What I assumed kids had — they did not even think of.
— Adam Woodward, Founder
It was a Wednesday in mid-July when the yellow bus pulled into the camp gravel lot. The sun was already high over the Alberta foothills, casting sharp shadows across the dusty cabins. The kids spilled out, eyes wide with the nervous energy of their first time away from home. But as we began unloading the luggage, the silence between the counselors grew heavy.
There were no duffel bags, no sleeping pad rolls, no rugged outdoor gear. One kid carried his entire week's belongings in a black garbage bag that was already tearing at the seams. Another had a thin, frayed cotton blanket from a thrift store, completely unsuited for the freezing mountain nights. That was the moment the reality hit us: the things we took for granted as basic childhood experiences were, for these kids, completely out of reach.
We scrambled that night. We raided our own closets, begged local gear shops, and pieced together enough sleeping bags to keep those eight kids warm. But the realization stayed with us. Send a Kid 2 Camp isn't just about giving kids a week in the mountains. It is about closing the gap between the life they live and the experiences every child deserves to have. That is why we gather every June, and why we walk this path together.
