No Limits!
KNOW YOUR LIMITS
NO LIMITS
Campfire Circle helps kids with cancer or serious illness like ZeZe have amazing, unforgettable camp experiences—with NO LIMITS!
Right now, we are gearing up for overnight camp and we need your help to send even more kids to camp this summer. Best of all, your gift will be matched, doubling your impact!
Zeze's Story
Read Zeze's Story“Camp is very much a part of my treatment. It’s medicine. In every other part of my life, I’m reminded of how I’m different because of my disability. But at camp, people see me and celebrate me for who I am. Camp allows me to have experiences I otherwise wouldn’t. For everyone who supports camp, genuinely, from my heart, thank you. You changed my life. You change kids’ lives every day.” – ZeZe, Campfire Circle Leadership Camper
Photos of Leadership Programs
Healing Through Happiness for Over 40 Years
For over 40 years, Campfire Circle (formerly Camp Ooch & Camp Trillium) has been dedicated to bringing healing through happiness to kids with cancer or serious illness and their families. Our in-hospital, community, and overnight camp programs provide opportunities for children to build friendships and social skills, develop self-confidence and resiliency, and improve their overall well-being. Through play-based experiences, we empower kids to reclaim their childhoods, no matter their medical diagnosis.
Fully Accessible Programs at No Cost
Thanks to our generous donors and community partners, our programs are fully accessible and offered at no cost to families. We are proud to work with leading paediatric healthcare partners across Ontario to bring our camp-inspired experiences to children receiving treatment in hospitals, often at their bedside, all year round. Our medically supported overnight camps ensure that even the most fragile children can experience the joy and freedom that comes from being at camp.
Why Teens Need Camp
To meet an urgent and growing demand for our Teen & Leadership programs, we plan to double our capacity in 2024 to serve more teens. Adolescents and young adults diagnosed with cancer or serious illness face long-term challenges, including anxiety and depression. Years of treatment and missed milestones often prevent these youth from developing critical psychosocial skills such as autonomy, peer relationships, creative expression, and self-confidence.
Our Teen & Leadership Programs
Campfire Circle offers youth aged 15 to 18, affected by childhood cancer, a unique and inclusive opportunity to learn new skills in a safe, medically supportive environment. Our programs, offered year-round, are accessible to teens on active treatment or requiring complex medical care, and their siblings, recognizing the impact of cancer on the entire family.
Summer Programs: We offer 7Scape (a one-week experience for teens with cancer), Leader-In-Training programs (two weeks with multi-day camping trips and counsellor experience), Upstream (a 10-day camping trip), and a High School Credit program (a three-week program culminating in a health & physical activity credit).
Skill Development: Participants develop essential skills such as problem-solving, collaboration, teamwork, and critical thinking, all of which contribute to employment readiness and can be applied to school, first jobs, and team environments.
Life-Long Impact
Campfire Circle creates long-term benefits for youth that extend into adulthood. A recent camper alumni survey revealed that 98% of alumni said their camp experience positively impacted their mental health and well-being, and 85% said attending camp programs after their diagnosis helped them feel more resilient and prepared for their future. Many camper alumni maintain a longstanding relationship with Campfire Circle as both volunteers and employees.
With the support of generous donors and volunteers, Campfire Circle can serve thousands more children with cancer or serious illness and their families across Ontario.
Read the stories to learn more about our programs.