Summer may be over, but we’re still thinking about the moments that made 2026 one for the books.
The belly laughs. The dance parties. The friendships that somehow feel years old after only a few days. The conversations that happen when a grieving kid realizes the person sitting beside them understands something about their life that can be hard to explain anywhere else.
This summer, 1,599 campers joined us for 16 week-long Experience Camps programs, making this our biggest summer yet.
That’s 1,599 kids who got a week to play hard, laugh loudly, remember their person, talk about grief (or not), and spend time with other kids who get it.
Here’s a look at summer 2026, but the numbers, and the stories from another #BestWeekEver.
Our Biggest Summer Yet
- 16 week-long camp programs
- 1,599 campers attended, up from 1,422 in 2025
- 68% of eligible campers returned from a prior year
- 43 states and U.S. territories represented
- 5 countries represented: Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Peru, and the United States
And it took a pretty incredible community to make all of that happen.
- 1,114 volunteer counselors and staff made camp possible
- 69% of volunteers and staff returned from a prior year
For us, those return rates matter. Camp may only last one week, but the relationships built there can last much longer.
One caregiver shared that two campers who met at Experience Camps three summers ago have remained close friends. Earlier this summer they were al;ready trying to guess the banquet theme and talking about becoming counselors someday.
“I know camp is just one week long, but you guys play such a big role in our everyday lives.”
A Place Where Other Kids Get It
Every camper arrives at Experience Camps with their own story and their own relationship with grief.
The people our campers are grieving died from many different causes. This summer, the most commonly reported included:
- 21.5 % to cancer
- 16.1% to heart-related illness
- 11.7 % to suicide
- 7.8% to drug overdose
Their experiences aren’t all the same and that’s important.
But there is something powerful about being surrounded by other kids who don’t need a lengthy explanation of what it’s like when someone important to you dies.
One caregiver described the difference they saw when their child came home:
“He made friends. Real friends. The kind of friends who understand things that most people his age never have to understand. … They talked about the siblings they lost. They talked about therapy. They talked about grief. They talked openly and honestly in a way that only children who have walked a similar path can.”
Another camper connected with someone who had experienced an incredibly similar loss: both were grieving brothers who died from the same type of brain tumor.
Sometimes, finding someone who gets it can change the way a kid carries their grief.
Grief is Part of Camp. So is Joy.
Experience Camps isn’t about making grief go away.
It’s also not a week spent sitting around talking about grief.
Camp is swimming and s’mores, ropes courses and campfires. It’s trying something you’ve never done before, staying up talking with your bunkmates, and laughing so hard your stomach hurts.
Grief gets to be there, too.
One caregiver described the change they saw when their child came home:
“I noticed a weight had lifted from my son. The grief wasn’t gone, but for once it wasn’t running his life. I could see my son again, happy in a way I hadn’t seen since before his mother died.”
Another caregiver told us their child came home more confident and more willing to share. Another said their daughter tried things at camp they “never dreamed she would try.”
And sometimes the changes are even simpler.
One camper discovered a love of cooking after making Mexican street corn at camp. Since coming home, he’s made breakfast for his family multiple times.
That’s camp, too.
2,713 Lights for the People We Remember
One of the most meaningful traditions at Experience Camps happens at the end of the week.
This summer, campers and volunteers lit 2,713 candles in memory of people who died.
Each light represented a person who is still part of someone’s story.
For some campers, camp creates an opportunity to talk about that person in ways they haven’t before.
One caregiver told us their child cried about his dad for the first time since his death. Another said camp was the first place their son had really been willing to talk about losing his dad and stepdad.
These moments don’t happen on schedule. We don’t expect every camper to talk, cry, share, or experience grief in the same way.
We simply make room for whatever they bring with them.
The Countdown to the Next Summer Begins
There’s one piece of caregiver feedback we hear over and over again:
“When can I come back?”
One first-time camper wasn’t even home yet before telling his caregiver he wanted to return. Two sisters came home from their first summer already talking about becoming Leaders in Training someday.
For many families, the impact continues in the conversations that happen once everyone gets home.
As one caregiver told us:
“They can’t wait for next year and neither can I! … The conversations about camp, the amazing counselors, how they handle grief and their dad have been awesome and they’ve only been back one day. Thank you from one overworked, emotionally exhausted but appreciative mama.”
We get it. We’re already counting down, too.
Until Next Summer
Our biggest summer yet happened because thousands of people believed grieving kids deserve spaces where they can feel understood, supported, and completely themselves.
To out 1,599 campers: Thank you for trusting us with your stories, your people, and your #BestWeekEver.
To our 1,114 volunteers and staff: Thank you for showing up, jumping in, and creating the kind of community kids want to return to year after year.
And to every caregiver, donor, partner, and supporter who helped make these 16 weeks of camp possible: Thank you for being part of this community.
Camp may be over for 2026, but the connections aren’t.
Be Part of What Comes Next
Apply for camp: Learn more about joining us for summer 2027
Volunteer: Help make the #BestWeekEver possible for grieving kids.
Donate: Help us continue providing Experience Camps at no cost to families
Stay Connected: Sign up for our newsletter for stories, grief resources, events, and ways to get involved.
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