Interview With
Jennifer Benson
Camp Mak-A-Dream first opened its doors in July 1995 after a gift of 87 acres of a Montana cattle ranch and some seed money from our founders, Harry & Sylvia Granader. That year we had one week of camp with kids primarily from Michigan and Montana – and since that time, Camp has welcomed over 5,600 individuals from 49 different states and nine countries.
At Camp Mak-A-Dream, our goal is to provide a safe, supportive environment that fosters a sense of independence, fun, friendship, the change to try new things and most importantly, feel ‘normal’ here. Camp activities are designed to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of how mobile they are or how they might be feeling on any given day. We want our participants to form new friendships and bonds that will last long after their week at camp.
We offer traditional Camp activities like a swimming pool, archery range, art studio, and climbing wall, but also have a high ropes course, mini-golf course, horseback riding, a wheelchair accessible zipline. We do dances and theme-night parties, plus for our teens and young adults, offer educational workshops as well. And each week of camp also take at least one off-campus field trip to visit a historic town, a local farmers market, do sapphire mining, visit a water park or go rafting.
This year, Camp Mak-A-Dream is offering 10 camp and retreat sessions throughout the year. All of our programs are offered cost-free and open to cancer patients and survivors in any stage of cancer therapy.
What makes Camp Mak-A-Dream unique is not only that we’re able to take campers who may be in the midst of undergoing cancer treatment (because we have an onsite Health Center and professional medical staff), but also because of where we are – Big Sky Country – a gorgeous landscape of mountains, numerous rivers and amazing wildlife. And at our Camp, everyone has come from different places, so inevitably campers meet other people their own age who come from different backgrounds geographically, socially, economically – and here, for one week, they are all the same.
All of our camp and retreat sessions are offered free of cost, but we also have travel scholarship opportunities for first-time campers. Our funding comes from generous individuals donors, corporate gifts, grants, fundraising events, and renting out our facility in the off-season.
To learn more, see the 2013 schedule of programs or to apply, visit: www.campdream.org or call us at (406)549-5987.
