President’s Message September 2015

Mike Divricean, Lt. Governor Spencer Cox, Mircea Divricean, Don Hudson (ABC 4 News)

As summer camp 2015 came to an end, I would like to reflect on what we have accomplished here at the camp this season.  Although this has been my 18^th summer camp season here at Camp K, it has been only my second summer as President and CEO. When I started working here at the camp as a counselor in 1998, Camp K was serving about 30 campers per week for a total of 400 campers per season.  That number stayed the same until 2010. From 2010 to 2013, we served about 50 campers per day and a total of 500 campers per season. Under my leadership, we were able to serve close to 700 campers in 2014.  This summer, we served a record number of campers:  more than 100 campers per day, totaling more than 1,000 campers for the season. This is double from what we were able to serve in the past. I would love to be able to say that, even with the record numbers served this season, we had no waiting list this summer; unfortunately we still had a long waiting list this season. My goal is to eventually be able to erase the waiting list and serve all the campers who would like to take advantage of our services.

What else we accomplish this season? Every year we are fortunate to hire some of the most amazing staff to help us deliver our programs. This year, I would venture to say that we had an amazing crew who cared, dedicated themselves, worked hard, and loved our campers. They were amazing role models, and I can’t THANK them enough for their passion, dedication, and commitment to delivering the highest quality programs possible, in a very safe environment.

Camp K is a very complex operation; in order to deliver our services, we have to hire and train lifeguards, registered nurses, certified recreation therapists, cooks, equestrian instructors, challenge ropes course facilitators, small water craft guides, facilities and grounds keeping support, cleaning and custodian support, professional drivers, administration, accounting, human resources, IT support, counselors, group leaders, trip camp guides, coordinators, managers, and the list goes on. In other words, Camp K is an all in one facility: a medical facility, cooking facility, swimming pool facility, equestrian facility, challenge ropes course facility, lodging and hotel facilities, outdoor facilities that include a fishing pond, playground, pavilions, picnic field, trails, accessible transportation services, and the list goes on. All of these put together is Camp K.

Camp K is an ecosystem of love and support for greatness. We truly believe that all individuals are unique, and everyone can achieve amazing things in life, given positive support along the way!

We firmly believe to go big and bold for greatness here at Camp K! We have so many role models to look up every day, both campers and staff. We learn every day from their outlook on life, in the way they look at their own challenges. That motivates us to dedicate ourselves and work harder.

After we added up all our evaluations and outcome reviews, we have learned that over 70% of our summer campers achieved their goals they set up during their attendance of summer camp, and 85% of horseback riding participants reached their goals.  We also learned that 100% of parents/guardians state that when their child attends Camp K, they have shown improvement in their independence, self-esteem, and interaction with family and peers. Parents are able to see that their children are able to do things more independently, and help out with tasks and chores around the house. Many parents have shared that their child has become more active and physically stronger due to activities at Camp K. Several families have also stated that their participant has become much more verbal. After attending Camp K programs, the participants often exhibit improved communication during family interactions with immediate and extended family. The participants are able to display appropriate social skills in large group settings, and not request full attention from family members. We have also learned that over 70% of our participants improve in their social abilities and 100% of participants improve in their physical abilities.

Our campers represent all ages and all abilities; they come from difference socio-economic backgrounds and geographical areas. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities and special needs through education, recreation and growth experiences that promote personal growth and foster independence. Every year we look at ways to improve our facilities, programs and the way we deliver our programs in order to have the best possible outcomes.

This summer we also received the most “Thank You” letters in a long time from parents and campers. One note from Chris and George (parents) and Valerie (grandma) said “After all these years of providing wonderful adventures for my son August, it’s about time to say THANK YOU with and from the bottom of my heart. The Yellow Stone trip sounded so wonderful! Feeding carrots to bears and rafting – doesn’t get much better than that. We Love You!”

One other note came from Carol: “Thank you one more time for heart felt commitment to all the people you serve at Camp K. The camp staff was among the best staff I have ever met at camp. There was a wonderful blend of happiness, confidence, professionalism, and blending the diverse personalities of the campers.”

Nicole has been coming to Camp K a several years now. She lives in UK. Her mother, Vanessa, after seeing how much benefit Nicole has gained from Camp K, is now starting a foundation in UK to help others come to Camp K and let them benefit too. Vanessa said “You do such a great job. You have given me every reason why I should be doing this new charity. Nicole has been so lucky to have been given the chance to come to you and I want to give other kids the same opportunity – it will take them into adulthood a more independent self-confident person – what more could I ask?”

