On April 22, employees from Questar gathered at Camp K to help build a new Yurt. One of the members of this team was Gary Stidham, who serves on the Board of Directors for Camp K.
In the morning, this team started with a bare concrete slab – and by the end of the afternoon, the Yurt was nearly complete. The addition of this Yurt expands the space where Camp K provides activities and services.
We appreciate the Questar employees for their dedication, skill, and willingness to help out. Our volunteers make it possible for Camp K to fulfill our mission.
Watch our new Camp K Video! A special thanks to Key Bank for making this video possible.
Our 2015 “Send a Kid to Camp” Gala was a great success! Thank you to all of our sponsors, donors, attendees, volunteers, staff, and community for helping us make this evening wonderful!
Together, we were able to raise more than $135,000 for our amazing campers. We were so proud to hear from our 2015 Camp K Ambassador Celina. She shared with us the tremendous impact that Camp K has had on her life.
At Camp K, we’ve made it our mission for close to 50 years to improve the lives of people with disabilities, by helping them access and enjoy their community, the arts, sports, education, and adaptive recreation in the great outdoors. We also encourage them to stretch their imaginations, teach practical life skills, maximize their potential for independence, and build healthy bodies, minds, and spirits.
Photos from the Gala can be viewed at: www.facebook.com/CampKostopulos
Our President and CEO, Mircea Divricean, was featured in the American Camp Association’s Southwest Newsletter in April.
It Takes A Village!
Mircea has a conviction for leading innovative partnerships to build a sustainable, collective social impact in our community – and Mircea is here to do just that for the Southwest Local Council of Leaders. Mircea is dedicated to the mission of ACA and wants nothing more than to be one of the many building blocks that are coming together to grow the strength and presence of the Southwest Local Office. He is committed to helping grow the membership of the Southwest through networking, events, and communication.
Mircea knows that it takes a village to truly get things done! Are you interested in helping Mircea bring on more members of our great organization? The more Individual Members, Member Camps, and Accredited Camps that we can bring in to the ACA the more opportunities we can offer for our community through the camp experience, professional development, and member resources.
Click here for the full newsletter.
Spring has arrived here at Camp K, and there is a lot for us to look forward to!
We are proud to announce that we have been Accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA) again in 2015. This accreditation is evidence of our commitment to remaining in compliance with the ACA’s standards for health, safety, and risk management. I am honored to serve as the Southwest Membership Chair for the ACA. This month, I am honored to be featured in their newsletter, as “It Takes a Village” to build a sustainable, collective social impact in our community.
We are gearing up for an exciting Summer Camp Season, where we will build lasting relationships, stretch our imagination, challenge our potential, and create unforgettable memories. We are preparing our property and facilities, hiring and training staff, registering wonderful campers, and creating new activities.
Recently, we received an email from a former camper, Ashley Vacanti, which reminded us how important Camp K is in the lives of our campers. She said, “When I went to Camp Kostopulos for the NF Week several years in a row, it changed my life for the better. I found myself and became a confident person and along the way I made a lot of friends and I’m still friends with some of those people today. So thankful Camp K exists!”
We still have openings for Summer Camp positions. Jobs include assistant program coordinators, camp counselors, group leaders, lifeguards, cooks, nurses, and support staff. If you know anybody who is interested in a summer job, working in an environment where they will have the opportunity to change lives and make a difference in our community, please send them to this link: https://www.campk.org/employment/summer-camp
Our signature event of the year is approaching, and we look forward to seeing everyone at our 27th Annual “Send a Kid to Camp” Gala on May 1. This event will be a lot of fun, with entertainment, dinner, and much more. For more information, please visit: www.campk.org/gala
President and CEO
We are happy to announce that Kristy King has joined the Camp K team as our new Program Coordinator. She graduated from Georgia Southern University in December, 2013, with a dual degree in Therapeutic and Outdoor Recreation. She received her Certified Therapeutic Recreational Specialist (CTRS) endorsement in 2014. She completed her internship at Bradford Woods, in Indiana, where she worked with various ages and populations with disabilities in an outdoor camp setting. At Bradford Woods, she ultimately fell in love with helping others in the great outdoors, and also gained extensive knowledge in adaptive programs and equipment.
