Welcome

North Star Reach
Camp-At-Home

Wherever you are, come celebrate what it means to be connected to one another. Together, we’ll create a community where friendship, laughter and kindness are what matter most. A place where we’ll reach for the stars and remind ourselves that anything is possible. We’re so glad you’re here.

Apply to Summer Camp

Registered summer campers login here

Photo: Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

Love the Mooseness

Letter from Our
Director of Camping

We’ve always known that our camp is not about the place, but the people. People who clear away the everyday to make good things happen for children who live with serious illnesses and often miss out on chances to just be kids. That feeling of community coming together to create a brighter world for others, and ourselves, is something we call “mooseness.” Follow the link below to hear more about our remarkable community, and this moose I know.

More About Mooseness

Patrick Smith

North Star Reach Director of Camping

Photo: Eric Bronson, Michigan Photography

Love the Mooseness

We Are Here for You

Parents & Caregivers

We are proud to announce a series of new programs designed to deliver support, resources, improved well-being and hope to parents, guardians and caregivers of seriously ill children.

Parents & Caregivers

View

Apr 22

We are thrilled to announce that our summer camp-a

We are thrilled to announce that our summer camp-at-home registration is now open. Our six summer sessions connect campers with similar medical conditions and provide community-building experiences through safe and secure online gathering spaces. New in 2021: game-themed events, a terrific series of real-time camp clubs with special guests, all-new camp-in-a-box experiences, and--best of all!--a chance to connect with friends. Visit our camp-at-home website (link in bio) to see the complete summer schedule and register today!

#seriousfuncamp #campathome #lovethemooseness

View

Apr 20

Our first 2021 Spring Family Camp-At-Home session

Our first 2021 Spring Family Camp-At-Home session (April 30-May 1) is completely full. Don’t worry, though! Registration is still open for our second session (May 21-22), and we invite new and returning camper families to join us for a re-imagined virtual camp experience featuring live camp activities, family games and challenges, and an entirely new camp-in-a-box care package delivered straight to your home. Our weekend camps are general sessions, meaning they are open to any family caring for a child who has a serious medical diagnosis. (If you are a parent with an eligibility question, please contact Jessica at campers@northstarreach.org). New families are welcome! Please note: our second session registration deadline for the full camp experience, including VIP Camp Care Package, is May 10th. We can’t wait to connect with you soon! To learn more and to register today, please click link in bio.

#campathome #springfamilycamp #joydelivered #campfiretogether #campcommunity #campconnections #northstarreach #medicalcamp #seriousfuncamp #childrensnonprofit

View

Apr 19

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge,

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge, we’re celebrating #NationalVolunteerWeek by asking our friends to send a virtual camp hug to our amazing program and medical volunteers. Simply comment with a big-hearted emoji or a few words of gratitude and your name will be entered into our giveaway t-shirt drawing this Friday. Whether volunteering in-person or virtually, the time, talents, kindness, and generosity our incredible volunteers give our campers and their families truly makes the magic happen. Please join us in sending them some love for all that they do! 😍 🙏 💛

#weloveourvolunteers #volunteerweek #seriousgratitude

View

Apr 18

April is #NationalDonateLife. We have many opportu

April is #NationalDonateLife. We have many opportunities to thank the generous donors who have given gifts of time, money and talent to make camp possible. Today, in honor of #NationalPediatricTransplantWeek, we’d like to recognize those who have given the gift of life. The campers we host during summer and family Transplant Camp sessions have had their lives saved by donors. This summer, Transplant Camp will be held virtually June 15-18. Applications will open soon for our entire summer camp-at-home season – stay tuned!

P.S. – If you haven’t done so already, please consider signing up as an organ donor. Visit @giftoflifemich to register today.

#kidstransplantweek #donatelife #transplantcamp #campmichitanki #northstarreach #medicalcamp #seriousfuncamp #childrensnonprofit

View

Apr 17

On this #WorldHemophiliaDay, we join others in rai

On this #WorldHemophiliaDay, we join others in raising awareness for inherited blood disorders, especially pediatric patients. Our team is privileged to serve children with sickle cell disease, hemophilia, and other bleeding disorders through our family and summer camps. Together, we can strive to reach “treatment for all.”

