Group spreads the word about free regional summer camps for kids impacted by cancer

Children facing cancer can feel anxiety and isolation. That’s one reason why some summer camps are geared to them with emotional support, whether they have the disease or see it affecting a close relative.

The campers get a brief escape from illness with outdoor adventures and bond with other kids who have similar cancer stories. Art therapy can help them express feelings.

The Inland Northwest has five such cancer-support summer camps – all free – but many families aren’t aware of them, according to a nonprofit called Cancer Pathways for Eastern Washington.

Expanding into Spokane this spring, the organization recently created a one-stop listing with basic details on each of the region’s cancer-support camps.

“One of the things I noticed is we have a lot of great camps, but there was not one place for families to see all the different offerings,” said Terri Weeding, Cancer Pathways’ local community outreach manager.

“These are free, beautiful camps with great food and fun activities,” Weeding said. “There are a lot of families who don’t know these exist. I went to all the camp directors and said, ‘Can I create a document that shows all of our camps, who they are for, when they are, where they are, and links?’ ”

One of the newest camps – Camp Sparkle – is operated by Cancer Pathways and launches July 17-20 as a day camp in Manito Park. Camp Sparkle has operated in the greater Seattle area since 2004.

The other local options are: Camp Goodtimes at YMCA Camp Reed, Monday-July 14; Camp Journey Northwest Resident Camp July 30-Aug. 5 in Post Falls; Camp Journey Northwest Day Camp, July 31-Aug. 3 in Post Falls; and Camp Kesem Overnight Camp, Aug. 20-24 in Rathdrum.

Cancer Pathways is a support organization with a mission to ensure nobody faces cancer alone. The nonprofit began in 1996 as Gilda’s Club Seattle, named after Gilda Radner. It’s expanded with statewide and national programs.

About a month ago, Weeding began to share the camps’ information with patient navigators, social workers and cancer support groups. Weeding also posted the information online.

Morgan Weidner, a Camp Sparkle Spokane assistant camp director, previously was a camper and teenage counselor at another Camp Sparkle location. Her mother had breast cancer when she was young.

“Camp Sparkle then was really beneficial for me because I got to meet other young people who also had a cancer connection, and I didn’t have very many people in my personal life who were my age who knew what cancer in your family was like,” Weidner said.

“I got to both connect with kids my age, as well as with younger kids, and it meant being able to help a younger kid process some of the emotions that come up, saying, ‘I got scared when my mom was going through cancer treatment, too.’ ”

Campers on the last day often share phone numbers and stay in touch, she said. Many return to camp.

Weidner, based in Seattle, regularly comes to Spokane and will be a leader at the new Spokane camp.

“The magic of Camp Sparkle is that it is based around a therapeutic experience where kids learn coping skills to manage their anger, anxiety – such as breathing exercises – as well as a therapeutic art curriculum to learn about how to talk about their feelings,” she said.

“Also, kids get to let go of their worries and have fun during the summer by going swimming, playing kickball, or going on field trips, and letting cancer be put on hold for a few moments to go have fun and make new friends.”

For more information on camps, go tocancerpathways.org/spokane and scroll down to Inland Northwest Resources Hub.