Camps for Kids

ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Camp Kesem
Kesem is a nationwide community, driven by passionate college student leaders, that supports children through and beyond their parent’s cancer. Camp Kesem operates free summer camps for children who have been impacted by a parent’s cancer.

Founded at Stanford University in 2000, Camp Kesem has since expanded to over 100 chapters in 40 states across the country.

With over 5 million children impacted by a parent’s cancer, Camp Kesem must continue expanding to meet this need. Kesem is the largest national organization dedicated to this unique population. For many children, their Camp Kesem experience is a life-changing event, providing them a community of children with similar experiences, and a safe and welcoming environment to have fun and just be a child.

Kesem now serves 10 times the number of children supported ten years ago. In summer 2017, over 7,300 children attended over 100 week-long sessions of Camp Kesem held at fun and exciting campsites from coast-to-coast.

Camp Quality

Camp Quality serves children with cancer and their families by providing year-round programs, experiences, and companionship, at no cost. Camp Quality promotes hope and inspiration while helping children foster life skills and develop their full potential.

Camp Quality USA establishes and sustain nationwide community-based camping experiences and ongoing support programs for children with cancer and their families. In the USA, there are presently 15 camps established in 12 states. More than 700 children participate in our camps each summer, and many more participate in Camp Quality activities throughout the year.

More than 10,000 children are diagnosed with cancer every year. Countless numbers of families struggle with the physical, emotional and financial drains of such a disease. To make matters worse, the cause of childhood cancer is largely unknown, making successful treatment a challenge, current research necessary and an established support system imperative.

Our vision is that all children with cancer and their families find joy and hope through shared experiences and an ongoing support system.

Camp Quality’s program is focused to care for the emotional needs of children and their families. As they face the “bad days” and celebrate the good ones, a support network of peers provides tremendous strength and hope. As Camp Q. continues to grow in our outreach, we will laugh with, inspire and lift up as many children as we are able . . . hopefully as many as necessary.

The goals and aims of Camp Quality are simple, yet so very important.

• To allow children to be children again.
• To create stress-free environments that offer exciting activities, foster new friendships, and help give children courage, motivation and emotional strength.
• To give the families of children with cancer a much-needed rest, knowing that the highest quality program has been selected to keep their child happy, a companion has been assigned to ensure their safety, and medical supervision will be provided at every camp.
• To give the children hope in that the camping experience will be such fun they will look forward to and anticipate their next camp, and that the memories from their special week will sustain them in the weeks and months ahead as they continue their medical treatment.

As long as there are children with cancer, we will strive to care for them. Camp Quality is all about Hope—hope for a successful treatment, hope for a cure, and hope for the future.

ALABAMA

Camp Smile-A-Mile (SAM)
Smile-A-Mile’s mission is to provide hope, healing of the spirit and love for the whole family during the childhood cancer journey. Through year-round meaningful and educational programming, Smile-A-Mile helps those in Alabama who are affected by childhood cancer thrive during treatment and the years beyond.

Camp Rap-A-Hope

Serves children who have or had cancer and live along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana with the vast majority coming from Alabama. A one-week free summer camp for children and teenagers who are battling cancer or who have ever been diagnosed with cancer.

ARIZONA

Candlelighters Weekend Family Retreat
Located in the mountains near Tucson, Arizona, this three-day camp in June offers a free retreat for the entire family.

Arizona Camp Sunrise and Sidekicks
Offers special programs for children who have or have had cancer, and their brothers and sisters.

Our amazing campers come from all over the Southwest United States and have one thing in common: their lives have been directly impacted by cancer. Arizona Camp Sunrise exists because of the strength and hope of every one of our campers.

ARKANSAS

Camp Aldersgate
The American Cancer Society offers free summer camps for children with cancer (in treatment or remission) that provide a peer-supported place to become kids again and see that they are not alone in their struggle.

Camp Dream Street 
For one week each summer children visit a magic place called Camp Dream Street.We welcome children from 6 thru 16 from Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and southern Missouri regardless of race, color, culture or religious belief. Their healthy siblings participate as space allows.

There is no failure at Camp Dream. The children get to enjoy all the fun things other kids do at camp: swim, fish, hike, and canoe. They learn new skills like archery and photography. Fun art activities and music are part of some days. Our campers make new friends, build lasting friendships, and share once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Developing a sense of independence and self confidence is another part of the Camp Dream Street experience.

Children are accepted at any stage of their disease process and in remission. Medical protocols established by the child’s physician are always followed. Should the need arise, campers can be transported to major medical facilities in Ft. Smith, Arkansas.

Our staff are dedicated individuals, age 18 and older, who volunteer their time and talents to make the week a memorable one for our campers. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, including: students, teachers, doctors & nurses, business men and women, even retirees.

Thanks to private, corporate, and service club donations, Camp Dream Street is free of charge to camper families.

CALIFORNIA

Camp Okizu
Welcome to Okizu!For 35 years Camp Okizu has offered support programs to families who have a child diagnosed with cancer. Camp Okizu has become a second family and a home away from home for thousands of patients, siblings, and parents.

We offer a variety of medically supervised residential camping programs throughout the year and hope that we have a program that’s right for you. All of our programs are free of charge.

We invite you to learn more about our programs and hope you will use this section as a starting place to get to know us and to join the Okizu family. “Going through this feels like we’ve been in a war zone and this is a place of joy, peace, and tranquility. It’s very healing to be in a beautiful setting and to play again. We spend so much time in the hospital and this is the antidote. It helps us relearn how to relax and be a family.” — Okizu Parent

Weekend camps for the entire family. Family Camp is a chance for the patient, siblings, and parents to come together for a weekend at our beautiful facility to relax and enjoy some quality family time while building friendships with other families who are raising children through the cancer diagnosis. Click here for more information.

Week-long camps for children who have or have had cancer. Oncology Camp offers summer fun and peer support for cancer patients ages 6-17 at our medically supervised sleep-away camps. Click here for more information.

Week-long camps for brothers and sisters of pediatric oncology patients. SIBS Camp offers summer fun and peer support for siblings ages 6-17. Click here for more information.

Week-end programs for older patients and their siblings. TNT participants are between the ages of 18 and 25. Click here for more information.

Week-end camps for bereaved families and for bereaved teens and young adults. Click here for more information.

A very special camp offering a free opportunity for children with cancer to learn independence, nourish positive self-esteem and gain skills they never thought were possible. “The mission of the Okizu Foundation is to provide recreational, respite, and peer support programs to meet the needs of all members of families affected by childhood cancer.” Camp Okizu offers week-long summer camp sessions just for siblings, and siblings are included in the weekend family retreats. There are also weekend Teens and Twenties programs that include both siblings and patients together, as well as weekend programs for bereaved teens. All programs are free of charge.

KidsKonnected Camp
Kids Connected Junior Camp is open to youth, ages 7 to 13 years old with a parent or caregiver affected by cancer.

Camp tuition is offered on a “pay what you can” basis from $350 to full scholarship.  Although there is a maximum capacity for camp, no child is ever turned away for financial reasons.
Enrollment in camp includes transportation from our office to Big Bear, CA.

Daily activities are facilitated by YMCA staff and include swimming, archery, canoeing, arts and crafts, rope course, and gaga ball.

Seany’s Camp Reach for the Sky
Provides three week-long camps for children facing a cancer diagnosis and their siblings. The Seany Foundation also conducts two weekend long camps. One serving teens, both patient and siblings, that focuses on life after cancer and future career paths. Another serving families who have a parent with a cancer diagnosis. 

Teen Winter Weekend (TWW), a weekend camping session for teens with a cancer diagnosis and their siblings that was discontinued nearly six years ago due to a change in funding priorities by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Teens receiving treatment for cancer and their siblings have been begging for the program’s return ever since it was closed. By once again offering this teens-only session in 2015, The Seany Foundation aims to show its dedication to meeting the unique needs of the teenagers in our community affected by childhood cancer. TWW, will be held on February 16-18, 2018 at the YMCA Raintree Ranch in Julian, CA.

Historically, our camper population has included pediatric oncology patients ages 4 to 17 years old and their siblings. Our goal at Camp is to give all kids coping with cancer the chance to be kids—an experience often taken away or put on hold by the disease. Even though the emphasis is on having fun, campers often informally and organically share their concerns and experiences with each other. Seany’s Family Camp will give 20 families the opportunity to spend quality time together as a family, as well as find comfort and normalcy with their situation by meeting other families facing similar challenges. Unlike other family camps, Seany’s Family Camp will focus on the emotional needs of the otherwise healthy child, helping to support his or her struggle to understand and thrive alongside the parent’s life-threatening illness.

Staying true to The Seany Foundation’s mission, Family Camp’s primary focus will remain on the children within these families. The main objective of this camping session is to give these kids the opportunity to casually meet other kids who also have a parent diagnosed with cancer. Camp is a highly supportive, confidential atmosphere that serves as safe haven for the children who attend. By partaking in Seany’s Family Camp, the children will learn that they are not alone and leave with the understanding that they are just regular kids who happen to be dealing with some special problems.

Just a few of the activities participants of Seany’s Family Camp will look forward to include: Swimming, zip line, challenge course, rock-climbing wall, archery, hiking trails, game room, tree house & slide, basketball, tennis, meadow games, playgrounds, tetherball, horseshoes, music concerts, massages, manicures, catered meals, arts and crafts, and campfires. Activities are adjusted to meet the needs/health/strength challenges of all participants.

World’s Greatest Camp
Held in the San Bernardino Mountains in March, this weekend-long camp is for teens in grades 6 through 12. Teenage patients and their siblings can take part in many of the same activities available.

Camp Sunshine Dreams
Designed to offer the child who has cancer a camp experience as similar as possible to the typical summer camp experience. Siblings attend with a brother or sister who has/ had cancer for 1+ week of camp.

Environmental Traveling Companion
Provides year round programming for kayaking, rafting and cross country ski trips to enable participants of all abilities to access the wilderness, gain environmental awareness, and share the adventure. Costs vary.

Tuolumne Trails
A free camp for children with special medical needs. Located on 80 beautiful acres of Sierra Nevada wilderness outside the mountain community of Groveland, California near Yosemite National Park.

Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times

Nothing can compensate for the anguish that childhood cancer inflicts, but since 1982, Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times® has helped thousands of children and their family members recapture hope, enthusiasm, and love of life in a medically and psychologically safe environment created especially for them. Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times® offers a variety of residential camping opportunities for cancer patients, their siblings and parents all year long!

