Our guest speaker on Friday, February 16th was Nicole Ellis, Community Engagement Manager at Camp Korey. We appreciate the fact that she drove from Bellingham to be with us for our 7:30 am meeting.
Camp Korey - Where imagination sparks the spirit, wishes come true & childhood comes first. The camp provides empowering adaptive year-round programs for children and their families living with life-altering medical conditions-free of charge.
In 2012, Camp Korey became an official member of SeriousFun Children's Network, founded by actor Paul Newman. Together, they provide children living with serious illnesses a spectacular camp experience and high-quality medical care, all in the safest and most supportive environment. And for the kids, it's high-flying friendship-building memory-making fun.
Camp Korey is named for Korey Rose, a vivacious teen who lost his battle with bone cancer at age eighteen (2004). His father, Tim Rose, founded Camp Korey in 2005 with his family to honor Korey's memory and create a haven for other families dealing with childhood illness and serious medical conditions. Paul Newman's SeriousFun Camps, which he established in 1988, inspired Tim to extend the privilege of "raising a little hell" to kids in the Northwest.
Camp Korey operated as an "on-the-road" program for three years before moving to the City of Carnation in June 2008 and launching its first two camper sessions just two weeks later. In the summer of 2016, Camp Korey purchased a 200 acre property on Lake McMurray near Mount Vernon with plans to expand the conditions and numbers served. According to Nicole, Paul Newman visited the camp before he died and his daughter has since visited the camp on numerous occasions.