#WHD2021 #hemophilia #bleedingdisorders

View

Apr 17

Welcome back to another Mooseness Challenge Drawin

Welcome back to another Mooseness Challenge Drawing! This week, Colleen, one of our staff members, will be announcing our #MoosenessChallenge winner!

We asked all of you to reflect on a year spent in quarantine, and to share at least one thing you attempted or a skill that you acquired this past year by commenting or sending a DM! Tune in to see who wins. See you on Monday for our next challenge! ⚽️

#moosenesschallenge #lifeinquarantine #reflectlearngrow #seriousfuncamp

View

Apr 16

Today’s the day: we’re so thankful to all the

Today’s the day: we’re so thankful to all the runners who have been logging their daily mile in the name of raising awareness for mental health. Together, we can continue to help e-race the stigma! Thank you to our friends at @epicraces for hosting the Probility Ann Arbor “Mile-A-Day” Marathon Challenge and selecting North Star Reach as a charity partner. We are honored to be one of the local organizations committed to this cause. Today, all participants are invited to gather on Epic Races Zoom channel to run the .2 together for a total of 26.2 miles, virtually crossing the marathon finish line together. Thank you to everyone who has supported camp through this incredible race and congratulations to all the runners who finish their marathon toady – we applaud your commitment to staying active during these challenging times!

#epicraces #mileadaychallenge #eracethestigma #onedayatatime #charitypartner #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness

View

Apr 15

#ICYMI: Be sure to check out the recorded talks fr

#ICYMI: Be sure to check out the recorded talks from our “Coping with Loss” conference hosted in March. You’ll find some incredibly thoughtful presentations about processing life-changing losses. A very special thanks to our friends at @elesplaceannarbor for partnering with us on this inaugural conference. Click link in video to access conference presentations.

#serioussupport #resourcesforcaregivers

View

Apr 14

It’s #InternationalMomentofLaughterDay! At camp,

It’s #InternationalMomentofLaughterDay! At camp, love is high fives, late night cabin chats, and – of course – belly laughs. High fives are as much a greeting as they are about saying “You did it!” and celebrating and supporting each other as we grow. Today, we celebrate all the moments of laughter and smiles of summer that have happened both in person and virtually.

#laughteristhebestmedicine #laughterheals #spreadjoy #northstarreach #medicalcamp #seriousfuncamp #childrensnonprofit

View

Apr 13

CAMP CLUBS NEXT SATURDAY (4/24): Camper families – we hope you’ll join us next Saturday from 1-3pm (EST) for our last camp clubs of our winter programming series, hosted by our incredible volunteers. This month’s featured clubs are Music & Drama and Story Studio. Our fun-filled activity hours will feature music, songs, and of course – tons of imagination! To learn more and sign up for community-building fun, please click link in bio.

#campclubs #campcommunity #northstarreach #seriousfuncamp

View

Apr 12

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge,

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge, we’re celebrating one of our guiding values at camp: to reach high and go beyond. This core practice applies to our programming, activities, and even our staff, volunteers and campers themselves. We’re always striving to create places for our campers to continue to stretch themselves and provide opportunities of growth to try new things and to learn different skill sets. Of course, in everything we do, it’s always challenge by choice, giving campers the power to choose how they want to participate.

Since we are unable to gather safely just yet, for this week’s challenge, we’re asking you to reflect on your year spent in quarantine. This past year taught us many things as an organization and revealed new areas of growth for us. What did you learn or discover this past year? Were you able to learn or develop a new skill – perhaps something like learning how to a ride a bike, baking or cooking a meal, reading more books or trying a different sport? Our challenge for all of you this week is to share at least one thing you attempted or a skill that you acquired this past year by commenting below or sending us a DM. Anyone who plays will be entered into our Friday drawing for a chance to win one of our NSR camp t-shirts.

We look forward to reading your submissions. By commenting below, you will help spark ideas for our community and perhaps even encourage or inspire someone to try something new!

