Sending S’More Kids to Camp

Sarah and Mark Krick and their two young sons are a tight-knit, endearing family of four. At this year’s 2^nd annual Campfires & Cocktails – a dressy affair at the Wellshire Inn to benefit Camp Wapiyapi– they took the stage wearing shorts and T-shirts. Within moments, Mark sheepishly shrugged off the claim they decided to come in camp-attire. The truth behind their dress was that earlier that day they had to make an unplanned trip to the hospital. Choking back tears, he brought home the reality of what it means to be a family with a child with cancer. It’s tough. Continuously. Hard. Bring on Camp Wapiyapi, the summer solution to a vacation from the hospital. It’s a pass to play. Hard. Camp Wapiyapi makes sure every single camper – kids with cancer and their siblings – comes first and has a great time. It’s a week of smiles and giggles with zip lines, high ropes courses, crazy colorful paint wars, as well as crafts and laughs.

“They know how to live in the moment and have a good time at Camp Wapiyapi. They remind us to enjoy where we are, right now,” said Sarah Krick. She also emphasized what a gift the camp is to the couple.

“When you have a child with cancer you spend a lot of time at the hospital. It’s such a big part of your life. It’s an amazing opportunity for us as a couple to be able to focus on each other while our boys are having fun at camp.”

Sarah also explained what it means to have siblings involved. “When my boys talk about a new friend from camp I’ll ask, ‘Is he a patient or a sibling?’ and my kids honestly don’t know. All the kids at camp are treated the same and that’s great for everybody.”

Camp Wapiyapi Executive Director Darla Dakin stresses that the experience is so important to siblings. “When a child is going through cancer, it impacts the whole family. The brother or sister deals with a lot of issues related to their sibling’s cancer. Our work is about supporting the whole family.”

Nicole Enderle and Tracy Nunn, both mothers of children with leukemia, have been engaged with Camp Wapiyapi for more than five years. “It’s incredible,” said Nicole.

Darla shared that more than 1,700 children in Colorado are living with cancer. Fortunately, Camp Wapiyapi is growing to help more of those children, as well as children in the region served by Children’s Hospital Colorado. In 2013, Camp Wapiyapi hosted two, 1-week sessions, serving 160 children. With nearly 60 kids on the waitlist, the organization expanded with a third session in 2014. This year, they served 223 children. The vision is to add more weeks to allow more children to foster friendships, fun and healing outside of the hospital.

This fundraiser is a powerful one for the organization. More than 80 enticing silent auction items beckoned for bids. In addition, emcee Channel 7’s Theresa Marchetta passionately shared about the aim for the evening.

“This is about money, about fundraising,” said Theresa Marchetta from the podium. “Is it startling that I said ‘money’? That’s what we are here for: to raise money so children can go to camp. Let’s remember that and give.”

Auctioneer Dani Espinosa, a graduate of University of Denver, followed suit and got the crowd rolling with a rousing game of “Auction Chicken.”

Prior to the program, the incredibly talented father-daughter duo Tex and Julie Almeria, who is a graduate of Denver School of the Arts and past member of Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir, contributed beautiful music to the night.

Karl Dakin and Bill Foss crafted the recipe for the signature drink, aptly called Bug Juice: Suavecito Blanco tequila, Midori® melon liqueur and ginger ale. It was the perfect pairing with the high-end, catchy camp-named food, which presented much more like fare from a 5-star than a campfire feast.

Wapiyapi is a Lakota Sioux word meaning health and healing. That healing goes well beyond a one week camp. It is helping families live moments that are as precious as swimming in a mountain lake or melting a marshmallow on a stick. Here’s to s’more healing for kids this summer and several summers to come!