Roundup River Ranch 2017 Camp Season Summary
You are the givers of laughter and new friends and midnight giggling. you are the givers of courage and pride of happy tears and bear hugs and moments of awe.
you are the givers of joy. your gift is unwrappEd daily in cabins and yurts. in canoes and beanbag chairs. at the top of a zipline and in the saddle of a gentle horse.
you are the givers of happiness. and thousands of campers say, “thank you!�
Just Imagine
Just Imagine the Laughter. Just Imagine the Friendship. Just Imagine the Bravery. Just Imagine the Memories. Just Imagine the Fun. Just Imagine the Courage. Just Imagine the Hope. Just Imagine the Happiness. Just Imagine the Love. Just Imagine the Acceptance. Just Imagine the Smiles. Just Imagine the Healing... Just Imagine the Impact You Had at Camp. Your commitment to Roundup River Ranch ensured that friendships were formed, countless s’mores were eaten, self-confidence was discovered, fears were conquered, family memories made, endless joy and laughter filled the air, and campers left Roundup River Ranch dreaming bigger than they did when they arrived. All of this, and more, happened thanks to you. The 2017 Camp Season Summary provides an overview of Roundup River Ranch’s 2017 Camp Season, themed Just Imagine, as told by the campers, volunteers, and other friends who experienced the healing power of camp. They say it best, capturing the impact of Roundup River Ranch both while they’re at camp and when they return home. May this summary remind you of the tremendous impact that your investment in Roundup River Ranch has in the lives of children with serious illnesses and their families. Thank you for helping children with serious illnesses discover that they are not alone. Thank you for helping these special campers experience the simple joys of childhood at Roundup River Ranch. Thank you for helping campers just imagine how can change their lives.
2017 Sessions During the 2017 camp season, Roundup River Ranch hosted 14 sessions, serving children diagnosed with the following illnesses: SUMMER CAMP • Heart Disease and Heart Transplant • Neurologic, Craniofacial, or Genetic Disorders • Cancer, Brain Tumors, Sickle Cell Disease, Blood Disorders • Kidney Disease and Kidney Transplant • Liver Disease, Liver Transplant, GI Disorders, Celiac Disease
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FAMILY CAMP • Celiac Disease, Eosinophilic Esophagitis • Type I Diabetes • Acquired Immunodeficiency • Kidney Disease or Transplant, Lung Disease, Asthma • Cancer, Brain Tumors, Blood Disorders • GI Disorders, Liver Disease, Liver Transplant • Heart Disease, Heart Transplant • Epilepsy, Neurologic or Dermatologic Disorders
Camp by the Numbers
1,428
Campers served
504 Family campers 395 Summer campers 529 Camper Reunion campers
68,742
Hours
During the 2017 Camp Season, 68,742 contact hours were delivered to campers. This figure supports the depth and strength of Roundup River Ranch’s program as research tells us that the more time we spend with children, the better the results that are achieved. Hours spent with campers = opportunities for campers to learn, grow, and realize how they can succeed when they return to their homes and communites.
Where Campers Call Home
818
Campers from Colorado
81
A Closer Look
Campers from out-of-state
86%
Reside in Front Range counties
xx%
Number of First-time and Returning Campers
293
First-time Campers (Represents 33%)
606
Returning Campers (Represents 67%)
8%
6%
Reside in other Colorado counties
Reside out of state
“My son Liam loves Roundup River Ranch. The greatest thing he gets from this camp is a sense of independence and his self-confidence increases greatly. Liam has attended camp for several years and he has a strong sense of belonging at Roundup River Ranch. Liam feels that Roundup River Ranch is his place to go and be himself.�
Meet Alaya
Meet finn
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ifteen-year-old Eagle County resident Finn was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer on April 22, 2016. Everything changed in one phone call - no sports, no school, no control over anything in his life, nothing. His illness hampered his life. Finn struggled to “be normal” and he wished that others understood his illness without explanation. He had to adjust to life post-diagnosis, and, at times, he struggled to do so.
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laya is seventeen-yearsold and has attended Roundup River Ranch for six years. She attends camp during a session for children with sickle cell disease. Alaya attended camp for the final time in 2017. She’ll miss being a camper, but she likes to think she’ll be able to give back to Roundup River Ranch as a volunteer or counselor. Alaya attends a school for children with serious illnesses, so her peers also all have illnesses. However, she says that the friends she’s made at Roundup River Ranch are different; they aren’t like the friends she’s made anywhere else. They understand what she’s been through with her illness and share memories from camp over the years. Camp is such a safe space where she really feels like she belongs. It’s special and unique to feel like you really belong somewhere.