#moosenesschallenge #lifeinquarantine #reflectlearngrow #seriousfuncamp

View

Apr 9

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE DRAWING: Join this week’s ho

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE DRAWING: Join this week’s host, Sissy, as she reveals our winner. Thank you to everyone who played and shared some hope this week! Enjoy the sunshine and see you on Monday for another #MoosenessChallenge!☀️

View

Apr 8

Continuing with our series of celebrating North St

Continuing with our series of celebrating North Star Reach volunteers, we’re shining a spotlight on another amazing Young Professional Board (YPB) member, Joanna Henry. Before joining the YPB, Joanna started out her camp career with us as a program volunteer in 2017 serving as a cabin counselor and she’s been with us ever since!

We were so happy to have her make the jump over to our YPB, where she could continue to share her talents and gifts to support camp. She loves working on YPB because she appreciates the opportunity to be able to “contribute to camp in a variety of ways and use my creativity to support our campily.” Having program volunteers on our YPB, like Joanna, is incredibly beneficial because they are able to bring the fun, community and traditions of camp to any event, fundraiser, or program that they come up with. To her, camp is a feeling that you “just can’t quite describe” – it’s something that we like to call mooseness. And the best thing about mooseness? Once you discover it, you can continue to share it. Camp’s not only a fun place where new adventures are embarked, but it’s also a place “of extraordinary growth for everyone involved,” Joanna said. Her favorite memories at camp? The quiet in-between moments. She loves the “cabin chats, the walks between activities and the conversations that happen in those spaces.”

Thank you, Joanna, for supporting camp in everything you do. We are honored to have you as part of our “campily!” Joanna is pictured at one of our messy cabin activities from the summer.

#youngprofessionalboard #supportcamp #seriousfuncamp #campcommunity

View

Apr 7

SPECIAL LIVE EVENT NEXT FRIDAY (04/16): You’re i

SPECIAL LIVE EVENT NEXT FRIDAY (04/16): You’re invited! Join us for a live performance by longtime North Star Reach camp program volunteer Bridget Sova, who also works as a music therapist, and her talented musical friends next Friday, April 16 from 7:00-8:00pm (EST).

The event is free and will be live streamed on our Facebook. Camp friends (families, volunteers, donors) are welcome to join the conversation on Zoom by RSVP'ing (link in bio). We hope you’ll stop by for some great music and conversation for our last special live performance of our winter programming.

#liveperformance #campfirelive #musician #campcommunity #northstarreach #seriousfuncamp #volutneersrock

View

Apr 6

Our 2021 Spring Family Camp-At-Home sessions will

Our 2021 Spring Family Camp-At-Home sessions will kick off with our first weekend starting on April 30th – we invite you to join us for one of our two sessions for a re-imagined virtual camp experience featuring live camp activities, family games and challenges, and an entirely new camp-in-a-box care package delivered straight to your home. Both of our weekend camps are general sessions, meaning they are open to any family caring for a child who has a serious medical diagnosis (if you are a parent with an eligibility question, please contact Jessica at campers@northstarreach.org). New families are welcome! Please note: registration deadline for the full camp experience, including VIP Camp Care Package, is April 19 for the first session and May 10 for the second session. We can’t wait to connect with you soon! To learn more and to register today, please click link in bio.

#campathome #springfamilycamp #joydelivered #campfiretogether #campcommunity #campconnections #northstarreach #medicalcamp #seriousfuncamp #childrensnonprofit

View

Apr 6

We’re excited to announce that registration for

View

Apr 5

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: April is #NationalMonthofHope

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: April is #NationalMonthofHope and for this week’s challenge, we’re celebrating all moments of hope, big or small. It’s been said that April showers brings May flowers – and many of us are experiencing those showers of rain right now! During this month, the buds are beginning to bloom, the sun is coming around, and the colors are popping up – bringing a bit of hope and joy to our days.

Hope can come in many forms, such as being a positive role model to a sibling, volunteering for one of your favorite organizations (even virtually!), making a meal for a friend or helping with yard work. If there’s one thing we know about hope, it’s that hope is definitely contagious. Let us know what’s bringing you hope these days (it could be something as simple as enjoying a sunshine filled morning pictured here from summer 2017) by commenting below or sending us a DM. Anyone who plays will be entered into our Friday drawing for a chance to win one of our NSR camp t-shirts.

