Camp Quality Heartland Gives Youth Cancer Patients a Much Needed Break

The local chapter of Camp Quality Heartland is holding its annual camp for youths affected by cancer at Camp Calvin Crest in Fremont this week. Camp Quality Heartland is a private organization that allows kids to participate without cost thanks to fundraising, grants and donations.

At the camp, the children get to participate in a number of activities including rock climbing, swimming, hiking and a fan favorite, archery. Volunteers, called companions, are paired with a camper and participate in the activities with them throughout the week.

Nathan Kathol, one of the companions for the campers said the experience is unlike anything else.

"Being a camp companion is a challenging, but very rewarding job. You have to be prepared for anything, but you get to spend your time making other kids happy and making sure they are loved," Kathol said.

Michael Young, Executive Director of Camp Quality Heartland, says it’s a meaningful way to give back.

“It chokes me up a little bit just to be honest, but working with these kids and seeing how strong they are and you forget all the things that they go through at such an early age and how it affects them and how it changes them. So just to see these little awesome people keep fighting and just want to laugh and smile and be normal,” Young said.

The camp runs through the week and gives the kids a break from their stressful battles. Young hopes the camp can grow and more children can join each year to ensure youths affected by cancer have a chance to just be a kid again.

“I think the kids really get to take away, just creating those memories… We make keepsakes and give scrapbooks of all the photos we have,” Young said.

The scrapbooks are printed each year after the camp and given to the campers to bring home to share all of the memories with their family and friends.

More information on Camp Quality Heartland is available at http://www.campqualityusa.org/htl.