“As a parent, I so appreciate an environment full of people who understand what we’ve been through and who take the experience and make it meaningful. The fact that Camp Hope always has such a large and capable medical staff is such a wonderful thing and I am in awe of the many volunteers who give so much of themselves to put this on for the kids each year”.
Shari Thiessen, parent
“One of the most memorable experiences for me was hearing one of my young campers say to another camper, ‘We’ll get through this together'”.
Rachel King, volunteer
“I love going to Camp Hope each year to a safe haven where no one will judge me and I can be myself”
Ally Fields, camper
“Camp Hope makes me so happy because I can escape everything about cancer. I love Camp Hope!”
Kori Hines, camper
“Before I went to Camp Hope for the first time I didn’t know any other kids who had cancer. I was scared to go, seeing as I have medical issues that need attention. I was afraid of someone other than my mom taking care of those issues. But Camp Hope allowed me to meet kids with cancer and it has really allowed me to be more open about what I have been through. I have created friendships that will last a lifetime”
Matt Elder, former camper/current volunteer
Sandy Boutz, parent
“As a parent it is difficult to put into words what an impact Camp Hope has made in the life of our son. The friends, memories, and bonds he has made through Camp Hope are irreplaceable”
“I didn’t feel like a ‘normal’ kid at home because my illness kind of labeled me. But at Camp, I could be a ‘normal’ kid as all of my camp friend have or have had cancer. We just instantly knew how one another felt and how to comfort each other”
Brittany Talbott, former camper/current volunteer
“At Camp Hope, the campers are able to share their lives, share their emotions and experiences, share their hopes and fears. And play.”
Dr. Andy Bukaty, volunteer
Ardath Bell, parent
“We can honestly say, without any exaggeration, that attending Camp Hope was Shalonna’s favorite thing to do every year. She would awaken on Sunday with so much excitement (even more than Christmas morning) and want to get packed and get on the road to Camp.”
“When I arrived at Camp, for once I felt normal. For once I was not ‘the girl who has cancer’ or ‘the girl who wears wigs’. I was Hannah the Survivor who was NOT alone”.
Hannah Peterson, former camper/current volunteer
“Camp Hope allowed me to grow up in a safe place where everyone knew and understood where my attitude and perspective came from”.
Jeremy Hazzard, former camper/former volunteer
“I love getting to tell people about one of the most magical parts of my childhood–Camp Hope. As a child, I looked forward to that one week in June, that one week in which I got to be with kids who really ‘got’ who I was. They saw past my medical condition. They liked me for me. It has been several years since my last camp experience and I still feel the effects of Camp Hope in my life on a daily basis. Camp Hope gave me self-confidence, amazing role models, and true friends. Words cannot begin to describe my gratitude”
Sarah Forster, former camper/current volunteer
“It has been so much fun to go to Camp Hope and to see kids who are just like me and understand what I went through. Camp Hope has changed my life because it reminds me that I am just like any other kid”
Josie Fails, camper
“Camp Hope is so much more than just a place to go each summer. It has become a place where miracles happen, lifetime memories are made, and dreams come true. Each year as we return to this place, we find strength and motivation, friendship and faith, love an security, joy and sorrow, but above all hope. We can always find the courage we need to prevail through anything from the hope we have built here at Camp Hope.”
Jamie Cockerham, former camper/volunteer