Growing up in the Vail Valley, Finn was familiar with Roundup River Ranch, and Camp helped Finn define his new normal. It is a place where Finn can have true fun. He can forget about his illness and enjoy his life. Roundup River Ranch helped Finn cope with his illness and the process to treat it. At Roundup River Ranch, Finn made new friends, friends who understood his illness just like he understood theirs. They have an instant connection and bond, and because of this, he is not afraid to be himself at Camp. And, he loved riding horses at Camp.
Alaya says, “Roundup River Ranch changed me. I am more observant to other people’s needs in a way I would never have been if I hadn’t attended Camp. I know the friendships and connections I’ve made will stay with me for many years in the future.”
Finn learned “don’t judge a book by its cover,” at Roundup River Ranch. He also learned that “a true friend is someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes your smile.” As a selfproclaimed worry wart, Camp fills Finn’s mind with happy thoughts. He doesn’t worry as much. He thinks about the happy times he had and the amazing friendships he made. Camp gave Finn confidence. It helped motivate him and inspired him not to give up. As he watched other campers with similar diagnoses, Finn realized that “everything WILL be okay. That I WILL get through this.” And, there’s no doubt that Finn will get through this, and he’ll teach others the way others have taught him.
Cups of Camp Dirt (the chocolate kind) Campers often say one of their favorite parts of camp are the amazing meals that they eat in Trent’s Cookhouse. Roundup River Ranch serves campers who have many dietary restrictions and the staff in the kitchen is integral to ensure the comfort and safety of each and every camper during mealtimes. During some sessions, all the meals are gluten free to protect campers who cannot eat gluten. Campers, who are often used to feeling different than others since they can’t eat the same foods, find comfort in the fact that they’re eating the same food as their friends and they know it will be both delicious and safe. We’re sharing one of camp’s favorite recipes that you can eat for snack or for dessert. For an extra fun camp twist, eat your dessert first or try eating your cup of dirt without utensils, no-hands pudding style.
Ingredients (1 cup)
Prepared chocolate pudding Crushed Oreo cookies (or you can substitute your favorite gluten-free cookie!) Dollop of whipped cream Gummy worms
Instructions 1. 2. 3. 4.
Mix half of the cookie crumbs with the pudding and put it in a cup. Sprinkle the remaining cookie crumbs on top of the pudding mixture. Top the cookie crumbs with whipped cream, then the gummy worms. Enjoy!
Meet the YELPAALA Family We spoke with Sara Yelpaala who has attended Family Camp at Roundup River Ranch for two years. She comes to Camp with her husband KP, son Desmond, and daughter Eliana. Sara shared what camp means to her entire family: “Eliana is four and a half. She has a disease called Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE). This is a chronic immune condition that causes inflammation of the esophagus, the tube that carries food form the mouth to the stomach. We knew that something was wrong with Elli, even at a young age. She was diagnosed with EoE as a one-year old and our life hasn’t been the same since. At the moment, she can only eat three things: sugar water, an amino-acid based formula, and white potatoes. She attends regular therapy sessions to discuss her relationship with food and her disease. We spend hours every day focused on making sure she gets the nutrients she needs and making sure she’s not having allergic reactions. We’ve had to dismantle our daily life to make sure Elli is healthy. So many social activities are centered around food, and that’s something we constantly have to be aware of and create safe spaces for our daughter. Last year we came to Roundup River Ranch for our first Family Camp during a GI disorders weekend, and it was life-changing. This is the first place Eliana met a kid with EoE. It was so great to meet families who understood the anxieties associated with specialized diets and her disease. Eliana had so much fun; she talked about Camp for the rest of the year. This year we’re at session for campers with EoE specifically, which has been so great. This year she met older kids with EoE for the first time; she sees she can have a bright future and simply be a kid even if she has an illness. Roundup River Ranch is a place where kids with EoE can be themselves. Eliana is only four, but she’s embarrassed to drink her formula in public. At Camp she’s been asking kids to see their g-tubes and asking what it feels like. EoE is pretty rare, but at Roundup River Ranch Eliana feels like she’s not so weird and she belongs. Eliana loves coming to Camp and being in a cabin with other kids. She wouldn’t be able to go to any other camps. Her diet is way too restricting and she needs the medical support. Roundup River Ranch is the most freeing place we’ve been. Everywhere we go, we worry about Elli, but at Camp we feel safe because of the medical facility and we know the food will be safe. It’s feels so safe here, even on the drive up we relax knowing we’ll have a amazing, healing, and fun weekend together as a family.”
