Celebrating Our Nurses –...
May 16, 2025
For Ridwaanah, providing care goes beyond medicine—it’s about presence, creativity, and fun. “You’ll use your clinical skills, yes, but you’ll also choreograph dances and cheer at talent shows. It’s rewarding in every way,” she says. Inspired to become a nurse after volunteering at SickKids in high school, now Ridwaanah is a part of the Cardiac […]...Learn More
Celebrating Our Nurses –...
May 16, 2025
Rachel’s journey into nursing began when she was just 12 years old, visiting a friend at SickKids. “I was in awe,” she recalls. “So many people working together to care for kids who needed it most.” That same friend introduced her to Campfire Circle, and at 19, Rachel joined as a camp counsellor and then […]...Learn More
Celebrating Our Nurses –...
May 16, 2025
For Ava, returning to Campfire Circle each summer is more than a job—it’s a homecoming. Now a nurse in an adult hospice centre in Ottawa, she first came to Campfire Circle as a camper when it was Camp Trillium. Years later, inspired by her mother’s work in community care and her own camp memories, she […]...Learn More
Honouring Nurses and the...
May 15, 2025
As we celebrate National Nursing Week, we’re shining a light on the partnerships and people who make healing through happiness possible. We are especially grateful to McKesson Canada and its INVIVA team for their unique and multi-faceted partnership. Not only do they provide our camp with compassionate, skilled nurse volunteers, they’re also doubling the impact […]...Learn More
Why Alain Rides: A...
May 14, 2025
Meet Alain Paquette Every rider in Tour d’Epicure has a reason for showing up. For Alain Paquette, a proud six-time participant, it’s about giving kids with cancer or serious illness the chance to just be kids. “Camp provides a safe and joyful environment where they can connect with others who understand their journey while receiving […]...Learn More
From Diagnosis to Tradition
May 05, 2025
When Nori was just six years old, she started having unusual back pain. What was first written off as growing pains persisted and led to a visit to SickKids where she was diagnosed with neuroblastoma in January 2021. The first few weeks were challenging and Nori wasn’t willing to interact with anyone. But as the […]...Learn More
Sophie’s Strength
May 05, 2025
Sophie has been battling cancer since the age of three. Diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, doctors found 21 tumours in her body. On the first day of her vigorous treatment plan, Sophie and her family were introduced to Campfire Circle. Enduring 50 chemotherapy and radiation sessions, 21 rounds of immunotherapy, and an 11-hour surgery, Campfire […]...Learn More
Sporting Life 10K Road...
May 01, 2025
On Sunday, May 11, we celebrate 25 years of The Sporting Life 10K! Campfire Circle invites our community to cheer for over 23,000 Sporting Life 10K participants as they run, walk, stroll or roll, to support kids with cancer or serious illness and their families. Together, we are raising $2.5 million to bring healing through […]...Learn More
From IV Needles to...
May 01, 2025
Two years ago, Jasper’s life — and his family’s — was turned upside down. Days after his eight birthday, Jasper was diagnosed with leukemia. What followed was an arduous cycle of hospital visits, treatments, and uncertainty. During this challenging time, Campfire Circle entered their lives. Camp brought joy and light to Jasper’s days at the […]...Learn More
Running Toward Hope
Apr 28, 2025
Dominic’s family vacation came to a halt when his cold and flu symptoms turned out to be more serious. After doing bloodwork, six-year-old Dominic was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). “Our family spiraled,” says Dominic’s dad, André. “Everything else in our lives came second. It truly felt like the carpet was being pulled from […]...Learn More
Kids First. Not Cancer...
Apr 24, 2025
At eight years old, Jasper was diagnosed with leukemia. Overnight, his world became a cycle of hospital stays, endless treatments, and days filled with fear and exhaustion. It wasn’t just Jasper’s world that changed. His dad, Zack, had to leave his job to care for him, while also managing how to be a husband and […]...Learn More
Finding Joy Beyond A...
Apr 11, 2025
In March 2022, Jelena and Jesse’s lives took a sudden turn when their son Oliver began limping. What seemed like a minor issue quickly escalated. After multiple tests, the diagnosis arrived in April: Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), a rare disease often classified as and treated like cancer. To make matters even more challenging, the family […]...Learn More
Team Captain Profile: Brock...
Mar 24, 2025
It was on an errand to the Sporting Life store for a new pair of running shoes that Brock Mercer learned about the 10K and decided to participate. “At the time, my brother got sick. He was living in the U.S. and was isolated from us,” says Brock. “I saw the ad about supporting Campfire […]...Learn More
Cait’s Hot Cocoa Recipe
Mar 18, 2025
There’s nothing quite like a warm cup of hot cocoa on a chilly day—especially when it’s made with Chef Cait. When you’re cozying up at home and reminiscing about the best days at camp, this rich, chocolatey, over-the-top treat will transport you right back to the warmth and joy of your time at Campfire Circle. […]...Learn More
Delivering Happiness One Pizza...
Mar 18, 2025
Campfire Circle is delighted to partner with Domino’s Pizza to bring joy and support to kids with cancer or serious illness and their families. On March 26, when customers purchase a specially priced $4.99 medium 1-topping pizza at select Domino’s Pizza locations in Ontario, $1 dollar from each sale will go directly to Campfire Circle’s […]...Learn More
Partners in Joy, Healing,...
