Camp Journey NOW: Where young cancer survivors find friendship, fun and understanding
News story by Kali Nelson | FāVS News
Alex Rueb and his parents first heard about Camp Journey NW when he was 10-years-old.
After his first year, Rueb knew he had found people just like him — other children who had a childhood cancer diagnosis. He would go every year until he was 17 and return again as a councilor after taking a gap year.
“Instead of trying to hide scars, we would wear them with pride! Even though it’s only one week a year, it seemed like every year I would show up and all of us kids would just continue our friendship as if no time had passed at all. I met many of my life-long friends through camp,” Rueb said.
Spokane nonprofit hosts kids’ cancer camp in Idaho
Camp Journey NW is a nonprofit organization out of Spokane that has a yearly camp for children with cancer. The camp is in August each year at Ross Point Camp and Conference Center in Post Falls, Idaho.
Ross Point Camp and Conference Center is part of Mission Northwest, an association of churches in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Nevada, California, Arizona and Alaska. Mission Northwest rents out the camp to other churches and organizations in the area for use.
Camp Journey NW is not a religious organization but uses the camp due to it being close to Sacred Heart in Spokane where many of the children are receiving treatment, Director Belinda Jacobsen said.
The camp is accredited with the American Camping Association and is a gold ribbon camp under the Children’s Oncology Camping Association.
Free camp offers fun activities, medical care
While at camp, children can go swimming, practice archery, do craft projects, climb and cruise around Lake Coeur d’Alene. The camp is staffed with volunteer nurses from the hospital, and the care is overseen by Camp Medical Director Dr. Angela Trobaugh-Lotrario.
“Our campers are so often isolated due to treatment, they don’t often get to do the fun things,” Jacobsen said. “It also gives respite to their parents.”
It is free for any child with cancer to attend and they are welcome to bring a friend or sibling to attend with them, Jacobsen said. There is a weeklong overnight camp and a day camp option, she said. The day camp is open to children ages 5-7 and the weeklong camp is open to children ages 8-17. Campers like Rueb who wanted to become a counselor can attend the Leader in Training program.
“We do all the things kids love to do,” Jacobsen said.
Camp seeks donations amid challenges
The camp costs $1,320 per child to attend, which is fundraised through events like the Sweethearts Ball and the Marfice Masters. In 2024, the camp’s major fundraisers had to be postponed due to unforeseen circumstances, but Jacobsen said they were bringing them back in 2025.
The postponement of these events meant it would be a tight budget Jacobsen said. But it wouldn’t stop them from holding camp. In 2019, before the pandemic, she said they had 134 campers and 90 volunteers. This year they expected around 50 campers and around 70 volunteers.
Individual donations can be made online. Individuals or organizations can also fund a camper with a donation of $1,320 or monthly payments of $110.
“Growing up as someone who had cancer, it was kind of a taboo topic to bring up anywhere else. Most adults would get very apologetic and kids at school wouldn’t understand or didn’t care,” Rueb said. “But at camp, it was a place where talking about our experiences was normal conversation and we could have fun with others that had experienced what we had. This made bonds with people that I don’t have anywhere else.”
Rueb goes back to camp each year to volunteer his time. Kelli Dao has been a volunteer with the camp for four years and had heard of it from her cousin.
“It’s always been a really humbling experience,” Dao said. “They’re just there to be kids.”
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