Families find respite during a week of summer camp

Date: 06/14/2023

Bangor, Maine (June 14, 2023) — Growing up, kids just want to go to summer camp. When families face a cancer diagnosis, enjoying summer activities that others take for granted may be far from their minds.

Camp Hope, a partnership between Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Bangor YMCA, is held at the YMCA Wilderness Center at Camp Jordan in Ellsworth from June 18 - 24. This special week gives children a real summer camp experience, doing all the things they love, learning new skills, creating arts and crafts, paddling boats, going hiking and swimming, singing songs, and building campfires.

With a healthcare team on hand from Northern Light Cancer Care, no one has to worry about medication schedules or think about being sick. The children, their siblings, and parents celebrate doing all the things they love to do, and they can relax and forget about the challenges of living with cancer.

Campers are especially excited this year, as they return for the first full week-long camp experience in three years; the event was paused to ensure the safety of those in attendance who may have compromised immune systems.

Members of the media are invited to visit camp on the morning of Monday, June 19 at Camp Jordan at 11 am. Please share your interest in covering this event with the Marketing and Communications team by calling ahead at 207.973.9530 or emailing emmcmediarequest@northernlight.org.