Mar 18, 2025
March is Child Life Month, and we’re taking this opportunity to shine a spotlight on the incredible Child Life Specialists we collaborate with year-round across four paediatric hospitals. These dedicated professionals play a vital role in supporting children and families facing serious illness, offering emotional support, therapeutic play, and a sense of normalcy in the […]...Learn More
A Dream Come True
Mar 14, 2025
Looking back at her family’s weekend at camp (WAC) experience, Nidra says it was the opportunity of a lifetime. “We loved every minute of it. Everything was accessible. It was amazing that I could take my son with his wheelchair on the high ropes,” says Nidra. “This makes me very emotional, but I could never […]...Learn More
Expanding Our Circle of...
Mar 07, 2025
Our Ottawa in-hospital team is off to a busy start this year. In January, we marked a new chapter in our partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). In addition to providing play-based programs to kids coming in for treatments or follow-ups at the medical day unit (MDU), we are now serving kids […]...Learn More
A Path to Resilience
Feb 21, 2025
For Archer and his family, life has been anything but ordinary. Born with congenital Long QT Syndrome (LQTS) affecting his heart’s electrical signals, Archer’s journey has been defined by medical interventions, resilience, and a commitment to living life to the fullest. Despite multiple cardiac surgeries, a pacemaker, an internal defibrillator, and six resuscitations due to […]...Learn More
Embrace the Silliness
Feb 07, 2025
Like many volunteers, Imo’s first experience with Campfire Circle was as a camper. “I was diagnosed with liver sarcoma, so my mom tried to help me back to normalcy by going to camp,” he recalls with a laugh. “I thought it was a really bad idea.” At first, he resisted. After years of treatment, camp […]...Learn More
Camp Is Hannah’s Happy...
Feb 07, 2025
When Hannah was 11 years old, she met the team from Campfire Circle while in the hospital undergoing chemotherapy for a tumour in her eye. Hannah has neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a genetic condition that causes tumours to grow on nerve tissues throughout the body. The Campfire Circle staff had a craft area on the […]...Learn More
Finding Home at Campfire...
Feb 07, 2025
Meet Ashlynne, a vibrant 19-year-old from Bowmanville, Ontario, a tabby owner, Swiftie, and lover of camp. Ashlynne’s camp adventure started at a winter weekend at camp (WAC) in 2011 when she was just five years old. From that first experience, she felt an overwhelming sense of inclusion and warmth that has stayed with her through […]...Learn More
A Volunteer Shares Her...
Feb 03, 2025
Siobhan first heard about Campfire Circle through her role on the Sustainability & Social Impact team at LCBO. Immersing herself in camper and family stories and reading annual reports, Siobhan felt a deep pull toward camp’s mission. Last summer, Siobhan took the leap and volunteered for a week of kids’ camp in Muskoka. Having never […]...Learn More
Making the Holidays Brighter...
Jan 07, 2025
For families navigating childhood cancer or serious illness, the holidays can be an especially lonely time. But this past season, Campfire Circle turned hospital rooms into spaces of joy, delivering crafts, games, and music that bring laughter and connection to kids right at their bedsides. Sadie is a brave nine-year-old who has spent much of […]...Learn More
Hello from Hamilton!
Dec 23, 2024
When I introduce myself to new families in Hamilton, I start with: “Hi! I’m here to make your stay a little more fun and a little less boring. We can play games, make crafts, do scavenger hunts. I’ll do my best to make sure that whatever YOU love to do, you can still do in […]...Learn More
Serving Serious Illnesses in...
Dec 16, 2024
Here in London, our Campfire Circle in-hospital team is super unique because we offer programs for nearly all paediatric patients. This means a kid receiving chemotherapy can share a room with a kid receiving treatment for a blood disorder. We also help kids and families from as far away as Thunder Bay. When I first […]...Learn More
Growing with Our Ottawa...
Dec 10, 2024
In Ottawa, we meet as many as 10 families a week at the hospital. The demand for our programs and activities is growing fast. When families are in the hospital it’s such an isolating experience. They feel all alone, and then they are genuinely and joyfully surprised to hear about Campfire Circle: Games! Crafts! Songs! […]...Learn More
Where Kids Can Be...
Dec 05, 2024
Ethan was diagnosed with a high-risk leukemia a few months before his third birthday. His mom, Kayleigh, shared her story of his health journey in hospital. Here, she shares how going to camp changed her family: “Over the past two years, Ethan’s treatment has consisted of daily oral chemotherapy and numerous other medications. We can […]...Learn More
From COVID to Cancer
Dec 04, 2024
It has been a whirlwind of emotions for the Kennedy family. Kayleigh’s son, Ethan, was diagnosed with a high-risk leukemia a few months before his third birthday. This is Kayleigh’s story. “In August 2022, I heard the words no parent should ever hear: Your son has cancer. He was two years old, and my daughter […]...Learn More
The Privilege of “No”...
Dec 03, 2024
People wonder how I introduce myself to kids and families in the hospital. I usually say, “Hi! I’m with Campfire Circle. We work here on the unit, and we specialize in the fun stuff. We play games, we do crafts, we play music, and we’re here for you whenever you need it. I see your […]...Learn More