Camp Sunshine Dreams

Camp Sunshine Dreams is designed to offer the child who has cancer a camp experience as similar as possible to the typical summer camp experience. The camp is an enjoyable, stimulating and supportive experience and provides for the special emotional and physical needs of the children attending. Because it is recognized that siblings of children with cancer also have special needs, the camp is also open to these individuals as well.

Camp Sunshine Dreams is a successful program, which has demonstrated surpassing value to cancer patients and their siblings who attend. This camp has also been held in high esteem by parents, the medical community, the media, and the general public.

COLORADO

Sky High Hope Camp 

Sky High Hope Camp is a week-long camp for children who have (or have had) cancer and their siblings.  Now hosted at Buckhorn United Methodist Church, the camp includes cabins with electricity and bathrooms, an infirmary, a dining room and a camp store.

At first glance, it appears as any other overnight camp. Campers participate in archery, arts and crafts, canoeing, hayrack riding, whitewater rafting, skits, a sing along under the stars and a field day. However, at closer look, one notices a few wheelchairs, some bald heads due to chemotherapy treatments, and scars from surgeries. These are children who have endured much as a cancer patient, or as a sibling, and they are having the time of their lives.

The week is filled with laughter and enduring friendships, all made possible through the work of our dedicated volunteers and the monetary donations made to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Denver.

Camp Wapiyapi
Patients and siblings ages 6-17 attend for 1+ week of camp; siblings may attend on their own.

First Descents
Using kayaking, extreme sports and professional athletes, First Descents offers young adults with cancer outdoor experiences that will forever change their lives.

Live By Living
Offers free guided outdoor adventures along the Denver area Front Range and in the central Colorado Rockies (hikes, ski tours, snowshoe tours, and overnight trips to cozy cabins).

Little Star Foundation
One-week free camp for children actively in treatment and up to 18 months out of treatment.

Roundup River Ranch
A free medically-supported camp for kids with chronic and life-threatening illnesses. Family weekends are also offered. A member of the Paul Newman Serious Fun Camps, Roundup River Ranch works with regional hospitals, including Children’s Hospital.

Heroes Forever
Offers an annual long weekend at the YMCA of the Rockies – Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park.

Camp Courage

We are a privately funded, non-profit organization dedicated to providing a no cost outdoor camp experience to children diagnosed with cancer.  We will provide the campers with challenge experiences designed to provide them with coping skills to deal with the challenges of living with cancer.   The inspiration for Camp Courage came from my desire to share the outdoors with kids and seeing how it can change lives,  as well as witnessing firsthand, the devastating effects that cancer can have.  Camp Courage can hopefully give the participants a rich, rewarding experience far removed from their daily struggles.

Camp Courage is not a “cancer camp” where cancer is the focus; it’s a place where kids can be kids. Yes, they share this unfortunate disease, but that’s not what defines them, and it’s not what defines Camp Courage. We put cancer on the back burner, immersing kids in a week of outdoor adventures and fun. Activities include fishing in an on-site pond, a zip-line, the Big Swing, high ropes course, archery, horseback riding, boating, camp crafts, and hiking. Camp Courage is housed at the Balarat Outdoor Education Center located near Jamestown Colorado, about 50 miles northwest of Denver.  The facility sits at an elevation of 7,500ft in the foothills outside of Boulder Colorado.  The campers will be housed in a quaint lodge and have access to the full 700 acres of beautiful mountain terrain.

Nighthawk Ranch

Nighthawk Ranch is much more than just another camp experience. Kids and teenagers ages 10-18 with cancer (first phases of treatment behind them) have the opportunity to live on a ranch and to develop skills that will show them just how incredibly capable they are.

Each session is limited to seven (7) campers to allow each participant to have personalized support. Campers are encouraged to not only challenge themselves, but to cheer on others as they all meet challenges head-on and handle them with strength and joy. By the end of each one-week session, the spirits of the campers really do soar!

So is Nighthawk a ranch … or a camp? It’s both! Nighthawk Ranch is a unique place that offers activities a typical camp offers (archery, ropes course, camping, etc.), but we also offer our campers a chance to experience the activities that come with living on a working ranch.C

Campers wake up bright and early each day to feed the cows and horses. Each camper is responsible for grooming and caring for their own horse; which will be the horse they also learn to ride. Horses and cows are not the only animals at Nighthawk Ranch. Camp participants will see deer, goats, rabbits, dogs, and many other species of wildlife roaming around the ranch. For kids and teenagers who love animals, this will be an experience that will stay with them forever.

We are located in the hills of South Park County in Guffey, Colorado, 60 miles west of Colorado Springs and 32 miles north of Canon City, surrounded by the Pike National Forest.. The main facility is a beautiful, modern 10,000 square foot mountain log home, where the campers eat, sleep, hang out, and play (lots of indoor activities on the lower level). It is surrounded by 320 acres of awe-inspiring nature including pine and aspen.  

All one-week sessions at Nighthawk Ranch are 100% FREE! Because of our relationship with Angel Flight Central (AFC) we are able to not only accept kids from Colorado, but from surrounding states as well. Travel expenses are completely paid for, so there is absolutely no cost to the families. With all the care and support of the staff and volunteers, the natural beauty of the land, the wonder of the wildlife, and all the activities, campers will have the time of their lives. At Nighthawk Ranch kids and teenagers can do what they do best… just be kids!

Watch the video on the website for a magnificent tour of the Ranch.

CONNECTICUT

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp

We are a community that includes the kids and families we serve, the volunteers and staff who help us make a difference, the partners and donors who support our mission, and the alumni who keep our community strong. Together, we make “a different kind of healing” possible!

A serene place for children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses to find camaraderie, joy and a renewed sense of being a kid.

We are not defined by our illnesses, and we certainly don’t let them slow us down.

We are kids like every other – looking for fun, friendship and the chance to raise a little hell. We find that through a variety of Hole in the Wall programs at Camp and beyond. We are artists, swimmers, horseback riders, song-singers and bushy-tail-shakers. We love to laugh and create a little mischief with our new friends, while finding out together that we are capable of so much more than we ever imagined. As former campers, staff and volunteers, our Camp experiences helped to shape who we are today – so we keep the Camp spirit alive by staying involved in events and connected to old friends.

Our day-to-day lives aren’t the same as other families’. Sometimes we don’t know what to expect from one day to the next, but one thing we can always count on is the support, acceptance and friendship of our Camp community. Camp programs haven’t just changed our child’s life – they’ve changed all of us.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is dedicated to providing “a different kind of healing” to seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge. It’s a community that celebrates the fun, friendship and spirit of childhood, where every kid can “raise a little hell.”

Our goal is to ensure that every child with a serious medical condition has the chance to experience the world of possibilities that camp has to offer. Through the generosity of others, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp community provides this unique healing experience to kids in need and their families, including those who may not be able to come to Camp.

Our core values are the principles that guide both strategic decisions and daily behavior rooted in the philosophy and vision of Camp’s founder.

Safety:

The care of children with serious illnesses is both a serious responsibility and a serious privilege. Physical and emotional safety is paramount in all we do.

Camaraderie:

We create a community that fosters friendship, inclusivity, a little bit of mischief and a whole lot of laughter.

Possibility:

All aspects of our community are designed to allow every individual inspired by Camp to believe that the impossible can be possible.

Appreciation:

We recognize the generosity and gratitude of others and intend to exemplify that in all our decisions and actions. We remain grateful for the original dream of our founder to pair good fortune with misfortune, and we cherish the friendships we have with all inspired by Camp.

Camp Rising Sun
Camp Rising Sun exists to provide a safe, nurturing environment for kids who have faced the diagnosis of cancer so that they may grow and learn from their experiences to become the
best they can be.

Camp Rising Sun welcomes any child aged 5-17 who has faced a diagnosis of cancer to a week of fun and friendship.  Campers can be in treatment, in remission, or anywhere in between.  Camp is held in the beautiful hills of Colebrook, Connecticut at the facilities of Camp Jewell, a YMCA campground.  Campers stay in heated cabins with other children in their age group along with a dedicated staff.  Thanks to our generous supporters there is no cost to attend camp.

FLORIDA

Camp Rap-A-Hope
A member of Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International. Serves children who have or had cancer and live along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana with the vast majority coming from Alabama. A one-week free summer camp for children and teenagers who are battling cancer or who have ever been diagnosed with cancer.

B.A.S.E. Camp
Providing a year-round base of support for children with cancer and their siblings and families who are facing the challenge of living with cancer and other life-threatening hematological diseases.

Camp Boggy Creek

Welcome to Camp Boggy Creek. A place of dreams, of joy, of possibilities. A camp where children with serious illnesses and their families can forget the word “no” for a little while and embrace the promise of “yes”.

Camp Boggy Creek was founded in 1996 by Paul Newman and General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, with one simple premise in mind, that every child, no matter th illness, could experience the transformational spirit and friendships that go hand in hand with camp.

Enriching the lives of children who have chronic or life-threatening illnesses by creating camping experiences that are memorable, exciting and fun. The camp medical staff and facility accommodates children with many kinds of special needs, from bandaging a minor cut to administering chemotherapy. The medical presence is purposely kept in the background so the children can concentrate on filling their days with all the fun of a good old-fashioned camp experience. Siblings attend with a brother or sister who has/ had cancer for either 1+ week of camp or a weekend retreat.

Since 1996, Camp Boggy Creek has made it possible for children with serious illnesses to enjoy a camp experience in a safe, medically-sound environment. Located just a short drive from Orlando, Florida, the 232-acre camp serves children ages 7-16 who’ve
 been diagnosed with chronic or life-threatening conditions.

Camp Boggy Creek never charges campers to attend and never asks them to contribute anything other than a positive, playful attitude.

As a year-round retreat, Camp Boggy Creek is able to serve thousands for campers and their families through activity-packed weekly and weekend camp programs. The camp offers children the chance to catch their first fish, go horseback riding or climb our ropes 
tower, all while making new friends.

Beyond boundless fun, Camp Boggy Creek provides fellowship. Children can spend time with others who are just like them and share their life-experiences, which serves as a reminder that they are not alone.

Faces of Courage Camp 
Free camps for women, children, teens and families touched by cancer and/or blood disorders. Motto: Cancer is Serious, Camp is Serious FUN!!!

GEORGIA

Aurora Day Camp

Aurora Day Camp makes it possible for children with cancer to enjoy a summer filled with exciting daily activities, friendships and laughter, while paying careful attention to their medical and emotional needs.

Aurora is a full-summer day camp for children with cancer and their siblings, ages 3 ½ -16, offered free of charge.

Camp Sunshine

Camp Sunshine enriches the lives of Georgia’s children with cancer and their families through year-round recreational, educational and support programs. Camp Sunshine is committed to providing opportunities for normal development for all children with cancer throughout their journey and bringing together those with similar experiences to share and draw strength from one another amid common understanding.

