Camp Okizu

I volunteered at Camp Okizu to help prepare the camp prior to the summer season. It’s an incredible place, full of beauty inside and out, and caring people. I’ve continued to volunteer over several years at fund raisers which enable children with cancer and their families to attend this amazing camp.

My son (age 8) is at Camp Okizu this week. I’m sure he’s enjoying himself and making connections with other campers. I love the fact that one week a year, he gets to play and forget the medical stuff we deal with all the time. He’s also post-​liver transplant so he remains immuno-​suppressed. This Camp is a blessing for kids like him and for families like ours. Thank you!

I dedicate my 500^th review to my fellow cancer survivors, especially the children and families who have had to deal with cancer.
Camp Okizu provides a wonderful summer camp experience for children who are going through cancer, their siblings and their families.
«Okizu» comes from the Sioux language meaning «Unity, To Come Together, To Help Heal a Hurt, To Make Whole.»
Each summer more than 600 children are provided with a free summer camp experience. Camp Okizu receives financial support from numerous foundations, community organizations and individual donors. Seven Northern California hospitals along with UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children’s Hospital. Volunteer doctors, nurses and other volunteers help staff the camp sessions.
The sessions are divided into :
* Week-​long Oncology camps for kids 6 – 17 with cancer
* Week-​long camps for siblings with brothers and sisters with cancer.
* Weekend camps for teens and twenties with cancer
* Weekend camps for families
* Bereavement Camps
I had heard about Camp Okizu for years through their radio promos asking for car donations. I thought, «What a cool Place,» and immediately put all thoughts about Camp Okizu in a back corner of my mind.
Then my dear friends’ son, «K-​Man,» was diagnosed with Leukemia. I got an intimate glimpse of what a family experiences when their child is diagnosed with cancer. Tests, x-​rays, countless hospital stays, chemotherapy, radiation, doctor appointments, mountains of paperwork, hundreds of phone calls, in addition to the uncertainty of the future, bring about a family’s deepest fears as well as consume every last ounce of energy. Childhood is altered. Normalcy is redefined.
Thankfully K-​Man is in remission but unfortunately with some residual side effects still clinging on.
K-​Man just attended his third year camp session at Camp Okizu. At Camp Okizu a child with cancer can bask in all the glories of summer camp – sleeping under the stars, chasing lizards and squirrels, making campy crafts, swimming, hiking, singing and performing wacky skits at campfires and more.
Their counselors are often cancer survivors themselves and provide the campers with fun, love, kindness and understanding.
The first summer K-​Man attended, his mom and I drove him up. He was very apprehensive, despite my summer camp pep talk. But the moment he stepped out of the car, the counselors swept him into the magic of summer camp. They introduced themselves, asked him questions about what himself and had him make several friendship bracelets. His fears melted away replaced by an ear-​to-​ear grin.
We got a mini tour of the camp. Nothing plush but all the facilities were so welcoming. Located in the mountains near Oroville, California, you feel captivated by Mother Nature with all the beautiful trees and blue skies. There was a huge mess hall that reminded me of the Parent Trap movies, a crafts hall, a large patio, comfy cabins for the campers, a swimming pool — ahhh paradise.
K-​Man became a summer camp junkie. He loved his counselors and his fellow campers and all the fun and adventures. A summer camp experience is rewarding for any child.
But a child with cancer becomes just a child for a week. To have fun, to gain independence, to experience nature, to meet new people who all accept and understand you is a positive influence that will last forever.
Thank You Camp Okizu for enriching the lives of so many.
For info about donating, volunteering or general camp info:

Rinky — thanks for starting the review love for Okizu!
My brother is a childhood cancer survivor and went to Okizu 27 years ago. I had the opportunity to go to a siblings session but I was too cool at 13 to go to summer camp. Huge mistake!
I made up for it years later by being a counselor at the sibling session (twice). While the main focus of Okizu is providing camp experiences to kids that would not otherwise have the opportunity due to cancer, they also offer weekends for full families and full weeks for siblings. Most of that time is spent having fun, but there is also plenty of healing going on. The camp is filled with folks who are in the rare position of understanding what a cancer patient, or the sibling of one, is going through and that in itself creates a strong sense of community and connection. Special ceremonies honor the cancer patients in their lives, and there is ample opportunity to reach out and talk to someone that will really listen. Its truly a healing experience for campers and volunteers alike.
The other day, I found myself singing a song I learned at Okizu to my baby and the memories came rushing back. That was one of my best summers ever!
I highly recommend anyone with a free summer week look into volunteering as a counselor. Not only is it an opportunity to give some love and attention to kids that need and deserve it, its a lot of fun.