“Eliana has one of the worst cases of EoE in the country, but when you see her at Roundup River Ranch and she’s just a well-adjusted kid having a blast with her amazing family.” - Holly Knotowicz, Eliana’s Speech Pathologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado
Cooking up the love for camp Meet Kathy Cole, a Roundup River Ranch Board Member, longtime supporter, and kitchen volunteer extraordinare. Learn more about Kathy, her special connection to Roundup River Ranch, and why she loves helping out behind the scenes to make camp possible.
When not at Roundup River Ranch, what do you do?
I spend a lot of time traveling out of the country. My favorite destination is now South Africa. I’m also an avid cyclist, and that’s why Colorado will always be home.
Why did you want to volunteer at Roundup River Ranch?
My late husband, Trent, and I got involved in 2008. Pat Hammon, a nurse who helped take care of my husband, told us about the SeriousFun camps. She put us in touch with Ruth and camp’s founder, Alison Knapp. My husband passed away in 2008, and during that time I became more involved with starting Roundup River Ranch. I joined Ruth and Alison on an initial site tour of camp before any buildings were built. Alison said to me, “Can you feel the sacredness of this land?” And I could, without a question. This is a very special place with an infectious energy. Right then, I knew I wanted to build the dining hall, and we named it Trent’s Cookhouse, after my late husband. My connection to Trent’s Cookhouse makes me want to remain actively involved in Roundup River Ranch. I always volunteer in the kitchen when I’m at camp. It’s obviously dear to me, and this building has so much energy when campers are here. I always find when I come out here how joyful and yet humbling my time at camp is. For me, it’s a really grounding experience. Even working in the kitchen I can see campers bonding and gaining confidence and coming out of their shells. I truly believe that all of the people who make camp happen are absolutely life-changers, and I’m proud and humbled to be a part of it.
What are your favorite I used to be a Committee Chair for A Grateful Harvest, camp’s largest fundraising event. A few years ago, we had a camper perform a song who rocked the event. People were so moved by memories from your volunteer experience? her talent, they were so motivated to donate. She represented all the campers and their passion, talent, and tenacity. She brought the power of camp to people who had never experienced camp, and that was so special.
I truly believe that every moment at camp is powerful and special. I’ve talked to the doctors of campers who say that kids literally live to return to Camp. Their memories can carry them through so much physically. They know they want to go back to camp, and that energy keeps them alive. I was volunteering one week and a camper was so weak, she barely ate. When her parents came to pick her up, she walked, for the first time that week, and hugged her parents. I think Paul Newman put it best when he called what happens at camp, “pretty potent stuff.”
Why do you think it is important for children with serious illnesses to come to Roundup River Ranch?
To quote Paul Newman again, camp gives children with serious illnesses a chance to “raise a little hell.” Children can explore who they are here beyond being defined by their illnesses. The cloud of their illness does not hang over them here. Camp is defining for these children; they can step outside of their comfort zones, but in a safe space.
Celebrating friends and Partners who did big things for CAMP Three Cheers for Shire!
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hire is a corporate partner with SeriousFun Children’s Network. With its annual gift of $1 million for three years to SeriousFun Children’s Network ($3 million total), Shire is enabling nearly 1,000 children, many with rare diseases, to experience these life-changing camps and programs for free. As part of that partnership, Shire sponsored Roundup River Ranch’s 2017 family camp session for children with rare genetic diseases, including eosinophilic esophagitis. Linn Parrish, Shire’s head of responsibility, communications, and public affairs, said, “As the leading biotechnology company with a focus on rare diseases and other highly specialized conditions, Shire is very pleased to help SeriousFun Children’s Network deliver life-changing camp experiences to children and families who need it most. We believe our annual gift of $1 million for three years to SeriousFun in support of all its camps, including a gift to sponsor a session at Roundup River Ranch, is helping make the transformative power of camp available. Our partnership with SeriousFun provides a real source of pride for our nearly 24,000 employees around the globe.” Roundup River Ranch is fortunate to count Shire as a friend and partner. The impact of their gift is tremendous as it inspires a special type of hope and healing. The power of camp in the lives of children with a rare genetic disease is monumental; for many campers, Roundup River Ranch was the first time they met another child with their same condition. There is a sense of normalization that occurs children and families don’t feel so different after their time at camp. As the Radford family so perfectly stated, “At Roundup River Ranch, we learned there are other families on the same journey.” They added, “We felt comfortable and connected at Camp. We engaged in activities that helped us push past our fears. We were worry-free and we had fun - that doesn’t happen most places.” There’s no way to recognize the impact of Shire’s support besides infinite camper smiles and endless high-fives. Thank you, Shire!