We look forward to reading your submissions! By commenting below, you will not only help to inspire others, but you will also be spreading hope and joy.

#moosenesschallenge #spreadhope #spreadjoy #northstarreach #seriousfuncamp

View

Apr 3

Heading into the weekend full of smiles and sunshi

Heading into the weekend full of smiles and sunshine after finalizing the tally for our Facebook Fundraisers over the last six months. Since October, generous camp friends have donated their birthdays to North Star Reach, hosting online fundraisers which raised a total of $2,570+ for our campers and their families. A huge thank to you to SiSi Dillard, Jan Getzen, Cyril Radwin, Anthony Helinski, Cristina Spurlin and William Werner for all of your support – we thank you and our campers and families thank you.

#notallsuperheroeswearcapes #campchampions #donorsmakeitpossible #supportcamp

View

Apr 1

Continuing with our series of celebrating North St

Continuing with our series of celebrating North Star Reach volunteers, we’re shining a spotlight on another incredible Young Professional Board (YPB) member, Cristina Spurlin. Before joining the YPB, Cristina started out her camp career with us as a program volunteer in 2017 serving as a cabin counselor. As she shared with us, she’s “been smitten with this place ever since!”

We were so happy to have her make the jump over to our YPB, where she could continue to share her talents and gifts to support camp. She loves working on YPB because, as she said, “every time we get together, it’s for camp and for the kids first.” Having program volunteers on our YPB, like Cristina, is incredibly beneficial because they are able to bring the fun and even the wackiness of camp to any event, fundraiser, or program that they come up with. Her favorite part of YPB? The spontaneity, the drive, and the passion that everyone brings. To her, camp is simply home. It’s family and belonging. As she said, camp is a place “where you can feel comfortable with who you are because others are there to support you and lift you up. Camp, to me, is a magical place where I can just be me!”

Thank you, Cristina, for bringing your magic to camp every day. We are honored to have you as part of our “campily!” Cristina is pictured at our gaga ball pit celebrating victory with fellow YPB member, Tom Wille.

#youngprofessionalboard #supportcamp #seriousfuncamp #campcommunity

View

Mar 31

In honor of #NationalSocialWorkMonth, we’re spot

In honor of #NationalSocialWorkMonth, we’re spotlighting a presentation from Jennifer Hill Buehrer, LMSW, Palliative Care Social Worker at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. Her presentation, “Anticipatory Grief,” helps you learn how to identify and cope with anticipatory grief symptoms. She offers meaningful ways to say goodbye and help you prepare for a future for yourself after anticipated loss of a loved one. Thank you to all the #SocialWorkers, including Jennifer, for the commitment and compassion you bring to patients and families. This is the latest in a series of recorded talks from our half-day virtual "Coping with Loss" Conference earlier this month. Click link in bio to hear this and other excellent presentations.

#thankyousocialworkers #socialworkersrock #careconference #familysupport #medicalcamp #northstarreach #seriousfuncamp

Get in touch!

EMAIL

info@northstarreach.org

PHONE

FAX

North Star Reach Camp

1200 University Drive
Pinckney, MI 48169

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

North Star Reach is an independent nonprofit medical speciality camp based in Pinckney, Michigan. We provide life-changing camp experiences for children living with serious illnesses and their families, at no charge to them. You can support us today by making a donation.

Click Here & Donate

Stay Connected

PHONE

North Star Reach Camp

1200 University Drive
Pinckney, MI 48169

Stay Connected

FAX

EMAIL

info@northstarreach.org

FINANCIAL SUPPORT

North Star Reach is an independent nonprofit medical speciality camp based in Pinckney, Michigan. We provide life-changing camp experiences for children living with serious illnesses and their families, at no charge to them. You can support us today by making a donation.

Click Here & Donate

GuideStar Platinum

North Star Reach is a platinum-level
GuideStar participant

American Camp Association

American Camp
Association Accredited

Visit North Star Reach

Photo Credit: Leisa Thompson Photography