Our mission
To provide an exceptional camp experience that fosters friendships, fun and healing outside of the hospital to families facing pediatric cancer.
We create a safe place where children can connect in friendship and grow in confidence and hope.
Compassion ▪ Community ▪ Relationships
We strive to create and deliver the highest-quality and impactful camp experience possible.
Leadership ▪ Adaptability ▪ Sustainability
We are transparent, honest, and ethical in all our interactions to serve those in need.
Integrity ▪ Service ▪ Justice
Nearly 400 children are diagnosed with pediatric cancer in Colorado each year. That's why there are so many amazing camp programs out there that help these brave kids and bring some much-needed joy into their lives. But here's something really special: Camp Wapiyapi is one of the few camps that not only supports the patients, but also their siblings!
We believe that the whole family deserves a chance to heal and find happiness, because a cancer diagnosis affects everyone, not just the patient.
We bring patients and siblings together at the same time, giving them an equal summer camp experience, because we know that when the whole family is supported something truly magical happens. Each family member gets the love, care, and fun they deserve, and we see positive changes happen for everyone involved.
We offer healing outside of the hospital. Camp Wapiyapi gives patients (whether in treatment or remission) the chance to set aside the stress and struggles of their diagnosis and immerse themselves in activities rooted in traditional camp fun but easily catered to any disabilities or physical limitations.
Siblings are not unaffected by a diagnosis — they experience an emotional roller-coaster. From worrying about their sibling to feeling neglected as a family’s focus shifts, their lives undergo significant change. At camp, they find a community that understands them and makes them feel heard and valued.
With their children in a safe and nurturing environment at camp, parents and caregivers have a chance to recharge physically and mentally. The emotional toll of caring for a child with cancer can be overwhelming, but a week of rest allows families to reset, reconnect, and show up with renewed presence and engagement for their kids.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
darla@wapiyapi.org
Camp DIRECTOR
megan@wapiyapi.org
Activities DIRECTOR
cassie@wapiyapi.org
The word “wapiyapi” is of Lakota origin, meaning healing and renewal. When the camp was first formed in 1998, the meaning of the word was what our founders hoped campers would experience firsthand through the Camp Wapiyapi community, inspired by the natural retreat of the Rocky Mountains.
Camp Wapiyapi acknowledges that we operate on the ancestral lands of many Indigenous people, including Lakota, Navajo, and Ute. The beautiful forests and mountains that surround our camp are imbued with their presence.
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