A two-week free summer camp with year-round family programs currently serving over 700 children with cancer as well as their families. We are dedicated to creating a sense of place where children with cancer can be kids again. We are families dealing with childhood cancer who come together to share, grow and find hope. We are passionate volunteers, who give and receive so much more in return. We are trained professionals in the childhood cancer journey. We are Board Members and joyful donors. And together, we are an amazing Camp Sunshine family where a touch of magic happens in a multitude of ways. At camp, kids can enjoy normal activities like swimming, horseback riding, and arts and crafts. But most importantly, they discover their inner power to achieve more than they imagine and the gift of making forever friends. In fact, doctors and nurses often say the power of Camp Sunshine is as impactful in a child’s cancer journey as their treatment.

Red Carpet Day
A four-day retreat for teens with cancer including a visit to a theme park, day spa, and social events to bond with other teens who share their experiences.

Camp Twin Lakes
This a camp just for children who have/ had cancer and received a transplant and their families (including siblings).

HAWAII

Camp Anuenue
This camp offers family weekends that includes siblings, along with 1 week residential camp for the patient.

IDAHO

Camp Rainbow Gold

The Camp Rainbow Gold oncology camps are divided by age — youth camp for children 6-12 and a teen camp for children 13-17. Each week hosts approximately 50-60 children for a week of discovery and outdoor fun. Swimming. Sharing. Singing. Hiking. Playing. Fishing. Horseback riding. Dancing. Storytelling. Laughing. Painting. Biking. Memory making. Creating. Dreaming. Living.

A full medical staff and a licensed social worker keep a careful and nurturing watch over the medical and emotional needs of every camper. Highly trained camp staff and volunteers aim to provide a fun, safe and caring community for the children.

Children meet other children undergoing similar experiences who can share a bond only found here. Most campers return year after year, building on old friendships, adding new ones and eagerly welcoming first-time campers into the Camp Rainbow Gold family.

As the campers get older, they still want to come back. And they can. The Junior Counselor program brings them back to the camp to mentor their young friends.

Siblings of children diagnosed with cancer also experience a strong emotional and social impact. Oftentimes, siblings feel overlooked as the parents and other family members turn their attention to treatment and other considerations that coincide with a cancer diagnosis. Just as the child with cancer needs support, attention and care, so do their strongest supporters — their brothers and sisters.

Camp Rainbow Gold Sibling Camp plays hosts to approximately 80 siblings of Idaho children who have been diagnosed with cancer during some point in their lives. Over the course of several days, the attention turns to these children who also need the chance to have fun and make friends with other children who understand them.

The generosity of many Idaho residents and major fundraising events orchestrated by more than 200 volunteers brings Camp Rainbow Gold to life and makes this unique camp available without cost to campers and their families.

On the surface, Camp Rainbow Gold camps appear to be just like any other summer camps — fishing, hiking, camp fires, crafts, laughter and the chance to make lasting friendships. And maybe that’s exactly what they are — places to let go of worries, to relax and to spend time with people just like you. All camps are FREE to all campers and take place over the summer in the Sawtooth National Forest near Ketchum, Idaho.

Experience the magic of what happens when people come together to create emotionally empowering experiences for Idaho children diagnosed with cancer and their families. Camp Rainbow Gold is an oncology camp, a sibling camp and a family camp. It’s a teen support group and a college scholarship program. Camp Rainbow Gold is a celebration of life.

There is a special week-long sibling camp at Rainbow Gold. Camp Rainbow Gold Sibling Camp plays hosts to approximately 60 siblings of Idaho children who have been diagnosed with cancer during some point in their lives. Over the course of several days, the attention turns to these children who also need the chance to have fun and make friends with other children who understand them.

Recharge. Reconnect. Refocus. Camp Rainbow Gold Family Camp, held at Camp Perkins near Ketchum, Idaho, offers families a chance to focus on each other and enjoy the simplicity of camping in Idaho’s beautiful Sawtooth National Forest. Approximately 20 families of children with cancer meet others who face the same challenges.Climb a rock wall. Try your hand at archery. Take a bike ride. Hike and play and relax. But most importantly, do it together.

River Discovery
Provides river adventure programs to cancer survivors, both teens and adults. Located in Salmon, Idaho deep in the heart of the Salmon River Country on the doorstep of the largest wilderness in the lower 48 states. Offers river adventures for survivors of childhood, teen, and adult cancers for free. These programs, which last between one and 6 days, give survivors the chance to hike, swim, raft, paddle board, and kayak while learning about natural history, canyon history, and camping skills. Activities can be customized to accommodate any fitness level and no experience is required.

Camp Hobe
Camp Hobe is a special summer camp designed for children with cancer and their siblings, who are often forgotten in the cancer experience. Campers come from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.

Camp Bring It On

Camp Bring It on is the regions only residential camp for children with cancer and pediatric cancer survivors. Childhood should be a time filled with possibility and imagination, but a cancer diagnosis can quickly change that.  When you or someone in your family has to deal with cancer, your life is suddenly filled with doctor’s appointments, chemotherapy, radiation treatments and spinal taps.  Camp Bring It On gives these children the opportunity to just be children in a safe and secure environment.

The camp also functions to offer parents respite time secure in the knowledge that their children are in an extended recreation program with trained camp staff and medical supervision.

Camp Journey

Dealing with childhood cancer can sometimes make “just being a kid” seem out of reach—and out of scope for the whole family. At Camp Journey, our goal is to change that perception and that reality. In this nurturing, medically supervised home-away-from-home, young cancer survivors can leave their worries behind for one magical week and immerse themselves in a fun-filled outdoor camp experience tailored expressly to their needs. Meanwhile, their families and caregivers can rest easy, knowing that trained oncology staff is on-site 24/7.

With roots dating to 1985, Camp Journey is a no-cost resident and day camp for children diagnosed with cancer, both on and off therapy. The camp gives these children the opportunity to spend a week in the outdoors, participating in typical camp activities while making friends with others who understand and share their situation. They develop independence and confidence, learn new skills, and make memories to last a lifetime

ILLINOIS

Gilda’s Club Chicago

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation presents Gilda’s Club Chicago Teen Camp

June 25—29, 2018
9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Registration is strictly limited to 40 participants.

Registration opens on May 1.

Don’t miss out on this year’s annual summer day camp! Past activities include: yoga, hip-hop, art, cookingdemos, Second City performances, museums, Lasertron at Whirlyball and a visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

For more information or questions, please contact  Ashley Piotrowski, Noogieland Coordinator at [email protected] or call 312-464-9900, x116

The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation presents Gilda’s Club Chicago Kids Camp

July 30-August 3, 2018
9:00 a.m.—3:00 p.m.

Registration is strictly limited to 40 participants.

Registration opens on May 1.

Don’t miss out on this year’s annual summer day camp! Past activities include: yoga, hip-hop, art, cooking demos, Second City performances, museums, Lasertron at Whirlyball and a visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

For more information or questions, please contact  Ashley Piotrowski, Noogieland Coordinator at [email protected] or call 312-464-9900, x116

Camp COCO

One Step
Camp One Step is a leader in providing empowering, supportive, educational and fun experiences for children (5-19) who have been diagnosed with cancer. We are the only local organization to offer 11 different programs throughout the year serving children and families who live in Illinois, Wisconsin and throughout the Midwest.

“There is no other place on earth that can match the happiness and joy of going to camp. Going to Camp One Step made a big change in my life. Everyone was very welcoming. I will never regret going to Camp One Step. Seeing so many friendly faces can really put a smile on your face. There is no other place on earth that can match the happiness and joy of going to camp”.

In addition to our highly attended two-week overnight Summer Camp which serves over two hundred children each year, we now offer a total of eleven programs throughout the year designed to meet the emotional, educational, and support needs of pediatric cancer patients and their families. We are a volunteer-driven organization with the assistance of more than 400 volunteers who deliver outstanding support to children from a wide range of ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.Improving quality of life of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer and leukemia through summer camps and other programs that give these children the chance to enjoy outdoor fun and adventure. Sibling Camp is a 5-day overnight camp exclusively for siblings ages 10-19 of childhood cancer patients and survivors. This is a great opportunity for siblings to bond with peers who understand what its like to have a sibling with cancer. Games, activities, campfires, music and more.

Camp His Kids

Treatment Camp: For children ages 8-14 who are under-going cancer treatment or in remission.  Children with cancer find a place outside the hospital where they can feel like a “normal” kid again, where being bald is not unusual and other campers can relate to what they are going through, all while getting their daily medications from registered nurses who work in hematology/oncology in the St. Louis area.

Sibling Camp: For children ages 8-14 who are siblings of childhood cancer patients or have lost a sibling to cancer.  Siblings of children with cancer find a place where they are just as special as their brother or sister on treatment, and they find friends that understand their complicated feelings.  They get a week to have fun and be free of the typical stress in the home of a seriously ill child!

LIT Camp: For teens (ages 15-17) with cancer or in remission and teen siblings of children with cancer. In LIT (Leaders in Training) camp, teens find a place to learn what it means to be a counselor for children on treatment and their siblings and a leader in their school or community.  They also get a week to participate in fun activities, share their own feelings and make friends that last a lifetime!

Camp HIS KIDS provides a unique experience by giving these special children an opportunity to meet others that are going through the same circumstances outside of the hospital environment. Each activity at camp is therapeutically designed to meet the emotional and social needs of our campers as well as the physical ones.  These activities are planned by our highly trained Camp Directors including an art therapist, counselor, recreation specialist, and an early childhood education specialist. ​ We have a staff of around 50 volunteers (ages 18+) at Camp HIS KIDS.  Many of these volunteers started coming to camp as campers or LITs, but that is not a requirement.  Our volunteers participate in training weekend before the campers arrive at Camp HIS KIDS so they are prepared and well-trained to care for our campers and LITs.

Camp Kids Are Kids Chicago

How do you feel about coming to camp?

Mission Statement: To foster a spirit of joy in a fun, safe and medically sound, urban recreational environment that builds self esteem,
independence and friendships for children living with cancer.

INDIANA

Camp Watcha -Wanna -Do

We are committed to provide opportunity and support to every child living with cancer, their families and communities regardless of their medical circumstances through ongoing quality recreational activities.

From the day camp is over, Camp Watcha-Wanna-Do campers are already looking forward to next summer’s week of fun—and normalcy. The campers have lived through cancer and the aftermath of physical and emotional concerns; they know they are just a little bit different from the other kids. Here at Camp Watcha-Wanna-Do, each camper experiences seven days of freedom and acceptance.

