Hole in the Wall Gang Camp – #GivingTuesday

Last week, I had the privilege of helping conduct a fundraising training for some of the team from The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp. This is an amazing group. Inspired by Paul Newman, this camp has been helping really sick kids have a normal summer camp experience. Swimming, ropes course, campfires. Even if in wheelchairs, with artificial limbs, or debilitating blood diseases. Over the last 25 years, they’ve worked hard to reach out to kids with the most unimaginable illness.

And the kids get to go for free.

Helping parents too

Their mission goes beyond the kids. For most parents, knowing their child is safe at a camp with the most advanced medical care allows them to relax for the first time since their child’s diagnosis. And the skills the children learn at Camp, and the friendships they create, help them increase their independence even after they get home.

Summer camp…in the hospital

As if this weren’t enough, with their Hospital Outreach Program, they even take the “camp experience” to kids who aren’t able to leave the hospital. You can see the joy this brings kids in this video.

Not covered by Newman’s Own

Since Paul Newman was the founder, I was shocked to discover that Newman’s Own doesn’t simply fund the Camp. They do give each year. But their contribution amounts to less than 1% of what it costs to run the Camp. The other 99% comes from people like you and me.

It costs $2500 for a kid to go to camp for a week. And people do all sorts of things to make that happen. Some participate in Hole in the Wall Gang Camp events. Others join TEAM Hole in the Wall and create their own event or run a marathon or help their kids with a lemonade stand.

Of course, you can simply make a donation! Even if $2500 isn’t in the cards today, a one time gift of $10 helps with art supplies. Or a monthly gift of $25 helps support one camper for an entire day at Camp.

Learn more

For a more complete picture of the Camp, and the clip from the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” that gave the Camp it’s name, check out the longer but equally moving video Genesis – The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

Here is a camp sing-a-long with Natalie Merchant and campers singing “Wonder”

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