2,000 miles for camp
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tuart Frith, a dedicated Roundup River Ranch supporter and Advisory Committee Member, completed an extraordinary feat during the 2017 camp season. Stuart completed a camp-to-camp cross-country bike ride from Victory Junction, the SeriousFun Camp in North Carolina, to Roundup River Ranch to raise money and awareness for camp. Over the course of about a month, Stuart rode nearly 2,000 miles, battling the elements and a few flat tires along the way. While Stuart pedaled across the country, his partner Cindy Engles helped manage his ride, advocate for Roundup River Ranch, and celebrate his success. Stuart, thanks to the support and generosity of his friends and family, raised more than $114,000 for camp. This is inclusive of a special gift of $30,000 that added a second zip line to our Challenge Course in honor of Stuart’s efforts. The “Enjoy the Ride” Zip Line opened for Family Camp 8 and campers soared. Thank you, Cindy and Stuart, for bringing joy and for reminding campers to “enjoy the ride”!
We Love Our Board of Directors Roundup River Ranch is very fortunate to have Board Members who give generously of their time, talent, and treasure. We would like to recognize the Board Members who volunteered during the 2017 Camp Season: • Cathie Bennett • Greer Gardner • David Cohen, MD • Lia Gore, MD • Kathy Cole • Keith Weisz, MD • John Forester • Tom Woodell
Love Notes Our friends who experience camp say it best. That’s why we thought we’d share some of the notes we’ve received from our amazing camper parents. This is the impact of camp.
The smile on my daughter’s face today was so wonderful to see. She absolutely loved camp! She has already told me so many stories and sang me some of the songs she learned this past week. She made a bunch of wonderful friends and basically had the time of her life. It has been a long 7 months of chemo and Roundup River Ranch was, “the best time ever!” as my daughter said the minute she stepped off the bus. Thank you for making such joy possible. Wahooooo!!!! - An extremely grateful camper parent
Dear Roundup River Ranch, I can’t thank the donors, staff, and volunteers enough for this wonderful camp. My daughter was a first-time camper this year, and since she has come home, I have seen a tota lly different child. She’s confident, encouragin g to others, more trusting, and more resp ectful than ever. Even though it was only a wee k away at Roundup River Ranch, she’s grown so much. A huge thank you to everyone who makes camp possible! Best, Amy
Dear Roundup River Ranch,
Dear Roundup River Ranch, I just wanted to send a BIG thank you to everyone at Roundup River Ranch that worked so hard this summer, making such wonderful memories for kids and families alike. Our son Peyton attended the session for children with cancer, brain tumors, and sickle cell disease. It was a wonderful experience for him and was really the first time he's been away from home for an extended period of time. It challenged him and he had many wonderful experiences! It wasn't all easy and some things were tough for him, but I'm so proud he pushed through! I'm convinced he's stronger because of the experience. Two names that came up quite a bit in his stories about the week, were Brian and Riley. They did a fantastic job making him feel right at home! Thank you to the both of them. I know sometimes Peyton can be a little difficult and even a tad bit stubborn but they helped him through that and we're so grateful! :) THANK YOU!!!! What a wonderful place! May your efforts continue to be blessed!!!! Sincerely, Sheila
My daughter just attended her first cardiology camp at Roundup River Ranch. This was her first time away from home and we wer e both very nervous. Her transformation in one week was amazing. She has gained so muc h confidence in herself. I am so grateful to all the staff and volunteers for allowing my daught er this invaluable experience. She can’t wait to go back next year! Thank you, Helen
f camp mazing year o a er th no a r f Thank you fo has all sorts o e is home and H Ranch n. r so ve y Ri m r up fo of Round rs a ye 4 . re a bout next stories to sh ady talking a lre a is e H . g and countin my son this you for giving nk a Th ! er m m su campfire! ift. Until next g us o d en em tr Cathy
Thank you for making another giggle-infused, worry-free, friendship-rich season possible!
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