In the fellow cancer survivors, campers find friends who understand the disease, but rise above it, unhindered and able to do anything they want to do. Watcha-Wanna-Do? Do it all at camp!

A one-week summer resident camp program offered to children 7-18. They may bring one sibling. Held in June.

Kinder camp is a one-day camp for children under the ages of 7 who are cancer survivors and their families. It is held on the Wednesday of resident camp.

Teen retreats and trips are held a few times a year as are activities such as pizza parties, bowling, amusement parks, etc.

Family camp is held once a year and is open to cancer survivors and their families. 40% of campers are siblings. Siblings can attend with a brother or sister who has/had cancer for 1+ weeks and participate in a family session weekend retreat.

Camp Little Red Door

I just hope that every kid who has cancer would be able to have a camp like this because it will change their life for the better.” -Elise, 17 years old

Camp Little Red Door is a weeklong camp held in June each year for Indiana children ages 8 to 18 who are in active cancer treatment or remission.  It is a chance for children with cancer to have the same camp experience as any other child and to interact with other children facing similar experiences.  Camp activities include swimming, canoeing, archery, horseback riding, zip lining, nature education, rock climbing, arts and crafts, campfires, and more!  For more information about camp, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions.

For 2018, Camp Little Red Door will be held Sunday, June 10^th to Friday, June 15th at Bradford Woods in Martinsville, IN.

The Robert T. Grand Leadership Academy (for campers ages 16 to 18) is held the weekend prior to camp. For more information about Leadership Academy, please visit Frequently Asked Questions

Spring and Fall Family Camps!  Held over a weekend at Bradford Woods, Family Camp is an opportunity for the entire family to experience camp! Occurring once in the spring and once in the fall, Family Camp Little Red Door is  offered to any family in Indiana with a child in or beyond treatment for cancer. Parents and all siblings are welcome to come spend time in the woods swimming, hiking, fishing, and cooking out among other families who understand the journey.

Fall Family Camp: October 12-14, 2018

New for 2018! Camp Little Red Door in the City: July 23-27, 2018- Camp Little Red Door in the City offers a week-long day camp experience to any child age 6-14 in or beyond cancer treatment and all of their siblings or a friend. Each day of camp participants will venture into the community to enjoy specialized activities with Indianapolis community partners.

Registration is available online through CampDoc for all three camp opportunities.For more information about CampDoc and the cost of camp, please visit here!

Learn more in LRD Camp War Buddies about the benefits for children who attend camp in a study published in Therapeutic Recreation Journal.

IOWA

Children’s Cancer Connection Camps

KANSAS

Camp Hope-Heartland

Camp Hope is open to children and teens between the ages of 5 and 17 years. We also offer a day camp starting at age 4 for youth who are too young or simply unable to attend the full week of camp.

Unique in its ability  to assist campers’ needs through a fully functional, on-site medical team, Camp Hope campers are able to enjoy traditional summer camp activities including, but not limited to, swimming, bowling, golf, fishing, hiking, archery, arts & crafts, and more.  It is a time for them to be around peers who have, or have had, similar life-altering illnesses and to be in a setting that lets them forget about their diagnosis while they have one of the best weeks of their lives.

Camp Hope offers the campers an opportunity to do things that all children do and to be among peers who have, or have had, similar life-threatening illnesses.  It provides a sense of empowerment, of self-determination and of self esteem.

Camp Hope is staffed by a 24 hour on-site medical team typically including physicians, nurses, a pharmacist and mental health specialists. Camp Hope allows the children to see they are not alone in their struggle and provide peer support for everyone involved.  Check out the rest of our website for more information about Camp Hope, the special place beyond the rainbow for youth with cancer.

It is the mission of Camp Hope to provide a normal, active, and safe camp experience where children can celebrate life with, through, and beyond the diagnosis of cancer.

KENTUCKY

The Center for Courageous Kids
A year-round medical camp for children who have chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Offers experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, build self-esteem, are physically safe and medially sound. Family retreats serve children 3-17 and summer camps serve children 7-15. Free.

Kids Cancer Alliance 
Kids Cancer Alliance offers a variety of camp and recreational activities year-around for children with cancer and their families. We are dedicated to providing once-in-a-lifetime experiences where children with cancer and their families can grow, learn, build friendships, and most importantly….have FUN just being kids! Offers a weeklong summer camp for children with cancer aged 6-18, a one-day day camp for children 4-6, a Sibling Camp, a family retreat weekend and events for entire families of children with cancer.

LOUISIANA

Camp Rap-A-Hope
A member of Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International. Serves children who have or had cancer and live along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana with the vast majority coming from Alabama. A one-week free summer camp for children and teenagers who are battling cancer or who have ever been diagnosed with cancer.

Camp Challenge
A grass roots non-profit organization dedicated to giving ill children and their siblings a fantastic summer camp experience.

MAINE

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Brothers and sisters of children who have/had cancer may attend a free 1 week sibling camp. They must be between the ages of 7-15. Brothers and sisters attend separately from their ill sibling.

Camp Sunshine at Sebago Lake

We inspire hope in families affected by life-threatening childhood illness through our unique, supportive program at our beautiful campus on Maine’s Sebago Lake.

When a child faces serious illness, the entire family is impacted. Camp Sunshine’s mission is to provide respite and support to each family member – children, siblings, and parents. Since its inception, Camp Sunshine has offered comfort, hope, and support to over 50,000 individuals from all 50 states and 27 countries.

The families who come to Camp Sunshine have children diagnosed with cancer, hematologic conditions, renal disease, systemic lupus erythematosus, and who have undergone solid organ transplantation. They attend illness-specific sessions of varying lengths where they have the opportunity to solidify and renew their relationships while meeting others facing similar challenges. Bereavement programming is also provided for families who have lost a child to the illnesses served at Camp.

Recreational activities allow children and adults to relax and enjoy the simplicity and beauty of life along the pristine shores of Sebago Lake. Games and other events foster family involvement, encouraging joy and laughter. While at Camp Sunshine, each family stays in their own suite, equipped with two twin beds, bunk beds, a futon, full bathroom, microwave oven, and refrigerator. Mealtimes in our dining room are occasions for socializing and unwinding.

Moderated parent groups are provided during Camp Sunshine sessions and are tailored to parents’ needs. These sessions are often the first opportunity parents have had to share their experiences with others in similar situations. The groups provide a forum in which parents can gain insight and support in dealing with illness-related issues.

The Camp Sunshine Program is free

All families are sponsored by generous individuals, civic groups, corporations, and foundations. To learn more about sponsoring a family and other ways of supporting Camp Sunshine, please visit the giving section of this website.

Medical Support

A physician is available 24-hours a day throughout each session to support the medical needs of families attending Camp. In addition, a state-of-the-art children’s hospital is only 40 minutes from Camp, and an urgent care center and community hospital with fully staffed emergency rooms are 20 minutes away.

Volunteer Support

Camp Sunshine relies on more than 2,500 volunteers annually, many of whom return year after year. The volunteers serve as camp counselors, and work in many areas of the program, including food service, arts and crafts, waterfront, and a variety of other activities. The majority of volunteers stay onsite and are provided with similar accommodations. To learn more about volunteering, please visit the volunteer section of this website.

MARYLAND

Special Love Inc. (BRASS Camp) 
A 1-week camp and/or weekend retreats exclusively for siblings. Siblings are also welcome at Special Love’s family camps held throughout the year.

Camp Sunrise

Camp Sunrise is a week long, overnight camp for pediatric oncology patients and survivors. At camp, we strive to provide children affected by cancer with a normal camping experience among their peers who have also experienced cancer treatment. Campers often say “Camp Sunrise is the best week of the year.” At Johns Hopkins, we believe kids should be kids — especially kids with cancer. Camp Sunrise helps to make that a reality.

Since its inception in 1986, Camp Sunrise has combined an exciting camp experience with professional medical support, which creates limitless opportunities for pediatric oncology patients to be normal kids again for a week. Amidst the camp fires, crafts, and sports and games, campers are given the chance to to establish strong peer relationships with others who have experienced cancer,  gain independence from the regimen of cancer treatment, and enhance self-confidence by trying new activities with camp friends, both new and old.

Camp Sunrise is held in early August in Annapolis, Maryland. The 187-acre campground has hiking trails throughout and boasts of its diverse ecosystems including wetlands, creeks, old growth trees, and forests. At the hub are rustic wood cabins, a health facility, dining hall and full kitchen, fully accessible pool, covered pavilions, basketball court, and large playing fields. Our unique environment allows patients and survivors to lean on each other, to share their thoughts and fears, and to come together with people who simply get it

MASSACHUSETTS

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Brothers and sisters of children who have/had cancer and live in CT, MA, RI, NY or NJ may attend a free 1 week sibling camp. They must be between the ages of 7-15. Brothers and sisters attend separately from their ill sibling.

Camp Casco
Camp Casco is a home away from home for childhood cancer patients and survivors.

It’s a place where kids experience the magic of summer camp, with the support and guidance of our outstanding caregivers, and the constant supervision of our professional medical team. Our camp family consists of kids at different stages of their experience with childhood cancer – varying widely from kids on active treatment to those who have been off-treatment for several years.

Each summer, we offer one free week of sleep-away summer camp to kids ages 7-17 in Becket, Massachusetts. This year, we’re excited to add a second week of summer camp: our brand-new Camp Casco Day Camp Experience in partnership with LINX Camps in Wellesley, MA, for kids ages 5-10.

Every week of summer camp has its own special theme, with corresponding theme days. We use our theme to inspire our daily activities, our decorations, and many of our counselors will even dress up to go with each day’s theme! In 2018, our theme is “Lights, Camera, Action!”, and we can’t wait to debut our movie-themed weeks this summer

At Camp Casco, we create amazing camp experiences that build lifelong connections and a supportive community for childhood cancer patients, survivors, and their families. Our camps and year-round services are provided with this end-goal in mind. We welcome returning and new families to check out any of our programs and services!

We offer free social events throughout the year designed to create and strengthen bonds between childhood cancer patients, survivors, siblings, and parents. Previous get-togethers have included indoor rock climbing, swimming, cupcake decorating, bowling, and more! These events are a great way to meet others in the community in a low-pressure, fun environment.

• Click here to learn more about our year-round family socials!

Our capstone programs are annual week-long summer camps. Open to childhood patients and survivors in the New England area, our programs provide opportunities for campers to increase self-esteem, experience independence, practice good teamwork, and forge lasting friendships, all under the supervision of medical professionals and experienced camp counselors.

• Click here to learn more about Day Camp (ages 5-10)!
• Click here to learn more about Overnight Camp (ages 7-17)!

