Camp Circle O' Friends is an outdoor summer camp for children between 6-18 years of age whose lives have been affected by cancer. Patients, brothers and sisters and bereaved children are all welcome. For four days, cancer is not top of their minds. Kayaking, horseback riding, swimming, campfires, cabin fun and crafts on the shores of Arlington Beach at Last Mountain Lake fill their days.

We believe summer camp is a rite of passage for all kids and it can be a powerful healing experience for those who have been affected by Cancer in childhood, whether they've lost loved ones or are sick themselves. CampCircle O' Friends is about letting kids be kids, to let them know life can go on. With fun. With hope.

Camp was held in June with 30 campers and over 40 volunteers. We laughed, we loved, and we cared for one another. We rocked the dance floor, splashed in the lake, hugged kitties, made Swifty bracelets, tie-dyed pillow cases, and reintroduced the very popular archery activity. Fun fact… the leader of the archery activity learned about archery at camp years ago. She pursued the sport and even represented Canada at the Worlds! We are so grateful that our past camper Kayla has returned to camp and is willing to offer other campers the same opportunity she had.

To ALL the volunteers who stepped up this year, thank you! Your time, energy, and willingness is the backbone of camp’s success. Thank you for your dedication and willingness to leave your family at home and provide this exceptional opportunity to our campers.

To the family that shared their campers: we are indebted for your trust to send your most precious cargo to Nowhere SK with strangers in charge of their care. We take that responsibility with grace and deep appreciation. We cared for the campers as if they were our own. We were fair of who goes next, we heard their excitement and giggles, and we listened when they shared their fears and took extraordinary steps to eliminate those fears through encouragement and support. We also beamed with pride when your campers succeeded and we celebrated those accomplishments such as the camper closest to the bulls eye in archery, or for the courage to jump off a platform, or the 6 year old girls who topped most cabins in our opening day group activity. At camp, every kid is a star!

We can only do this with the support of our medical community. To the charge nurses, clinic nurses, social workers, child life specialists, and physicians - THANK YOU! Your support and promotion was overwhelming and we are forever grateful. We had clinic nurses (familiar faces to the families) register the campers, ride the bus, and attend camp in its entirety. But they didn’t just stay in The Med Shed! They participated in all activities. They too tie-died, made bracelets, sang lunch time singsongs, and jumped in ice cold lake every morning! We believe it is valuable for the campers to see their medical team as more than medical people. It’s okay that the nurse sucks at a craft, or can’t blow the biggest bubble …. we are grateful for their courage to try. And who knew they had the talent to rap?? They demonstrated this skill at our annual Variety Night. We wouldn’t encourage them to quit their day jobs, but the standing ovation speaks for itself.

And to Dr Roona Sinha - thank you for spending the day at camp with your family. It was great to meet your children and watch your talented son know the words to our singsongs and participate in camp all day. He met everyone! Jumped in with both feet! We enjoyed his enthusiasm and willingness to try anything and everything.

So … as we reflect on Camp 2024, we know we did our best as a team and as a community. We also know the campers made wonderful life-long memories and forever friends and we are delighted that they are excited to come back for Camp 2025!

Camp doesn’t just happen. We have an army of supporters who step up every year with donations that allow us to provide this experience. The Canadian Progress Club has supported CCOF since the beginning providing well over $1,200,000 over the years. They continue to support us with the annual Gala of Hope. The Co-op Refinery Complex gives significant dollars annually plus provides gas cards to travelling families. Beyond Wealth Management has stepped for years providing the funds for our families to have a hotel on the eve of camp and remove all barriers to participation.

We are honoured to receive an annual donation from the family of the late volunteer Cheryl Hill-Hampson. She was a gift to camp and her legacy lives on through the generous dollars donated each year by the family.

We are forever grateful to the many friends and friends of friends who step up to write a cheque, host a fundraiser, provide a service, or donate items. We often find ourselves as a square peg in a world of round holes. These donors fill the holes for us, trusting us to use their dollars wisely in the pursuit of putting smiles on the faces of kids touched by cancer. We could do this without their support!

As we close the chapter on Camp 2024, we begin to plan for Camp 2025. Some great ideas for the theme are brewing! Stay tuned! Camp 2025 might just be the BEST CAMP EVER!