Camp Got2Go

Camp Got2Go is an overnight camp for children and teens living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. It provides campers with a unique opportunity to meet and interact with other youth facing similar challenges.

There are two Camp Got2Go locations.

A total of 40 young people from Western Canada (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut) will be hosted at Easter Seals Camp Horizon, located in the Rocky Mountain foothills just outside of Bragg Creek, Alberta. For more information about Easter Seals Camp Horizon, please click here.

A total of 20 young people from Eastern Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland) will be hosted at Brigadoon Village, nestled in the heart of Annapolis Valley on the shores of Aylesford Lake, Nova Scotia. For more information about Brigadoon Village, please click here.

Camp Got2Go in Alberta will run from July 23 - 28, 2017. 

Camp Got2Go in Nova Scotia will run from August 13 – 18, 2017. 

 

Both camp locations offer a wide range of fun and exciting activities for campers to enjoy. Easter Seals Camp Horizon provides a multitude of fun challenges to help push campers beyond what they thought possible. Activities include rope courses, climbing walls, swimming, river rafting, camp fires, archery, and much more!

Brigadoon Village provides campers with a wide breadth of program options to develop interests, skills, and confidence. Core programming centers around five themes: arts, environmental education, outdoor recreation, aquatics, and leadership. Activities include swimming, archery, canoeing, kayaking, fine art, drama, nature awareness activities, wilderness skills, cooking, and more.

Youth between the ages of 9 and 17 who have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis are eligible to apply. Applicants must be healthy enough to attend overnight camp and must be able to travel by plane if they are not within driving distance. All applicants must provide a Medical Authorization Form completed by their gastroenterologist or family physician confirming that they are well enough to attend camp.
 

Yes, if an applicant has already attended Camp Got2Go in the past, they are welcome to apply again. However, to ensure more young people have the opportunity to enjoy Camp Got2Go, priority will be given to first-time applicants.

Youth who reside in the Atlantic Provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland) can apply to attend Camp Got2Go by contacting Brigadoon Village directly.

All other applicants are required to fill out the online application. Applicants must also provide electronic copies of the completed and signed Medical Authorization Form and General Authorization Form. Please note that once you begin the online application process you cannot save your information. You can download a copy of the application form as a PDF to prepare your answers ahead of time. Please note that completing the application form does not guarantee acceptance to Camp Got2Go.

All applications must be submitted by May 1, 2017. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

All campers will be randomly selected. All selected applicants for the camps will be contacted mid-May 2017. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will also notify the families of those children not selected and those on the waiting list. If selected for Camp Got2Go, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will provide families with further information on how to register with one of the host sites.

Campers traveling from Ontario and Quebec to Brigadoon Village will be flown from their closest major airport to Halifax, Nova Scotia. A chaperoned pick-up will be arranged from the Halifax airport to Brigadoon Village (1 ½ hour drive). All flight and travel arrangements to and from camp will be made by the staff at Brigadoon Village.

Campers in Western Canada traveling to Easter Seals Camp Horizon will be flown from their closest major airport to Calgary, Alberta. A chaperoned pick-up will be arranged from the Calgary airport to Camp Horizon (40 minute drive). All flights and travel arrangements to and from camp will be made by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada.

For campers living within driving distance to Camp Horizon, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will contact you with drop off and pick up times.

Should parents wish to travel to camp with their child they are required to cover their own travel and accommodation expenses. Please note that parents are not allowed to stay on site at the camp.
 

Both camp sites operate on a ‘pay what you can system’ with varying price options. We encourage families to contribute as much as they are comfortable with in order to support this program and its future. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada will pay the difference owed on each camp fee.

It is important to note that camp fees for Easter Seals Camp Horizon have already been subsidized by 50% through Easter Seals Alberta. Camp fees for Brigadoon Village are subsidized by $150 through Brigadoon. The “pay what you can” prices will already have these reductions included.

All host sites are equipped to provide immediate medical care for campers should they require it. Registered nurses reside on site for the duration of camp to ensure all campers’ medical needs are well taken care of. This includes facilitating feeding tubes, helping with ostomy care, administering medications, and first aid for scrapes, bumps, and bruises.

All camp sites understand the dietary restrictions and food allergies children with chronic illnesses may face. All kitchens aim to provide nutritious and delicious meals to all campers with options that suit their specific diets and allergies.

All camp sites offer comfortable cabins for campers to enjoy. Campers will be divided into smaller bedrooms based on gender and age. All cabins include bathroom and shower facilities. All sites have bathroom facilities located in additional buildings, including the dining hall and medical centre.

Homesickness is a normal part of camp, especially if it’s a camper’s first time away from home. The camp nurses and staff are on hand to ensure all campers enjoy their time.

Please get in touch with Charlotte Hall-Coates, Youth Engagement Coordinator, Crohn's and Colitis Canada, by email info@campgot2go.ca.