Dream Day on Cape Cod

Dream Day on Cape Cod is a non-profit organization based in Brewster, Massachusetts, dedicated to bringing respite into the lives of children with serious and/or life-threatening illnesses and their families.

For 24 years, Dream Day has helped hundreds of these families disconnect from the daily struggles of hospital and doctors’ visits and round-the clock care to reconnect with one another and to connect with others who understand and accept what they have been going through at its Camp Nan-Ke-Rafe, a 17-acre facility located adjacent to Nickerson State Park.

Each summer we operate eight sessions of family camp – bringing families together for a week of fun, family, and respite. Our hope is that families have the chance to create loving, lasting memories that transcend illness and struggle.

We also host off-season family events, including an annual Holiday Weekend in December.

All of our programs are at no cost to the family.

 

MICHIGAN

Camp Casey
Through generous donations and compassionate volunteers, Camp Casey has spread the healing power of horses to Michigan families for over a decade.

Casey Foote was not very different from other 10-year-old girls.  She loved the outdoors, had an active imagination and adored animals. Unlike most children, though, Casey was battling bone and brain cancer and died just after her 12th birthday.

Casey would have loved for other children and their families to experience the joy that horses once gave her. We are proud to keep Casey’s legacy alive and enable children like her to apply the strength gained from our  program to their fight against cancer.

Little Mary’s Hospitality House
A year-round, family-oriented vacation home serving families who have children with catastrophic, debilitating, life-threatening or terminal illnesses.

Special Days Camp 

Special Days Camps exists to provide a safe and memorable camping opportunity in a medically-supervised environment for children who have experienced cancer and their siblings, servicing the entire family. We offer traditional camping activities, adapted to meet the special needs of our campers.

Special Days Camps is the second longest running oncology camp in the world. Over the years our service to our families has grown – check out what cool programs we have to offer!

Our activities are intentionally designed to promote self-esteem, confidence, friendships, teamwork and leadership. Campers are given the opportunity to challenge themselves and develop life skills as they move through our programs. Developing these skills can help them successfully meet the challenges of treatment, school, work and family.

After attending Special Days, campers bring home more than just dirty laundry… they bring home unforgettable memories and long-lasting friendships. They bring home tales of tasks accomplished that before were thought of as unattainable. They come home feeling more confident in themselves and more secure with their illness. It is amazing how one week at Special Days Camps can truly make a difference in their lives!

For the brothers and sisters of children with cancer. The only program of its kind in Michigan, Special Days Partners gives these children their own week of carefree and action-packed summer camp, in the company of fellow campers who share and understand their unique experiences with cancer.

MINNESOTA

Kamp Kace
Kamp KACE provides a safe, rewarding, and memorable camp experience for school-aged kids with cancer and their siblings. The mission of Kamp KACE is to help kids with cancer feel like kids.

MISSISSIPPI

Camp Rap-A-Hope
A member of Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International. Serves children who have or had cancer and live along the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and Louisiana with the vast majority coming from Alabama. A one-week free summer camp for children and teenagers who are battling cancer or who have ever been diagnosed with cancer.

Camp Rising Sun

Camp Rising Sun is a camp for children living in Mississippi, Alabama and southwestern Tennessee, ages 6-16, who have been or are currently being treated for cancer. The goal of Camp Rising Sun is to provide these children with a traditional camp experience while recognizing and meeting their health needs.

Camp Rising Sun accepts children in all stages of their illness and treatment, provided they have approval from their physicians and parental consent. Campers may attend with a sibling on a space available basis.

Of primary importance is our medical staff which closely monitors the needs of each of our campers. Medical personnel and equipment are on location 24 hours a day. The camp clinic is staffed by doctors and nurses whose responsibilities are to follow medical orders from each camper’s physician to insure that treatments are maintained during their time at camp. The staff is available to administer oral chemotherapy, drug therapy and all other medical treatments.

MISSOURI

Camp Barnabas-Missouri
This camp offers a special week for children with hematology or oncology diseases and their siblings. Our camp offers full scholarships to ALL children in need and does not require proof of need.

Camp Dream Street 

For one week each summer, children visit a magic place called Camp Dream Street.

We welcome children from six through sixteen from Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and southern Missouri regardless of race, color, culture or religious belief. Their healthy siblings participate as space allows.

There is no failure at Camp Dream. Every child participates at their own level. They get to enjoy all the fun things other kids do at camp: swim, fish, hike, and canoe. They learn new skills like archery and photography. Fun crafts, art activities, and music are part of some days. Our campers make new friends, build lasting friendships, and share once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Developing a sense of independence and self confidence is another part of the Camp Dream Street experience.

Children are accepted at any stage of their disease process and in remission. Medical protocols established by the child’s physician are always followed. Should the need arise, campers can be transported to major medical facilities in Ft. Smith, AR.

Our staff are dedicated individuals, age 18 and older, who volunteer their time and talents to make the week a memorable one for our campers. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, including: students, teachers, doctors & nurses, business men and women, even retirees.

Thanks to private, corporate, and service club donations Camp Dream Street is free of charge to camper families.

MONTANA

Camp-Mak-A-Dream
Camp Mak-A-Dream provides medically-supervised, cost-free Montana experiences in an intimate community setting for individuals and families affected by cancer.

At Camp, our programs help survivors and their families develop lasting relationships and gain resiliency. Here, they discover new resources. They get out into beautiful places and share life-changing experiences. They are empowered to live with and beyond cancer.A medically-supervised camp for adolescents and young adults with cancer and their siblings. Offers a variety of activities including swimming, ropes course, archery, outdoor games, hiking, fishing, crafts, and group cabin chat plus much, much more.

The Montana experience — gem mining like original settlers, hiking as high as possible to catch the best glimpse of that “big sky” — is the foundation of our camps and programs. But the energy and connection between the campers themselves are what make each Camp what it is. Campers fill our acres with a passion, empathy and openness that allow the weight of their stresses to float away. This group experience is one we value above all else. That’s why Camp Mak-A-Dream is cost-free, providing medically supervised, inclusive activities for individuals affected by cancer.

At Camp Mak-A-Dream, cancer isn’t an obstacle — the climbing wall is. Kids Camp gives children in various stages of cancer therapy a chance to challenge themselves, try a new craft in the art studio or go horseback riding, perhaps for the first time. Shared experiences around cancer are added to the mix, creating safe places where kids not only get to express their emotions but also learn that others have triumphed in the face of some of the same hardships.

“This is a place where you learn to wear what you have as a badge of honor.”

Camp programs are organized by age group. We are an all-abilities, cost-free camp. And we are a leader in offering programs specifically for teens and young adults who’ve experienced brain cancers.

“Live with. Live Beyond”

“Camp has truly changed my life and opened my eyes to what I have the potential to do.”

Eagle Mount

Our Big Sky Kids program is designed for children and young adults with cancer. Begun in 1985, Big Sky Kids provides four different summer camps for children with cancer ages 5-23 each year, as well as a family ski weekend every spring. Our oncology camps are centered around exciting Montana adventures such as white-water rafting, horseback riding, kayaking, fishing, zip-lining, and touring the wonders of Yellowstone National Park. Each Big Sky Kids camp is medically supervised, allowing both children and young adults the opportunity to escape the confines of treatment schedules and hospital walls and experience all the thrills that our state has to offer! If you would like to be a camper, counselor, or volunteer for any of the Big Sky Kids camps, please email our BSK Director, Kara Erickson, at [email protected], or call our Eagle Mount office!

For One Another Family Camp

The first place cancer metastasis is to the family. Many times families are pulled apart by a cancer diagnosis. Family Camp activities are intended to provide a place of fun, support, and sense of community for the whole family. Families who have cancer in the family are welcome to attend. This camp is offered free of charge.

For One Another is offered FREE for Montana families affected by a cancer diagnosis. Camp is a gathering of people who celebrate life, cherish family time, discover new strategies and hope, appreciate good company, and need to kick back and relax. Camp offers a FUN-FILLED agenda for ALL AGES. A sampling of the fun to be had includes: high adventure family-based activities, arts & crafts, swimming, canoeing & kayaking, daily explorations, quality family time, and camp fires. A diversity of professionally facilitated support workshops are also offered for adults, teens and young kids.

NEBRASKA

Camp CoHoLo

Camp Cartwheel 
Children with cancer have a great time at camp, forget about hospitals, clinics and diseases … and have fun with their brothers and sisters. This is a week-long camp for patients and their siblings.

Camp Hobe
Camp Hobe is a special summer camp designed for children with cancer and their siblings, who are often forgotten in the cancer experience. Campers come from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.

Camp Independent Firefly

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Nevada and the Nevada Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation are happy to be joining once again to host our annual summer camp, Camp Independent Firefly and are extremely excited to offer this opportunity to your family! Camp will take place Tuesday, June 12 through Saturday, June 16, 2018, at Camp Whittle in Big Bear, CA.

Camp Independent Firefly is a 5-day 4-night medically supervised camp for diagnosed children and their siblings 7 through 17 years of age. Activities will include returning favorites such as horseback riding, swimming, arts & crafts, and the rock wall, along with some brand new events. We will also be offering a Leader in Training (LIT) Program for our eligible youth ages 17-19. This program prepares them to be our counselors and leaders of the future.

Camp Independent Firefly is a fully supervised by a medical team to provide medical supervision, care, and intervention if needed. Camp also offers a unique opportunity to children affected by bleeding disorders the chance to learn skills, such as self-infusion, necessary to function independently while managing their disorder. And all children, regardless of diagnosis, will find out more about both bleeding disorders and cancer to gain a better understanding of what their new friends may be going through.

Children eligible to attend are children with inherited bleeding disorders, carriers of hemophilia and those diagnosed with cancer. Household siblings are also invited to attend camp. Children must be 7-17 years of age (must be seven years old by June 12, 2018) and be residents of Nevada. Camp is offered free of charge to all who qualify. The entire cost of camp, including transportation to and from camp, is provided by our generous donors and sponsors.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Camp Winning Spirit
A family camp held Labor Day weekend in conjunction with YMCA Camp Coniston in Croydon, NH. Dedicated to supporting primarily local families who have children with cancer, or ongoing issues related to cancer treatment.

On Belay
On Belay builds community among kids aged 8 – 18 who love someone that has cancer. We offer day-long adventure programs that help kids connect to each other and to their own inner resilience.

NEW JERSEY

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Brothers and sisters of children who have/had cancer and live in CT, MA, RI, NY or NJ may attend a free 1 week sibling camp. They must be between the ages of 7-15. Brothers and sisters attend separately from their ill sibling.