Kristy also worked as a Wilderness Therapy Guide for Aspiro, in Mount Pleasant, Utah. In that role, she guided youth and adults from various backgrounds in activities such as mountain biking, climbing, skiing, and backpacking.
In her spare time, Kristy is a foodie, film lover, avid animal lover, and reader. She also enjoys biking, roller blading, climbing, and travelling.
Enter to win a Travel Package, which includes:
Winner to select from one (1) of the following Grand Mayan Resort properties:
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$25 = One Opportunity* — $100 = Five Opportunities*
*Suggested Donation Amount
Drawing will be held during the “Send a Kid to Camp” Annual Gala, May 1, 2015.
Tickets are available in advance at: www.campk.org/gala. Tickets will also be available for purchase the night of the Gala.
Winner need not be present to win.
On March 30, 2015, Camp K presented “Peter Pan” at Midvale Main Street Theatre. Thank you to all who came out for our performance!
Our participants worked hard for eight weeks to prepare for their big debut! They learned their lines, and how to act out each character. We loved watching their confidence grow week after week as they prepared for their individual roles.
Our cast members were amazing and put on the best show Camp K has seen yet! We are so proud of their performance! We had a great turn out, with an audience of over 200 people!
A successful production requires a lot of work, and coordination of many people. We couldn’t be happier with how the play turned out! We would like to give a special Thank You to the following people:
We look forward to next year’s production!
More pictures from our production can be found on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CampKostopulos
Our 27th annual “Send A Kid To Camp” Gala is on Friday, May 1st, 2015, at the Salt Lake Marriott Downtown at City Creek. This is our largest fundraising event of the year.
All proceeds from this event will directly benefit our year-round recreation programs and activities for youth and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities, and children with special medical needs.
Continuing our tradition, we will be celebrating the contributions made on behalf of children in our communities by honoring Sorenson Legacy Foundation and the Sorenson family with our sixth Children’s Humanitarian Award. Due to their generosity, Camp K is able to offer our Equestrian services year-round at the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Equestrian Park which was dedicated 2 years ago.
More information: www.campk.org/gala.
Each year, Utah Business magazine honors 40 of the state’s most talented, ambitious and innovative business leaders in our annual Forty Under 40 program. Some are serial entrepreneurs, others are leading established companies to continued success, and more still are helping their companies reach unprecedented growth. Regardless of their positions within their companies, the 2015 Forty Under 40 exemplify a group of standout leaders who are shaping the future of Utah and the world. Join us in celebrating these deserving honorees and their accomplishments.
Our President and CEO, Mircea Divricean, is honored to be included in this prestigious list. 
Mircea Divricean never intended to devote his career to the nonprofit world. But while studying business administration, he spent a summer working as a camp counselor at Kostopulos Dream Foundation and became passionate about the nonprofit’s mission. He joined the organization full time in 2001, became CFO in 2003 and was named executive director in 2013. Under his leadership, the camp’s balance sheet value has grown from $1 million to $3.3 million. Revenue was less than $500,000 per year and is now $1.3 million. Additionally, Divricean oversaw a successful $2 million capital campaign to build its Sorenson Legacy Foundation Equestrian Park, which opened in 2014. Also in 2014, Divricean was the first to be admitted and graduate from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program representing a charity.
“Mircea could find success (and make more money) in the private sector, but instead he is dedicating his career to the nonprofit world—specifically to helping provide meaningful educational and recreational opportunities for the disabled population,” says Layne Smith, partner at Dorsey & Whitney and vice chair of the Kostopulos Dream Foundation’s board.
“The more successful we are, the more impact we have on our participants and their families and their individual lives—that translates into greater positive impact on our community.”
Our son is a 29 year old with Down Syndrome. He has been attending Camp K activities for the past ten years. When he first started attending he would act out inappropriately in public, wander off, use unacceptable language and sometimes have problems with the other campers. However, over the years, the staff has worked with Jason patiently to teach him appropriate behavior and we have seen a lot of growth through his participation.
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Some of the Camp K activity highlights have included Jazz professional basketball games, trips to Disneyland, bowling, snowmobiling, and working with therapy dogs. Before Camp K, Jason did not have many opportunities to participate in activities with his peers. He did not have any friends his age. He is very reluctant to try new activities and so, although other organizations have activities, Camp K is the only one where he feels comfortable in attending. From doing so, he has developed independence, self confidence, the ability to interact positively in group situations and compromise with others. The Camp K staff is super attentive to the campers needs and I always feel confident that my son will be well taken care of – even when going on an out-of-state trip for several days. We feel that Camp K adds a dimension to Jason’s life that would be greatly missed if this program were not available.