This summer we built new partnerships, with Natural History Museum of Utah, Tanner Dance, Bad Dog Arts, Red Butte Gardens, and U of U Youth Programs and Muscular Dystrophy Association – all to further our commitment to help and make our services and facilities available to more and more people. Our partner camps offered opportunities for children without disabilities to experience Camp K, and to interact with children with disabilities.  These partner camps had a major impact on the children who participated. One parent said that, because her son’s interaction with campers with disabilities during the week at Camp K, he has learned to better interact and communicate with his disabled brother at home. We look forward to continuing those partnerships and building new partnerships for next summer. We look forward to an amazing 2016 Summer Camp Season!

This summer, we were also visited by the CEO of Muscular Dystrophy Association, the CEO of American Camp Association, CEO of United Way, and several other community leaders. We thank them all for their visits!

This brings me to what’s new and exciting coming up at Camp K: on December 1^st, #GivingTuesday, we will break the Guinness World Records Title for Most Live Concerts in 24 Hours. We would love for all of you to join Scott Helmer and Camp K, to help raise awareness for people with disabilities all over the world! ABC 4 Utah and Don Hudson are partnering with us on this endeavor, and we THANK both Scott and Don for their support in raising awareness for people with disabilities and special needs. Don Hudson and ABC4 have produced several stories so far that highlight different disabilities served here at Camp K. These are all amazing campers participating at Camp K. Please watch their stories here:

World record attempt will help Utah’s Camp Kostopulos

Camp K is changing lives for the better

The power of MD week at Camp K

Camp K helps veterans with therapy horses

Camp K offers fun and excitement for those with Prader Willi Syndrome

We want to thank our Lt. Governor, Spencer Cox, for visiting with us while veterans were riding horses here at Camp K. We also would like to thank the following people for visiting with us, and showing their support: Lane Beattie, President and CEO of the Salt Lake Chamber; Sean Reyes, our Attorney General; and Peter Corroon, former Salt Lake County Mayor and current Utah Democratic Party Chair. Don is working on a video which captures the support of our community leaders for Camp K, and our endeavor to help raise awareness for people with disabilities.  This video is a work in progress, and we would like to give you a sneak peek – Watch video here.

Organ Transplant Week at Camp K

Camp K has partnered with the National Kidney Foundation of Utah and Idaho for almost 20 years.  In August, we held our annual Organ Transplant Camp. Over the years, we have served more than 600 campers who have had organ transplants.

The Organ Transplant Camp is dedicated to kids and teens who have had a kidney, heart, or liver transplant, and their families.  We would like to thank these amazing people for helping us to understand your struggles, and sharing your triumphs.  Over the years, many campers have become ambassadors and role-models for their peers.  Some have returned to Camp K as counselors and activity leaders, and have continued to help other campers deal with their challenges.

This camp allows kids who face similar challenges to gather together and just be kids – they don’t have to worry about how their medical challenges make them different than others.  In addition to sharing similar life experiences with their fellow campers, these kids are able to enjoy horseback riding, fishing, hiking, ropes courses, swimming, and many other activities here at Camp K.

It was another amazing week of camp, and the kids loved it! We look forward to their return next year!

Muscular Dystrophy Weeks at Camp K

Camp K and the Muscular Dystrophy Association partnered for the first time in 2015.  Together, we provided 2 weeks of camp for kids with Muscular Dystrophy.  Each week, about 50 campers and 50 volunteers came to Camp K.  Campers enjoyed all of the amenities and activities that Camp K has to offer, plus additional activities planned by the MDA staff.

MDA’s President and CEO, Steven Derks, visited Camp K during one of the weeks of Camp, and was able to see the amazing facilities that we have to offer.  He said that, at the core, camps like this are about strength, independence, and freedom.  These camps help kids understand how to ask for help, that they can be independent, that they can do things, that they can have joy, and that they can be free from some of the challenges that they face every day. Camps like this also give parents and caregivers a break.

We loved having the MDA campers at Camp K.  They helped us better understand the unique challenges and struggles that they face.  And, they brought a lot of joy to everyone at Camp K.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with the MDA, and to providing amazing experiences for these amazing kids.

