The next Camp Hope will not take place until next June, but Camp Hope – Heartland will celebrate their 35th Anniversary with a reunion Saturday, September 23. The camp was set up in 1983 to provide a summer camp for youth who have or have had cancer.
To help celebrate the reunion that will bring back former campers and volunteers, Kevin Brown decided to write a book about the history of the camp. Kevin is the son of Donna Brown, the founder of Camp Hope.
Kevin Brown Audio
The book, “Camp Hope: The ‘Ma Donna’ Years, 1983-2000” covers how the camp started, its purpose, and the stories and people that make the week-long camp special. Brown’s family suffered through two of his siblings passing away from cancer and the camp started as a way to make his siblings feel normal and experience a summer camp.
The reunion will take place Saturday from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. at Camp Aldrich, just northeast of Great Bend.
Kevin Brown Audio
Brown says he finished the book this summer and received roughly 200 copies three weeks ago. Copies of the book will be available for sale in hopes of raising money for the non-profit organization.
Brown intends on writing a second book to cover the year 2000 to the present.