Happiness is Camping
The mission of Happiness Is Camping is to provide children with cancer and their siblings a traditional residential camp experience together with sophisticated medical care for campers both on and off treatment. These special children come to this unique camp free of charge, where they can put aside their illness and do what kids like to do… have fun!

The camp was founded in 1982 by a group of concerned individuals who recognized a need for a very special type of camp; for children with cancer and catastrophic blood diseases. Located in beautiful Hardwick New Jersey, the camp sits on 150 pristine acres of woodland, fields, streams, and ponds. Supported by donations and volunteer staff members, the camp is free to campers ages 6-15 and their siblings.

NEW MEXICO

Camp Enchantment

Camp Enchantment New Mexico is a seven-day resident camp session for pediatric cancer patients and survivors ages 7 to 17. Deep in the Manzano Mountains, campers are immersed in nature where fresh air and wildlife are abundant. Campers participate in activities like:

• Swimming
• Kayaking
• Arts & Crafts
• Mountain Biking
• Campfires
• Talent Show
• Ropes Course
• Dance

The composition of the camp are all volunteers, who are well trained and devoted to the cause. A caring medical team is always on hand to ensure any special medical needs are met, but they are also there to get to know the campers for whom they really are.

Camp Enchantment would like to provide more assistance to this group with the growth of our support base. Gifts from people like you can help us provide assistance to more children and teens in need. Our goal is to eventually open a camp for young adults being treated for cancer, as this age group is often overlooked.

About 11,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in children each year in the U.S., with childhood cancers affecting more potential patient-years of life than any other cancer except breast and lung cancer. Youth dealing with cancer want to participate in all the traditional experiences of growing up, like summer camp, but instead they face a fight with a debilitating disease that can rob them of much of their childhood. Many programs address the medical needs of youth with cancer, but few address their emotional, psychological and physical needs. To address these issues, Camp Enchantment New Mexico provides childhood cancer support programs, thus providing a cherished opportunity for pediatric cancer patients, survivors and siblings from New Mexico the opportunity to renew their spirits, catch up with old friends and make new friends in a safe, supportive environment, surrounded by other children and teens who understand and identify with their situation.

Camp Enchantment is a camp for children from all over the state of New Mexico with cancer, ages 7-17 years.  Children in treatment for cancer or a history of cancer will descend upon Manzano Mountain Retreat for Camp Enchantment.  There are also eight counselors-in-training (CITs) and another fifty-two volunteer staff including doctors, former camp attendees, counselors, artists, and many more activity coordinators. Medical staff are on-site at camp 24 hours a day.  Our volunteer staff includes several pediatric cancer survivors and siblings who attended camp.  The camp experience is invaluable for the children themselves and their families.  It gives these children of New Mexico a much-needed return of their youth, and the program gives the families of these children a much-needed reprieve from the intense responsibility of caring for a child with cancer.  It also provides leadership training and team building experience for our volunteers and CITs.  In truth, this camp experience is invaluable for all involved.

NEW YORK

Camp Simcha
Located in bucolic Glen Spey, New York. It is sponsored by Chai Lifeline, the international children’s health support network that provides emotional and social support for seriously ill children and their families.
Camp Simcha offers two two-week sessions for children with cancer. Our goal is to give children an exciting and enjoyable camp experience that will enhance resiliency and help them through the inevitable rough patches of fighting illness. The medical staff is comprised of pediatric oncologists from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the camp infirmary can accommodate children on treatment. Each child has his/her counselor so that schedules can be tailored to a child’s interest and energy level. The activities mirror those at camps for healthy children, with modifications when necessary.
Camp Simcha pays for transportation from a child’s home city.

Kids Need More Camp Adventure
Siblings attend with brother or sister who has/ had cancer for 1+ week of camp.

Camp Good Days & Special Times 

Offers programs for children, young adults and adults with cancer as well as children who have a parent or sibling dealing with cancer and children who have lost a parent or sibling to cancer. All of the programs and services provided by Camp Good Days are  free.

Sunrise Day Cam

Providing memorable summers since 2006 for children ages 3 1/2–16, Sunrise Day Camps bring the simple pleasures of childhood back to children struggling with cancer, changing months of loneliness and isolation into summers filled with sunshine, laughter and happiness. And because Sunrise is a day camp, it does all this while allowing the children to continue their medical treatment and enjoy the comfort and safety of their own homes at night. There are currently eight Day Camps  — three in New York (Long Island, Pearl River & Staten Island), three in Israel (Beit Yehoshuah, Be’er Sheva & Ramat Yochanan), Horizon Day Camp in Baltimore, MD and Aurora Day Camp in Atlanta, GA, opening June 2018.  Sunrise Association Day Camps are affiliated with 30 renowned hospitals and medical centers. Sunrise Sundays and Fun-days offer children exciting activities and events when school is not in session; Sunrise on Wheels is a one-of-a-kind program that provides hours of Sunrise-fun to children undergoing treatment in pediatric oncology units of participating hospitals.

Double H Ranch
The Double H Ranch, co-founded by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman, provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. Our purpose is to enrich their lives and provide camp experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe and medically sound. The camp captures the magic of the Adirondacks.

Our largest program is our summer residential camping program.

From June until the end of August, the Double H Ranch offers children, age 6-16 during regular session and ages 17-21 during the alumni session, dealing with critical or life-threatening illnesses the chance to experience the magic of the Adirondacks. During each of the 8 Summer Residential Camp sessions, the Double H Ranch comes alive with the sounds of laughter and the joys of childhood. The Double H Ranch provides camp experiences that are medically sound, memorable, exciting, fun and empowering.

Each session lasts 6 days and accommodates approximately 126 campers with a camper to staff ratio of 2:1. The fully equipped medical facility is staffed 24 hours a day by onsite doctors and nurses. Our medical facility allows us to provide a physically safe camp experience for all children.

The Double H Ranch Adaptive Winter Sports Program, established in 1998, offers children ages 6-16 dealing with chronic and life-threatening illnesses the opportunity to participate in various winter sports in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains FREE of charge with necessary equipment provided.Our Adaptive Winter Sports Program runs from January through March. Activities include Alpine skiing and snowboarding instruction, as well as snowshoeing lessons. This unique program is coordinated by Double H staff, and the magic that takes place on the slopes is made possible through the efforts of our volunteer instructors and National Ski Patrol who provide 1:1 support.

Our winter program is aimed at not only teaching children a life-long skill, but also to provide an experience that can be enjoyed by the entire family. In addition to day programming, we host Family Sleepover Weekends, allowing the entire family to experience the great outdoors, together. Participation is based on approval by our Medical or Nursing Director, and availability, as we operate on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Brothers and sisters of children who have/had cancer and live in CT, MA, RI, NY or NJ may attend a free 1 week sibling camp. They must be between the ages of 7-15. Brothers and sisters attend separately from their ill sibling.

NORTH CAROLINA

Camp Care

Camp Carefree
Provides an exciting and memorable one-week camping experience for youngsters from North Carolina and neighboring states with cancer. For kids ages 6 to 16 with chronic illnesses, including cancer, Spina Bifida, epilepsy and others. Our program also includes camps for well siblings of ill children, and a week for children with a sick parent.

Victory Junction Gang
A Hole-in-the-Wall Association camp. Offers a one week-long summer session that serves children with cancer and a week-long sibling session. Also offers weekend programming in the Fall and Spring for families (usually families with a child with cancer are served during the Spring General Sessions).

NORTH DAKOTA

Kamp Kace

Kamp KACE (Kids Against Cancer Everywhere) was founded in 1986. It is located in central Minnesota and can accommodate over 100 campers.

Doctors and nurses from make up a large part of the staff. They are on site and on duty at all times to distribute medications and provide any necessary treatment. Their dedication makes it possible for school-aged children in all stages of cancer treatment to attend Kamp.

Excitement, fun, and adventure are planned for campers. They have the opportunity to take part in recreational activities such as swimming, canoeing, crafts, games, pottery, candlemaking, drawing, beading, camping and more. A fishing excursion is also planned. Music, skits, parties and the traditional evening campfires add to the fun.

Each cabin accommodates campers and at least two adult counselors. Handicap accessible cabins are available.

OHIO

Flying Horse Farms
Campers ages 8-15 for our residential summer sessions (2 sessions each summer) and campers age 7-15 for our Spring and Fall family camp weekends. (The name is a bit misleading since we don’t actually have horses on the premises. We are named after a children’s book.)

Flying Horse Farms provides magical, transformative camp experiences for children with serious illnesses and their families–free of charge. Located in scenic Mt. Gilead, Ohio, camp first opened its gates in 2010 and hosts hundreds of happy campers each year.

Kids ‘n Kamp
Devoted to the social, educational and emotional needs of children with cancer by providing family activities, tutoring, counseling and support opportunities.

OKLAHOMA

Camp Dream Street 

For one week each summer, children visit a magic place called Camp Dream Street.

We welcome children from six through sixteen from Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and southern Missouri regardless of race, color, culture or religious belief. Their healthy siblings participate as space allows.

There is no failure at Camp Dream. Every child participates at their own level. They get to enjoy all the fun things other kids do at camp: swim, fish, hike, and canoe. They learn new skills like archery and photography. Fun crafts, art activities, and music are part of some days. Our campers make new friends, build lasting friendships, and share once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Developing a sense of independence and self confidence is another part of the Camp Dream Street experience.

Children are accepted at any stage of their disease process and in remission. Medical protocols established by the child’s physician are always followed. Should the need arise, campers can be transported to major medical facilities in Ft. Smith, AR.

Our staff are dedicated individuals, age 18 and older, who volunteer their time and talents to make the week a memorable one for our campers. Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, including: students, teachers, doctors & nurses, business men and women, even retirees.

Thanks to private, corporate, and service club donations Camp Dream Street is free of charge to camper families.

Roundup River Ranch Camp 
The American Cancer Society offers free summer camps for children with cancer (in treatment or remission) and their families that provide a peer-supported place to become kids again.

OREGON

Camp Millenium
Offers children with cancer a week filled with fun with time to be themselves and to share in a variety of adventurous summer camp activities.

Camp Ukanda

The mission of Camp UKANDU is to bring joy and hope to children living with cancer, their siblings, and their families through “outrageously fun” camp experiences.

We recognize that cancer impacts the entire family and we aim to provide parents and caregivers a respite from the physical, emotional and financial toll childhood cancer poses to families.

When a family learns that one of their children is diagnosed with cancer, the last thing most of them want to do is send that child away from the family for a week. Time becomes more precious than it has ever been known. Parents are understandably covetous of the time and a future that is too often cut short.

