"I just hope that every kid who has cancer would be able to have a camp like this because it will change their life for the better."
Elise, 17 years old
What is Camp Little Red Door?
Camp Little Red Door is Indiana's oldest camp for children with cancer. Camp is offered one week each summer and is for any child 8-18 years old with cancer or in remission living in Indiana. Campers participate in swimming, canoeing, fishing, archery, campfires, arts & crafts, horseback riding, a physical challenge course featuring rope ladders & bridges and much more!
How to apply...
Send application and the following completed documents to Little Red Door Cancer Agency, 1801 N. Meridian Street Indianapolis, IN 46202 by June 22, 2012. Call 317-925-5595 for any questions.
- 2012 Application Checklist
- Little Red Door Application & Horseshoes of Hope
- Robert T. Grand Leadership Academy Application
Please note, to simplify the application process, we will mail the remaining documents needed once the Little Red Door application is received.
Camp Offers Young Cancer Patients Opportunity to Have Fun
Jenny Anchonodo July 28, 2011
Kids all over Central Indiana spend time in the outdoors at summer camp. For one group, though, camp holds an extra special meaning. Kids at Camp Little Red Door are either battling cancer, in remission or siblings of children with cancer. The main goal of the camp is to just have a week away from medical issues that allows them to just be kids.
"It is awesome coming here and being with campers that are going through exactly the same thing you are," said Kate Buchheit, who is an 18-years-old cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with leukemia at age six. She said the camp, nestled in Bradford Woods in Martinsville, Indiana, brings a unique camaraderie not found in the outside world. "People can only really sympathize. And here, we share, we share funny medical stories, you know," Buchheit said.
The first year Carlos Vidaurri went to camp, he wasn’t even able to walk because of his bone cancer. Now, he’s in remission and returns every year; to sing, to fish and to just be a teenager. "Everybody is really friendly. If you’re sad, you can just turn to the person right next to you, even if you’ve never met them and just start talking to them," Vidaurri said.
While the camp is about celebrating life, the reality is that sometimes, they lose their closest friends and confidantes to cancer at the youngest of ages. Elise Julian, a 17-year-old who has survived a brain tumor, shared with us a special garden to remember those campers taken too soon. "The whole point of the Memory Garden is so we can remember campers and counselors who have passed away from cancer," Julian said. "It’s a place to come at camp where I can feel their spirit, where I can look back on all the memories with them. Some sad, some happy," Buchheit said. Even though they’re only in high school, they’ve lost four friends to cancer, one just this year. "We actually just planted that one last night. This one is for Brandon," Julian said.
They said it is them versus cancer, and they keep coming back to camp for the love, support and the comfort from another child who knows what it’s like to live with the disease. "I just hope every kid who has cancer would be able to come to a camp like this because it will change their life for the better," Julian said. "I’m just waiting 360 days to come back. The second I leave, I just want to come back. It is so much fun," Vidaurri said.
Camp Little Red Door costs $1,000 per student for the week because of the full medical care required. However, campers pay just $25 each because of donations made to Little Red Door Cancer Agency. If you would like to make a donation, click here.
To view this video, click the link or click the photo below.