need.”
Not Just Physical Implications
For children with cancer, the isolation from school and friends can be just as devastating as the illness, Forkas notes. Hopecam has spent over two decades providing free tablets, laptops, internet access and technical support to families with children fighting the disease.
The nonprofit organization ensures that young patients can stay connected to their classrooms and peer groups, even during long stretches away from school. They also use the equipment for virtual doctor visits and entertainment during treatment. He had seen the difference in his own child, since Matt was connected to his classmates back in 2002.
“He wasn’t the forgotten kid,” Forkas says. “We had demystified cancer for those kids in the classroom and we’d also really thrown a lifeline to my son.”
Extensive Services, Extensive Hope
Hopecam began partnering with St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in 2013, which exponentially grew the nonprofit. At present, the organization has served almost 6,000 children across all 50 states, and has connections with 160 hospitals.
Hopecam’s founder hopes to increase the group’s efforts by 500 more children through the Mt. Everest fundraiser. He is more than halfway to his goal of raising $1 million in support for the climb. His organization is supported by numerous foundations and corporate sponsors like Zoom, Logitech, and AT&T.
“We’re looking for investors, we’re not looking for donors,” he says. “We’re looking for investors that want to help us create more impact.”
Northern Virginia Magazine caught up with Len Forkas via Zoom during a break in his Mount Everest trek, where each day he writes a blog honoring a different child battling cancer. In each entry, he shares their interests, hobbies, and dreams — carrying their stories with him up the mountain.
“By taking these children with me, it shows them that someone is thinking about them, someone cares,” Forkas says. “But really, they motivate me. If I’m winded, freezing, or having a tough day climbing, I think about what they’re enduring — some kids go through 30 straight days of radiation. That puts everything in perspective.”
Forkas hopes to reach Everest’s summit by mid to late May. This is his second attempt at the climb; in 2023, a life-threatening case of pulmonary edema forced him to be airlifted off the mountain.
If successful this time, the veteran athlete will complete the “Seven Summits” — the highest peaks on each of the seven continents — a feat few have accomplished. And even fewer have done in the name of such a personal and powerful cause.
Feature image courtesy Len Forkas
