By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Camp Hope has had its battles over the past 42 years. The annual event at Camp Aldrich for youth who have or have had cancer is still rebounding from COVID with 30 campers this year. While not a new battle, Camp Activities Director Kyle Morris said precipitation has been a factor this year. Wednesday morning, that meant catching a movie at State Theatre in Larned.
"Larned was kind enough to give us a really good deal to come in," he said. "They gave the kids pop and popcorn and they're watching a new movie none of them have seen yet. It's another great experience they can all enjoy together."
The camp kicks off each Father's Day and runs for a week. This year's group will do the normal activities, including visiting Wetlands Water Park in Great Bend and taking a special trip through Brit Spaugh Zoo earlier this week, and bowling and mini-golfing at Walnut Bowl on Wednesday. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks has been helping at the camp for more than two decades. Tuesday night, KWDP staff helped with the fish fry.
"I think we ended up with around 200 caught catfish," Morris said. "Wildlife and Game were kind enough to spend a couple of hours fileting and frying up those for us and then we got to eat them for dinner."
Camp Hope staff also tries to provide new experiences each year. The Great Bend Bat Cats volunteered to offer a baseball clinic and spend time with the campers on Wednesday. The camp winds down on Saturday with a special farewell ceremony that allows the campers to express their emotions in a safe and healthy manner.
Camp Hope had 38 participants last year. In 2021, volunteer requirements could not be met at Camp Aldrich due to COVID-19 restrictions. Camp Hope was temporarily slated for Elmdale, west of Emporia, but was ultimately canceled that year. Approximately 40 campers returned to Camp Aldrich in 2022, and Morris would like to see that number continue to grow.
"It is not dependent on you being a Kansas native or a current Kansan," he said. "If you can get to camp - and you can apply, especially with the access online - we welcome you because it's an experience unlike any other for a group of kiddos who sometimes don't get to have that more normal childhood experience. It's a great opportunity, so we want to keep it open to whoever can make it work."
Camp Hope relies 100 percent on volunteers. Kansas City-based KyMel is the non-profit that has put on Camp Hope since 2015.