On a personal note, these Camp K activities give us, as parents, a much needed respite from caring for our son!
Thanks Camp K! We love you
Chad has been coming to Camp K for about 20 years. He first came to Camp K when he was in elementary school, and he still looks forward to attending each and every Camp K activity.
According to Chad’s Mom, Celia, signing Chad up for Camp K 20 years ago has been one of the best things in their lives. She said, “It’s not easy having a child with special needs, regardless of the age, and the people at Camp K are very special folks to want to work with the special needs people. I believe we are very lucky to have people at Camp K that are there because that is what they love, and want to be there. It’s not just a job.”
Celia continued, “The social aspect of Camp K is huge for Chad, and others like him. Going with a group, other than family, allows them to feel like they are like everyone else. Kids like Chad are the same as kids who don’t have special needs. They like to be with their peers and Camp K allows them to do this, in a safe environment. Special needs kids are very sociable and many have no boundaries when it comes to strangers. Camp K allows Chad and the others to be like everyone else, but still has the staff to make sure they stay safe.”
We thank Chad’s family for sharing Chad with us. Chad is very friendly, outgoing, and energetic. He brings a lot of joy to the people around him. We look forward to him being a part of the Camp K family for years to come.
Gavin has been attending Camp K for a few years. His mom told us that he had attended other camps in the past, but had a difficult time integrating into those environments. In fact, behavior worsened, and he had separation issues when he was dropped off. Understandable, this was difficult for his mom. She continued searching for an environment where Gavin could feel safe and comfortable, and learn the skills he needed.
When she found Camp K, she noticed right that we were different. She said, “Every one he meets there genuinely seems to be excited to see him and wants to be with him. He feels so accepted by the staff and other attendees, which is a feeling he does not always get since his Autism causes people to keep their distance. He has also been able to learn necessary skills that increase his independence.”
She continued, “Camp K has been a positive influence on our lives and we are hopeful that everyone will be able to find the same love and acceptance through the many activities Camp K provides.”
We are so glad that Gavin has joined our Camp K Family! Our staff and the other campers are excited to be a part of his group. He always brings a smile to everyone’s face!
We are proud to share Ben’s story at Camp K. He is an example of the “Can Do” attitude that our campers have. Ben has Spina Bifida, and is paralyzed from the waist down – yet he doesn’t let his challenges stop him.
One of our staff members shared her experience of working with Ben on the ropes course. He had already climbed to the top of the rock wall, using only his arms. His next challenge amazed everyone. Ben told our staff that he wanted to do the “Triangle” on the ropes course. The staff helped him get up to the first element of the Triangle – the Zap-line. He pulled himself up onto the pole, and hooked into the line. He was hesitant at first, because he could only use his arms. Eventually, he decided to go, and absolutely loved it! He completed the zap-line, grape vine, and Burma bridge with minimal assistance from staff. As he finished the last element, he said, “I have accomplished my dream here at Camp K! I have wanted to do the triangle ever since I first came to camp.” But, Ben wasn’t finished yet – he made it to the top of the rock wall again, and ended his experience by climbing another pole in the course.
Ben is a perfect example of why Camp K’s benefit to both our campers and our staff. Watching someone accomplish their goals and dreams, even when they seem impossible, positively changes the lives of everyone around them.
Sarah started coming to Camp K 7 years ago. She loves both Summer Camp and the year-round programs.
Sarah says that Camp K is fun. She gets to see friends and make new ones. Sarah’s loves the talent show during Summer Camp – she practices for it all year! She also loves the trip camps during the summer. As soon as a trip camp ends, she starts thinking about which camp she will choose next summer.
Her mom said, “It is hard for special needs people to have a social outlet. Camp K gives Sarah this. Camp K camps gives Sarah a sense of independence. With both the adult social activities and summer camps Sarah has the opportunity to do things without her parents always being with her.”
Everyone at camp loves Sarah. She is always happy and friendly, and makes everyone feel like “a million bucks”. We are grateful to have her as a part of the Camp K family!