Camp Hope Heartland
Camp Hope · About this organization
What you get
Your child gets a free week of camp each June, with doctors, nurses and a pharmacist on site day and night, and a free charter bus to camp from three nearby cities. You pay nothing.
How to start
Apply online on the camp registration page when applications start in early January.
Good to know
- Children who cannot stay the whole week can come for one day through Camper for a Day.
- Chemotherapy-certified nurses are at camp if your child needs chemotherapy that week.
The details, as published
Free week-long June camp at Camp Aldrich near Claflin, Kansas, for children and teens who have or have had cancer, with a 24-hour medical team and free charter buses from Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City. The 2026 camp ran June 21–27.
What help you may get
Camps And Retreats
Free medically supported summer camp
A traditional week-long summer camp with a 24-hour on-site medical team of physicians, nurses, mental health specialists and pharmacists.
Noncash help · Per Event
7 camp days per award
Can cover
- camp admission
- activities
- on-site medical support
- Program participation is free.
Travel And Transportation
Free charter bus transportation
Free staffed charter buses from Wichita, Topeka, and Kansas City.
Noncash help · Per Event
Can cover
- round-trip charter bus transportation
- Program participation is free.
Peer And Emotional Support
Cancer peer community
Campers spend a week with peers who have or have had cancer.
Noncash help · Per Event
Can cover
- peer connection
- Program participation is free.
Check the main eligibility rules
Diagnosis
B-ALL is in scope. Pediatric B-ALL is a childhood cancer.
Age
Age 5 to age 17, measured at service date.
Treatment status
Active Treatment, Maintenance Treatment, Post Treatment, Survivorship
Where you live and where your child is treated
Where your family lives
Residence coverage is not published clearly; confirm with the program.
Where your child is treated
Treatment-location rules are not published clearly; confirm with the program.
Where the service, camp, stay, or experience happens
- Camp Aldrich — Program venue; this does not by itself establish a residence restriction. — Camp Aldrich near Claflin, Kansas
How to get started
Does a social worker or care team need to start it? No. A required care-team start is not published; the family can use the available route below.
Ways to apply or ask
- Online Portal · Open form or page — Camper, Camper for a Day and volunteer registration links are posted on this page when applications open in January.
Documents to prepare
The program does not publish a document checklist. Ask before gathering paperwork.
Availability and timing
| Program | Active |
|---|---|
| Applications | Application Window Closed |
| Funding or space | Not Published |
| Application window | Seasonal |
| Last checked | Sep 29, 2026 |
- The 2026 camp ran June 21–27, 2026. Applications for the next camp usually open in early January.
- Checked from archived copies of kymel.org (April-May 2026); the live site blocks automated access.
- Applications for the June camp open in early January; for 2026 they opened January 2, 2026. The 2027 dates are not yet posted.
Limitations and things to confirm
- Residence eligibility is not published.
- The 2027 dates are not yet posted.
- What residence or treating-facility restrictions apply?
- GPT Pro run56 (2026-09-25): What are the next camp dates and application window, and is the camp taking applications now?
- GPT Pro run56 (2026-09-25): What current contact, family application, medical clearance and documents are required? The registration and contact pages timed out.
- GPT Pro run56 (2026-09-25): Does the camp require residence or treatment in a particular area, beyond its Kansas camp and three bus departure cities?
Official sources
Program details were last verified Sep 29, 2026. Availability can change, so check the official program before applying.
- Camper Experience - Camp Hope Heartland · checked Aug 27, 2026