For many, September means transitioning from summer to back-to-school. For our staff, it is a time of reflection and exchange of heartwarming camper anecdotes, hilarious camp moments, and deep transformation stories of campers who returned from prior summers. It fills our emotional buckets and reminds us of our “why”… why we put in all the work of strategy, fundraising, logistics, survey assessments and so on. All year, we’ll share facts and feels from camp, but we like to start with the big-picture story of camp by the numbers.
What the numbers said:
# of camp programs: 13
# of campers who attended: 1,244 (up from 1,080 in 2023)
% campers (eligible) returning from prior year(s): 83%
# of states campers came from: 42
# of countries campers came from including the U.S.: 8 (Canada, Colombia, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom)
# of volunteer counselors & staff: 799 (up from 702 in 2023)
% of volunteers and staff from prior year(s): 79%
# of candles lit for a person who died: 2,343
# of times campers laughed: could not possibly count
What we saw in terms of causes of death:
Of the 1,244 kids we served at camp, some of the most common causes of death for their person included…
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- 245 died by cancer
- 198 died by heart disease
- 144 died by suicide
- 121 died by drug overdose
- 74 died by violence/murder
Sample of what parents and caregivers had to say…
This is the 3rd year my granddaughter has attended Georgia camp. I got a bit choked up dropping her off at the bus stop. She was so excited to go to camp again. I had to tap her on the shoulder as she got on the bus to say goodbye. This is such an amazing experience for our kiddos. I’m beyond grateful for everything this organization does, They are truly performing miracles and healing our kids.
Crying happy tears. My 11-year-old daughter was super anxious about going to her first year of camp. She asked me so many times if she “had” to go. I’m so happy she was brave and did it even though she was scared. Looking through the pics of her, I can tell how happy she is and how much fun she is having. This will be a life-changing experience for her and I couldn’t be any more proud of the girl she’s becoming. This Mama heart is so happy.
Experience Camps is a special place in our hearts. Both of my children volunteer every year. This is an amazing place for kids that are grieving from the loss of a loved one. To be in this safe place that offers fun camp activities along with therapeutic support in a loving and caring environment is incredible. All of the volunteers are exceptional people with kind and caring hearts. The BEST week of the year!
I’m forever grateful for Experience Camps. This was my son’s first year going to camp, his dad died in 2017. Before he got off the bus he was texting me about, how he’s going next year. He told me this was the first time he ever felt comfortable talking about his father passing and how he died. When I picked him up from the bus it was like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Thank you to everyone behind the scenes who make this happen, you’re truly changing lives.
I just wanted to say Thank You to all the ExCamp staff and volunteers, kids, and supportive families. This was our 3rd year at MI camp. My daughter opened up to me tonight about stuff she never has before. I realized that I haven’t heard HER story, myself… from her perspective. We agreed we may create a time someday for her to share her story with me. I really look forward to that.
Want to find out how you can get involved?
- Learn how to volunteer for us.
- Learn how to apply for camp next summer (applications open in November).
- Donate to support more grieving children.
- Sign up for our newsletter to read about upcoming events and opportunities