However, our families recognize their children’s health is reflective of more than their medical condition. Children need to socialize and play and grow. Camp Ukandu offers a place where Pediatric Oncologists and Pediatric Oncology Nurses are on staff 24/7, along with 80 + other volunteers to address the care and well-being of these kids. Many children are, in fact, on treatment while at camp. But no one lets that stop these kids from climbing four stories into the air on a rock wall; hopping on a smelly horse or cooking s’mores over an open flame.

Currently, each year, Camp Ukandu serves roughly 120 children. Our campers are patients, and siblings of patients, ages 8 – 18. In these formative years, “normal” childhood development is a challenge. School studies, making friends, trying out for sports teams, joining activity groups and other clubs – these are some of the many ways most children seek to determine where they belong in “normal” society.

But if you’re a 14 year old bald girl, or when you’re an 8 year old boy who can’t throw a baseball, fitting in can be even more challenging. Camp Ukandu provides a setting in which being bald or having missing limbs is completely unremarkable. We offer a community where patients relate to each other’s stories, to their fears and to their pain. Most importantly, this community of children share their hopes and dreams and remind each other that life’s goals and inspiration are still theirs for the taking.

Of equal importance to our program is the community of siblings who attend camp. When siblings meet other siblings, they share their own unique fears and emotions that come with being the brother or sister of a ‘cancer kid’. Siblings can be confused by feelings of sadness, anger or even jealousy of their sibling’s condition and how it impacts the family dynamic. Meeting other kids who have experienced these complicated emotions allows our sibling campers to reach a greater understanding of their unique circumstance and engage the world from a new perspective.

Camp Ukandu is a place where special children grow and play; where children laugh and cry; and where children build what are, quite literally, experiences and memories of a lifetime. Camp Ukandu is a place where kids can just be kids!

PENNSYLVANIA

Camp No Worries

Upon first look at the campers who attend Camp No Worries, you would not think there is anything unique about them.  However, Camp No Worries campers are all children dealing with a diagnosis of cancer in some way.  They are patients, survivors, siblings or bereaved siblings ranging in ages from six to sixteen.  Camp No Worries strongly believes there is a therapeutic component of including brothers and sisters in the camping experience.  Therefore, we do not limit the number of siblings that attend, as long as they meet the minimal requirements.

Camp No Worries is a summer camp created solely to give children with cancer and their siblings an opportunity to relax, enjoy themselves and forget about their worries for one week every summer.

It’s a place that allows children facing a diagnosis of cancer to just be kids.  It’s a place of happiness, friendship and new adventures.  It’s a place of camaraderie and acceptance where everyone knows first–hand what it’s like to live with cancer.  And, it’s a true summer camp experience in every sense of the word.

Campers are aged 6-16 and we’re located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey and our program is always the last week in June. We are in our 24^th year this year!

Free to campers and have a full medical staff that specializes in pediatric oncology.

Camp No Worries strives to:

• Provide a safe, well-staffed environment where children can participate in average camp activities
• Provide special medical expertise and close monitoring required for children with cancer not offered at an ordinary summer camp
• Offer each child an opportunity to make friends with other children who share similar situations and experiences
• Encourage each child to develop a positive attitude and self-image
• Give children in all stages of their disease an opportunity to meet and learn from others who are in treatment and/or who have
  achieved remission
• Make a camp experience financially feasible for a family who might not otherwise be able to afford it, and to provide respite for other family members while the child is at camp
• Provide a positive away from home experience for child(ren) with parents being assured their children are safe thus lessening separation anxiety

Camp Happy Times

For more than 35 years, The Valerie Fund has operated Camp Happy Times, a one-week overnight camp experience for any child aged 5-21 who has or has had cancer, regardless of where they are treated. The Valerie Fund offers Camp Happy Times free of charge, including transportation, meals and on-site medical care.

Over 150 children attend Camp Happy Times each summer.  It is located at the 200 acre Tyler Hill Camp in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. Tyler Hill is fully accredited by the American Camping Association and Camp Happy Times is a proud member of the International Children’s Oncology Camping Association.

Camp Happy Times promotes friendship, independence, and a spirit of cooperation for cancer patients and survivors.  It’s a place where campers and counselors alike can say, “I know how you feel,” and mean it.  Because the many of the counselors there were once campers themselves.

The CHT philosophy is to provide a recreationally therapeutic environment that builds self-esteem, confidence, trust and friendship. While they are there, campers do not feel self-conscious about their illness or the scars their illness may have left.  Campers don’t have to explain their disease while they are at camp.  And they make lifelong friends that become part of the unique Camp Happy Times family.

“I look forward to going to Camp Happy Times every summer, with children who are more accepting of my differences. I try to stay strong and this is one of the things that keep me going all through the school year.” —-Amanda, age 12

Campers are encouraged to take on the challenges of all of the activities—rock wall, tubing, arts and crafts, swimming, basketball, gaga, and tennis, to name just some.  They bunk with children in the same age group and are matched with two to three counselors per bunk.

For many, this is their first time away from home. Camp Happy Times offers a comforting environment that encourages individual development and group play.

“My Camp Happy Times experiences helped me define how I want to be seen as a cancer survivor. It helped me resolve many issues having to do with cancer that medicines couldn’t cure.” —- John

Free to campers and have a full medical staff that specializes in pediatric oncology.

Kay’s Kamp

The Mission of Kay’s Kamp is to provide children ages 5 to 17 who are battling cancer and those now in remission the opportunity to participate in a unique camping experience promoting fun and normalcy. Free to campers. A full medical staff that specializes in pediatric oncology.

Camp Can-Do
Sponsored by the Commonwealth Division of the American Cancer Society for over a decade. Gives young cancer patients a break from the often scary and monotonous time spent in hospitals and in treatment routines. Promotes comfort and self-confidence surrounded by others who are sharing similar experiences. Camp takes place in Mt. Gretna, PA, on a beautiful wooded lakefront site.

Camp Dost

Camp Victory
Provides children with cancer and other diseases a loving and supportive camping environment, fostering a sense of belonging and support.

RHODE ISLAND

The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp
Brothers and sisters of children who have/had cancer and live in CT, MA, RI, NY or NJ may attend a free 1 week sibling camp. They must be between the ages of 7-15. Brothers and sisters attend separately from their ill sibling.

SOUTH CAROLINA

Camp Happy Days and Special Times

At Camp Happy Days, kids discover the power within themselves – as they share life-changing experiences with kids just like them who are battling cancer. Kids can be kids again as they have fun and gain confidence.
What cancer takes away, Camp Happy Days helps give back.

From a camper: “This camp is wonderful!”

Camp Courage

This special camp was given its name by David Bishop, a former patient, who said, “It takes a lot of courage to have cancer.”

Founded in 1994, Camp Courage creates an unforgettable recreational and educational experience for children, teens, young adults, and families living with cancer or a blood disorder being treated at the BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center.

Camp is a place where choice and freedom to play, laugh, explore, and grow is encouraged.

Trained counselors, program specialist, and volunteers help nurture the campers’ self-confidence and provide opportunities for individual development.

Camp Courage is held at the Pleasant Ridge Camp and Retreat Center in Traveler’s Rest, SC. The camp is a state of the art fully assessable facility that caters to the campers physical, mental, mental, and social needs.

Staff of the BI-LO Charities Children’s Cancer Center at the Greenville Children’s Hospital provide 24-hour medical supervision and care while the children are at camp.

Camp Kemo

Our most recognized program at the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital is CAMP KEMO, a weeklong summer camp for patients ages 5–18 with cancer and their siblings.

Staffed by our physicians, nurses and volunteers, CAMP KEMO allows campers to swim, boat, hike and simply be children. The fun times at CAMP KEMO lay important groundwork for future treatment as participants learn to trust, respect and relate to one another. CAMP KEMO is completely funded by community donations.

CAMP KEMO is a member of COCA-I (Children’s Oncology Camping Association, International), whose mission is to strengthen the international community of camps for children with cancer and their families through networking, advocacy, education and other resources. COCA-I camp members proudly served the needs of over 19,000 campers in 2013.

Of the 84 pediatric oncology camp members of COCA-I, CAMP KEMO Programs is one of only 30 that have been awarded the Gold Ribbon Camp designation, an honor bestowed upon camps which demonstrate a high level of commitment to serving children with cancer and their families.

TENNESSEE

Camp Horizon
Camp Horizon is a unique children’s oncology camp.  Camp Horizon not only provides a summer camp get away for patients that have or are in the process of battling cancer, but also a week of camp for their Special and Important Brothers and Sisters (SIBS.)

“I have so many memories from going to Camp Horizon. I have lost so many friends but have also made so many friends from being at Camp. I miss camp life so much. Hopefully I will be able to make it next summer.”

Camp Rainbow
A special summer camp that caters to the needs of seriously ill children whose medical problems keep them from attending regular camps. A week long SIBS camp, for Special and Important Brothers and Sisters of children with cancer is held annually and separate from the patient camp. Free to children with cancer and their siblings.

Camp Barnabas-Tennessee
Camp Barnabas serves children with cancer and chronic blood disorders, such as AIDS, hemophilia and Sickle cell. Each camper has a one-on-one volunteer and each week of camp is staffed by two doctors and 6-8 registered nurses, including nurses with pediatric oncology specialties. Our focus is showing our campers that every one has been uniquely created to live a life of ability. Scholarships are available and no one is ever turned away because of a financial need.

TEXAS

Camp Alphie 
On-site oncology nurses and doctors help monitor the health of the children while they forget about their worries and romp with other kids their age, from ages 7-14.

The Rainbow Connection
Sponsored by Childhood Cancer Connection. For children and adolescents (ages 6 to 16) who have been treated for cancer or blood disorders at The University of Texas Medical Branch Children’s Hospital at Galveston, Texas.  The camp is also open to the brothers and sisters of these children.

Camp Periwinkle

Our signature program for over 30 years, Camp Periwinkle has earned the reputation of being the “Camp of All Camps!” among campers and counselors. This week-long summer camp is filled with joy for children with cancer and their siblings from Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers.

The goal of Camp Periwinkle is to provide a safe, emotionally healing and fantastic adventure to give every camper the opportunity to grow in independence and self esteem,  leaving Camp Periwinkle a stronger survivor. Activities include swimming, horseback riding, archery, arts & crafts, exploring nature, sports, ropes course, biking, wheel chair basketball, fishing, giant swing, dances and much more. Additional special programming includes the opening day carnival; cooking with world class chefs from Houston and Austin area restaurants; Glamour Shots; Spa Day and Olympics Day.

Children on therapy can continue treatment at camp. Full medical staff is on duty 24 hours a day. Camp Periwinkle is free for all participants. Camp Periwinkle is currently held at the barrier-free Camp For All facility located in Burton, TX (near Brenham).

