A Summer Outdoors for Sick Kids

According to Roundup River Ranch in Edwards, Colo., there are over 35,000 kids with life-threatening illness in the Rocky Mountain region. These are kids whose medical needs often prevent them from participating in the typical outdoor adventure experiences other young people take for granted.

The Ranch's mission is to change that. Construction will soon begin on a summer camp for these kids on 85 acres along the Colorado River east of Glenwood Canyon. If all goes according to schedule, the camp will open in 2011. The Children’s Hospital of Denver will provide on-site medical care, enabling “children who may not otherwise have the opportunity to experience camp with a fun, safe and empowering experience, free of charge,” according to a press release.

A grant of $1 million from the Hole in the Wall Camps Foundation has just moved the Ranch one step closer to funding its dream. The donation is directed toward the camp's $20 million capital campaign called “Campaign for Laughter.” The Foundation is the fundraising arm of the Hole in the Wall Camps Association, an organization started by Paul Newman to oversee a network of camps that serve children with serious illness.

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