Camp Koru

Camp Koru is a free outdoor adventure camp that helps young adult cancer survivors find healing and renewal beyond cancer. Participants, alongside other survivors, receive the tools, instruction, and encouragement required to take on a new challenge. The week is spent learning a new sport, accessing deep vulnerability, exploring the outdoors, and more, all while connecting with fellow survivors.

Camp Koru is a retreat run by survivors, for survivors. Our camp counselors are all previous campers who have returned to lead and share their knowledge, experience, and inspiration with other survivors.

Healing during and/or after cancer is a journey that survivors shouldn’t have to face alone. Project Koru is a community of young adult cancer survivors that help each other on their toughest challenge yet: life beyond cancer.

The “Koru” spiral is shaped like an unfurling silver fern frond. It symbolizes new life, growth, strength, and peace – the very channels of energy we aim to inspire for survivors.

Project Koru enriches lives through community and the outdoors as a way to move forward beyond cancer. Our goal is to help survivors reclaim and rediscover the best version of their life and themselves. Project Koru strives to be equitable and inclusive to all  cancer survivors.

Through this shared experience with peers, survivors learn to overcome fears and face life’s challenges, and ultimately find their own ass-kicking potential beyond cancer.

I started living again,
thanks to that camp.
Before, I was just living in fear of death.
But now I live in hope for life.
— Jolina “Kala” Ruckert, Camp 39