Some of Stephanie’s best childhood memories were made at summer camp. And her partner, Brandon, is a child at heart. As medical professionals, they decided to combine their passions at Roundup River Ranch.
“Every kid deserves to have a summer camp experience,” Stephanie said. “Every kid deserves to try (equestrian) and archery and canoeing and ziplining, they’re integral childhood memories.”
Stephanie works for Colorado’s Vaccines for Children Program. Following a desire to help kids experience camp the way she did, she grabbed some Roundup pamphlets from a provider’s office and decided to volunteer. Brandon is a surgical trauma nurse, and found Summer Camp as a great opportunity to help campers while feeling the power of camp in his own way.
“It was really my first taste, in a medical capacity, working with kiddos,” Brandon explained. “I’ve actually never done a sleep-away kids camp. It was a great opportunity to work with kids, since I don’t usually on a daily basis, but then also experience camp for myself.”
They chose to volunteer for Neurologic, Behavioral Health and Wellness, & Genetic Conditions Week, Stephanie as a camp counselor and Brandon as a nurse. While they’ve both worked with neuro and paralytic conditions, they were amazed at the equipment available to help campers enjoy activities, especially with the Challenge Course.
“Our staff did a wonderful job making sure everyone was accommodated, and if they wanted to go up the wall, they could no matter what,” Brandon said. “Echoing the sentiment, it takes a village to do everything, and it really showed through this past week.”
While Summer Camp has ample adventures to choose from, Stephanie was surprised at how even the mundane things, like getting ready for bed, could be so fun.
“The campers in my cabin love to sing, and pretty much everything was a dancing party,” she mentioned. “It was probably one of their favorite times here, because they’re singing and everybody’s into it, being goofy and dancing.”
The couple also noted how collaborative the work was between staff and volunteers. While Brandon signed up to be a cabin nurse, he was happy he could help with counseling and activities when needed. Stephanie also commented on how dependable the staff were with her campers.
“They were right there with the cabin nurses, just getting it done,” Stephanie said. “The medical component can be so nuanced, so fitting that in with a whole schedule of things, itineraries, food, singing, dancing… is just incredible.”
At the end of the week, the couple felt they had discovered a new perspective
on the idea of belonging. Everything from the activities, group gatherings and delicious meals brought everyone together under one idea.
“You get to come here and be yourself, and in any capacity,” Stephanie said. “That doesn’t always mean cheerful, that doesn’t always mean happy. You get to feel your feelings and know that you’ve got people here who are going to support you and just get you having a great time.”
“Every camper, volunteer, and staff have come in with different experiences and backgrounds,” Brandon added. “It truly is, yeah, come as you are.”
