What Is The Goodtimes Project?
“The Goodtimes Project was formed in late 2013, and exists to ensure that the legacy of a no-charge camp would remain available to families dealing with the emotional and financial cost of childhood cancer. Camp Goodtimes creates caring spaces for local families to connect and kids to be kids, through camps, events, and programs. They serve families throughout Western Washington and Alaska with a goal of providing cost-free programing to help them reconnect with a world beyond their diagnosis.”
Why We Support The Goodtimes Project:
THEIR INCEPTION
The Goodtimes Project was formed in late 2013 to carry on the 30-year legacy of Camp Goodtimes, and to ensure no cost programming remained available to local families dealing with the financial and emotional costs of childhood cancer. With years of volunteerism in our back pockets and a can-do attitude, we built a non-profit from the ground up and didn't skip a beat in successfully operating our first independent camp sessions in 2014.
THEIR MISSION
When cancer becomes your world, The Goodtimes Project creates caring spaces for local families to connect and kids to be kids, through camps, events, and programs. We serve families throughout Washington and Alaska with a goal of providing cost-free programing to help them reconnect with a world beyond their diagnosis.
THEIR INCLUSIVITY
Cancer doesn’t discriminate, it affects people from every walk of life. With this in mind The Goodtimes Project welcomes all children and families affected by childhood cancer and volunteers to be a part of our programs — regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, gender-identity, disability, sexual orientation or status as a U.S. citizen. Our community of Western Washington and Alaska is a diverse one and we strive to reflect that in all that we do.
Our signature program, Camp Goodtimes, as well as our other camps, programs, and events offer families affected by childhood cancer access to caring spaces at no cost.
We continually strive to create spaces which:
• Affirms the joys of childhood often missed by those in treatment
• Fosters friendships between children and families who share common experiences
• Instills confidence through a variety of programs and activities
• Cares for their social safety as well as their medical safety
• Strives to send the children back into the world as more independent, caring, and capable youth
• Offers parents peace of mind as they entrust their children to camp, and take a well-deserved break
THEIR CAMPS
All of our camps and events are no cost to the participant or family and are made possible through donations.
Our camps and retreats serve a population of campers aged 5-25 across distinct programs:
• Camp Goodtimes: our flagship, week-long resident camp for campers aged 8-17. Each summer, we hold two sessions at Camp Burton on Vashon Island, one in June and one in July. Eligible campers must be a cancer patient (either on- or off-treatment) or a sibling of a cancer patient (including bereaved siblings).
• Kayak Adventure Camp: this young adult camp gives childhood cancer survivors aged 18-25 the opportunity to push their limits and independence in a week-long kayak adventure in the San Juan Islands.
• Sibling Ski Camp: this weekend program gives siblings a chance to connect and share their stories while experiencing adventure based programming. This camp is open to youth ages 11-17 who have/had a sibling with cancer.
• Mini Camp: this 1-day program is open to a limit of 20 campers ages 5-7 at each of its two sessions, including patients, survivors, and siblings. It's meant as an introduction to Camp Goodtimes.
• You and Me Retreat: one parent and one child from a family who has experienced pediatric cancer are invited to this weekend retreat to get reacquainted with one another through meaningful programming in a fun, campy atmosphere.