15th Annual Camp K Golf Classic

Camp K would like to thank everyone participated in our 15th Annual Camp K Golf Classic.  It was a beautiful, sunny day – more than 110 people came out to golf for a good cause.  Everyone who played had an opportunity to learn more about Camp K, and the magic that happens at the camp.

This event raised more than $25,000, a combination of cash and in-kind donations.  All funds raised will help us provide the highest quality services for our participants.

Don Hudson and Kimberly Nelson, of ABC 4 News, joined us at Stonebridge Golf Course.  Watch the news story below:

Photos from the Golf Tournament can be seen here.

We would like to thank the committee who put this event together.  John Reinschmidt and Jeff Thorpe chaired the committee.

We would also like to thank our sponsors.

Presenting Sponsor

Hole Sponsors

Performance Golf & Wellness Center

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!

ACA’s CEO visits Camp K

Mircea, Tom Holland, Mike

Tom Holland, CEO of the American Camp Association (ACA) visited Camp K in August.  Tom visits camps all over the country, and was particularly impressed by Camp K’s facilities and programs.  He told us that there are very few camps which have facilities similar to ours, and even fewer which serve people with disabilities.

We are pleased to announce that we passed our Accreditation review with flying colors.  During the review process, there are approximately 300 checkpoints which examine our health, safety, and program policies and procedures, and ensure that we are providing the highest possible service to our campers.  The ACA Accreditation process ensures that a camp is committed to providing a safe and nurturing environment for the campers.  There are only 3 camps in Utah which are Accredited by the ACA – and we are the only accredited camp in Utah which provides services for people with disabilities and special medical needs.  Camp K has been ACA Accredited for more than 20 years, which is a true testament to our commitment and dedication to our campers.

Tom told us that he wants his own kids to be growing during the summer months, and he wants them to be safe.  ACA Accreditation provides the best evidence of a quality camp program.  Camps are not required to be accredited – but those who choose to become accredited want to be “the best of the best”.  Accreditation involves passing nearly 300 measures of safety and camp program quality.  Tom said, “For me as a parent, that’s great evidence of knowing their commitment to my child’s safety.”

While Tom was at Camp K, he had an opportunity to see both the incredible facilities that we have, and watch our dedicated staff as they interacted with campers. He was impressed with the programs offered at Camp K.  Tom described Camp K as the perfect compliment to the education and growth that happens in the school setting.  At Camp K, people with disabilities are supported by positive role models, encouraged to take challenges and achieve – all tied in with fun.  Learning happens while they are having fun.

Before leaving, Tom said, “If you’re a parent, and Camp K is a camp that you’ve chosen, you’ve made a great choice.  This is a wonderful program for your children.”

U of U – David Eccles School of Business Service Projects

We are grateful to the David Eccles School of Business for sponsoring 2 service days for Camp K.  One day was students from the MSIS program, and the other day was students from the MBA program.

The students from the U of U have been coming to Camp K for many years for an annual service project. They work together in teams, and fully manage projects here at Camp K. This provides them with practical experience while they learn valuable team building and project management skills. This partnership benefits Camp K, the students, the U of U, and the community as a whole.

During these 2 wonderful days of service, the students helped break ground for new equestrian trails, trimmed trees, cleared moss from our fishing pond, painted cabins, stained sheds and fences, and performed general landscaping maintenance on our trails and around the camp.

Some photos from their service can be seen here.

Thank You, Stone Ground Bakery

Thank You, National Charity League

Camp K’s President and CEO, Mircea Divricean, was interviewed on Temple Hayes’ “The Intentional Spirit” radio show on September 2, 2015

In this interview, Temple Hayes and Mircea discuss how Camp K contributes to our community of a whole, by intentionally creating a space where people with disabilities are able to grow, and prove to themselves that they “CAN DO” whatever they set their minds to. Camp K provides a safe environment for people to explore creativity, growth, and transformation into their best selves.

Temple Hayes is a powerful, dynamic, and energetic presence – a successful author, life coach, motivational speaker, Unity minister, and practicing Shaman – an intentional spirit! For many years, people have asked her to share her views on how to go beyond seeing life to actually being life – being present, being intentional, being alive. On her show each week, Temple shares tools that support everyone on their journey to becoming an intentional spirit.

Click Here to listen to the interview