Only oncology patients from the Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers ages 7-15.  Each patient may take one sibling in the same age range.

Camp Yolo

In 1998, The Periwinkle Foundation identified a need to provide emotional support for teenagers with cancer and other life threatening illnesses. There were no programs focused exclusively on 13 to 18 year old patients who were struggling with adolescence as well as life threatening illnesses. A teen camp was created and the first campers named it Camp YOLO for You Only Live Once.

Patients, ages 13-18, receiving care from the Cancer and Hematology Centers, Cardiology Center (Heart Center), Rheumatology Clinic, Renal Center (Kidney Center), Allergy and Immunology Center, and Retrovirology Clinic at Texas Children’s Hospital. Each patient may take one sibling in the same age range.

Family Camp

In 2006, The Periwinkle Foundation and Texas Children’s Cancer Center identified a need to develop additional programming for families that offers emotional support and networking. Family Camp was designed to meet the needs of the entire family unit as they collectively grapple with the emotional roller coaster of a pediatric cancer diagnosis.

Periwinkle held its first Family Camp in February 2009. The camp creates an environment in which participants gain tools to make them stronger survivors and stronger families. It also gives parents and guardians the opportunity to witness and participate with their child or children in activities they may have thought were impossible after a cancer diagnosis. Family Camp programming allows and encourages families to spend healing time together creating treasured family memories and allows them to get to know other families who are experiencing or have experienced similar issues. It helps them find normalcy while grappling with the myriad of emotions that accompany a pediatric cancer diagnosis and the ensuing treatment.

Family Camp is best described in the comments from the families attending:

“Lately, there have been days that we won’t see a smile on Evani, but at camp no doubt there was that smile that we’ve been missing for so long. Watching my girl have fun with a smile from ear to ear….PRICELESS! She not only tried new things for the first time, but her confidence soared.” – Familia Marin, Family Camp

“Now that Family Camp is over, I feel ready to battle cancer again because the other children and families have given me strength and hope that we too will survive.” – Parent, Family Camp

“Before I came to Family Camp, I had a bratty attitude with my parents and with my sister who is the patient. Coming to camp, I felt that this time it is not all for my sister. I learned that my mom and dad love me the same way as my sister.” – Sibling, Family Camp

“Each beautiful and happy memory we made (at Family Camp) displaces some of the sadness and guilt we feel because of the things we (and our kids) missed out on through the years of therapy and hospitalizations.” – Parent, Family Camp

Camp Barnabas-Texas
Camp Barnabas serves children with cancer and chronic blood disorders, such as AIDS, hemophilia and Sickle cell. Each camper has a one-on-one volunteer and each week of camp is staffed by two doctors and 6-8 registered nurses, including nurses with pediatric oncology specialties. Our focus is showing our campers that every one has been uniquely created to live a life of ability. During their time at Camp Barnabas they enjoy just being a kid while their parents have a chance at a restful break from the day-to-day care of their child. Scholarships are available and no one is ever turned away because of a financial need.

Camp Camp

Summer Camp is a series of six-day, five-night sessions for children and adults, aged 5 to 50 years, with a variety of special needs, and their siblings.

The Summer Camp sessions are held at Camp CAMP in Center Point, Texas. Camp CAMP has 55 acres and includes activities like canoeing on the Guadalupe River, horseback riding, swimming, music, sports & recreation, arts & crafts, and outdoor cooking. CAMP modifies traditional summer camp activities to include everyone, regardless of the severity of the camper’s physical or developmental needs. Each camper is assigned to a Tribe based on gender and age with a camper:counselor ratio ranging from 1:1 to 4:1, depending on the need of the camper.

Counselors are trained by CAMP staff and stay with the Tribe day and night. The cabins are large, climate controlled, and wheelchair accessible. Meals can be modified to accommodate special dietary needs and spaces are available for campers who need 24 hour medical care, dependent on sessions. Camper’s medical needs and medication administration are overseen by professional Health Care Volunteers.

Each of the 9 Summer Camp sessions has varied age requirements and diagnosis guidelines; Sessions are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. The Summer Camp application becomes available each year in early February.

Camp Discovery

Camp is a special world for children from across the state of Texas between the ages of 7-16. The main purpose of Camp Discovery is to provide these wonderful children a fun and “normal” camp experience, an experience they would not be able to get at a traditional residential camp. However, besides having fun, other things take place like learning new skills, individual growth, and personal development.

During Camp Discovery children will experience perhaps the best week of their life by swimming, fishing, climbing, canoeing, laughing, dancing, singing, horseback riding, and simply being with other people who can relate to their situation.

We currently boast a 94% rate of returning volunteers. Currently, approximately 74% of our volunteers are cancer survivors, with over 50% of those being former campers. Our volunteer staff members are dedicated to providing understanding, leadership, compassion, safety, and direction to our campers, as well as enjoying the experience with them.

The camp is abundantly staffed with volunteer nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians. Many of these medical professionals provide treatment to our campers on a regular basis away from camp, and claim that it is refreshing to see them outside the hospital environment.

Camp iHope

Much more than a fun experience, camp is a very important part of the healing process.  Through their adventures they gain independence and confidence through mastering a skill…whether it’s climbing the wall with everyone cheering them on, or being brave enough to “boogie on the dance floor.”  Camp is a place to be yourself and feel like a “normal kid again.”  A place where lifelong friendships are formed and another forever family is created.  The spirit of camp is magical… it rekindles joy and helps to heal the soul!

Bridge of Hope

Sunshine Kids

The activities for 2018 include Winter Games, Texas Hill  Country Adventure, Washington DC Adventure, Summer Broadway Break, Teen Chicago Gateway, Haunted Halloween Getaway, Florida Fun-n-Sun Celebration.

UTAH

Camp Hobe
Camp Hobe is a special summer camp designed for children with cancer and their siblings, who are often forgotten in the cancer experience. Campers come from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.

At Camp Hobé, campers have the opportunity to rediscover self-confidence and build meaningful friendships. Children of all ages make lifelong friends that understand the devastating effects of a frightening disease.

Camp Hobé currently offers three programs during the summer:

• Day Camp / Hobe’ Juniors: A two-day session for 4 to 6 year olds
• Kids Camp (also called Kids Week): A five-day overnight session for 7 to 11 year olds
• Teen Camp (also called Teen Week): A five-day overnight session for 12 to 19 year olds

During the camp sessions, campers may participate in a variety of activities with their cabin groups, as individuals, and with the entire camp:

• Archery
• Competitive and noncompetitive field games
• Crafts
• Creative writing
• Hikes
• Initiative games
• Nature awareness
• Swimming
• Theater games

Additional activities may be offered depending on availability, such as a climbing wall, creative dance, or soccer clinics. Program activities are structured to meet the developmental needs of specific age groups.

Hobé Forever is an optional “guided” activity offered during the camp session where campers have time to remember friends who are not present that year. This activity allows campers the opportunity to express feelings of grief and loss if they desire. Camp staff members respect any requests for further counseling or discussion.

VERMONT

Camp Ta-Kum-Ta
Camp Ta-Kum-Ta provides challenging, extraordinary experiences in a safe and loving environment for children who have or have had cancer and their families. Camp exists for Vermont and Northern New York children, (including other out-of-state children who are treated in Vermont), at no cost to their families.

VIRGINIA

Camp Fantastic – Special Love
Cancer knows no boundaries. For more than three decades, Special Love has helped children with cancer to “just be kids,” through camps, emergency financial assistance, college scholarships – and, most important, a community of support that assures these struggling families they’re not alone in their battle.

The adventure these special children discover at camp is therapeutic in so many ways. By the end of the week of Camp Fantastic, the once-timid troupe of pediatric cancer patients has built a bond as strong as any these kids will ever experience.

Camp Holiday Trails
Residential summer camp for children aged 5 through 17 with special medical needs, including cancer. One-week and two-week sessions available. One-week sessions also welcome siblings. Fee asked of families: $120. Financial assistance available.

WASHINGTON 

Camp Agape NW
Provides a camping experience for all children afflicted with cancer and their families by fostering an opportunity for enjoyment and learning. Camp Agape NW is a family camp in Washington State for children with cancer and their entire family including parents and all siblings. There is no cost to the families attending. Families that are eligible include a child (infant to age 18) that have had or currently have cancer. Any family which receives treatment in Washington State is eligible.

Camp Prime Time
Provides a recreational facility in a wilderness setting for those families who have a child living with a serious or terminal illness.

Camp Sparkle
Camp Sparkle is a free summer day camp offered to children ages 6-12 who have been impacted by cancer. Camp Sparkle is offered in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett and Bellevue. The children that attend camp are impacted by cancer in a variety of ways including; having a loved one with cancer, having lost a loved one to cancer or having cancer themselves. Campers experience a week of local field trips, learning about cancer and making friends with campers and counselors just like them! We are staffed primarily by young adult volunteers, most of whom have their own cancer experience. A week at Camp Sparkle, is a week filled with laughter, friendship and fun!

The GoodTimes Project

Summer camps are currently the heart of our program. Each camp offers children or young adults the chance to grow, belong, and rejuvenate while surrounded by peers who understand the impacts of childhood cancer.

Our camps serve an overall population of campers aged 7-25 across two distinct programs:

• Camp Goodtimes: our flagship, week-long resident camp for campers aged 7-17. Each summer, we hold two sessions at Camp Burton on Vashon Island, one in June and one in July. Eligible campers must be a cancer patient (either on- or off-treatment) or a sibling of a cancer patient (including bereaved siblings).
  • Learn more
• Kayak Adventure Camp: this young adult camp gives childhood cancer survivors aged 18-25 the opportunity to push their limits and independence in a week-long kayak adventure in the San Juan Islands.
  • Get information

Mini Camp: this 1-day pilot program (first-year trial) is open to a limit of 30 campers ages 5-6, including patients, survivors, and siblings. It’s meant as an introduction to Camp Goodtimes. Find out more.

All of our camps and events are no cost to the participant or family and are made possible through donations.

WISCONSIN

Summer Camp Hozhoni
Summer Camp Hozhoni is a weekend camp for children with cancer aged 18 and younger and their families. While the children participate in hands-on activities to develop creativity, physical endurance, mental challenges, and team building, the adults gain mutual support and understanding of childhood cancer family issues through support groups led by peers and professionals. Families are offered the opportunity to come together to build a family project, take part in a cookout, dance and participate in campfire skits and sing-a-longs.

WYOMING

Camp Hobe
Camp Hobe is a special summer camp designed for children with cancer and their siblings, who are often forgotten in the cancer experience. Campers come from Utah, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada.