Sewing Threads of Community

More Than a Camp

Nestled in the trees of a 200-acre property in Mt. Vernon, Washington lies Camp Korey, a haven where kids navigating life-altering medical conditions are not defined by them. While designing and facilitating intentional camp programming to be 100% adaptable for campers and make play and adventure accessible every kid is where our story started – Camp Korey is much more than that. We believe that the joy, love, and connection that grows here at camp extends far beyond the gates of our property. We know that the challenges of navigating complex medical diagnoses follow families wherever they go, and so must the warm lantern of the Camp Korey community! We are always thinking up and working on new ways to support our community of campers and families.  

Community Touchpoints

Camp 

Our year-round condition-specific family weekends and summer camp weeks foster a space where kids and families can connect and build community with people who understand the intricacies of navigating complex medical conditions. Through programming centered in joy and play, kids and families come together and engage in shared experiences where everyone is welcome and celebrated for who they are.

Family Adventures 

Family adventures give families the opportunity to experience together in a variety of activities outside of camp while having their camp circle of support with them. We plan and facilitate unique day adventures and activities like watching baseball games, visiting the zoo, and trying new things like adaptive skiing. 

Camp to You  

Our Camp to You outreach team collaborates with healthcare professionals to enhance and support existing programs, focusing on elevating the quality of life for families facing medical challenges. Camp to You is a beacon of joy, adventure, and fun for families navigating healthcare settings.  

• In-Hospital Programs 

With our long-term partnerships with Seattle Children’s Hospital, Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, Shriners Children’s Portland, Randall Children’s Hospital, and Ronald McDonald House Charities we serve hundreds of children in hospital systems every year. Our programs meet kids where they are in their health journey with fun activities from Playroom and lobby visits to bedside visits and craft kit drop-offs. 

• Camper Care Packages 

Now introducing Camper Care Packages! A camper care package is the warmth of a crackling campfire, heartfelt warm fuzzies, and a dash of camp magic all bundled up and delivered directly to you. It can come with various camp activities and words of support from Camp Korey to evoke all the fun memories and joys that go along with being a part of our camp community. As with all our programs, care packages are offered free of charge. 

Campers are eligible to receive a care package if they have attended a Camp Korey program and are experiencing a hardship such as a surgery, procedure, unexpected medical emergency, hospital stay, bedrest, loss of a loved one, or are in need of some extra warm fuzzies.  

To request a care package, click here! 

To tell you more about how these programs directly impact our camp families we welcome the Keogh clan to share their story below. . .  

The Keogh clan, cherished members of our camp community, include camp mom Sarah and the Keogh kids, Caia, Luca, and Freya. 

• Family Camp 

There aren’t many places that my family can go overnight without raising any eyebrows. With three children we don’t travel light anyway, but with my kids we add in 3 CPAPs, an airway clearance machine that comes in its own travel bag and weighs 34lbs, a cough assist machine, a wheelchair, countless medications and medical supplies and a service dog. 

My children are all Seattle Children’s patients and between them hit over 100 appointments there every year, plus additional visits to other out-of-state hospitals and countless weekly therapies. When we get the offer of time off for fun, we jump in with all feet! 

Camp Korey is the one and only place that offers us that opportunity with no restrictions on fun, or safety. All 3 of my kids can partake in every activity, including my very complex, wheelchair-using son. Where else can he try rock climbing? And no one cares if they refuse to try any activity and do something else instead, as often happens with my youngest who would rather don her helmet and ride her scooter up and down, instead of playing ball games. 

My kids love the fun, but the key for us is the safety. As the parents of a medically complex kid who could literally require an emergency ride to the hospital at the first signs of any illness, we have no one nearby who we can leave him with for a few hours respite, and being any distance from the nearest children’s hospital strikes fear into my soul! 

But, as I leave our house and head north towards Camp Korey I find that I can leave that fear behind for the duration of our stay within those gates. I know that Camp Korey is a safe place for my son because of the amazing onsite medical staff who know him well and I trust will act immediately if needed. 

And the fact that that child, who has medical PTSD and generally refuses to be away from me, is even contemplating attending a camper-only week this summer, and that I’m actually ok with that idea, well that’s just the icing on the very large Camp Korey cake!! 

• Luca’s Care Package 

At the start of the year my son Luca spent a month in Seattle Children’s for two major neurosurgeries. The day after his 2nd surgery he was having a very hard day with a lot of headaches and light sensitivity, but he brightened up, and even smiled a little for the first time after surgery, when he got to open his Camp Korey Care Package.  

The package had been delivered to the hospital for him by Camp Korey staff and was beautifully decorated on the outside. Luca was very excited to open it and he was even more excited when he saw all the awesome things inside!!  

He was especially delighted with the Camp Korey coloring book, which we read from cover to cover immediately. It gave us so many happy memories of our time at camp. He also loved the Warm Fuzzy card signed by some camp staff.  

The care package made a really hard day a whole lot brighter and gave us some fun activities to do during the rest of our hospital stay. But aside from that, it let Luca know that his friends at Camp Korey were thinking of him, wishing him well and that they had taken the time to put together a special package just to help him feel better.