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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.

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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

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Jul 23

Let's hear a huge camp round of applause for this

Let's hear a huge camp round of applause for this amazing group of volunteers! We are so grateful to these caring and passionate individuals for committing their time to help create camp magic and make our final session of the summer a massive success. Thank you so much Tina, Ashley V., Ashley P., Lucas, Crystal, Melissa, Katelin, Sudeepti, and Sami for making a difference in the lives of so many amazing campers.

#volunteersrock #sicklecellcamp #solsticecamp #painmanagment #hematology

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Jul 21

Our Sickle Cell/Hematology/Pain Management and Sol

Our Sickle Cell/Hematology/Pain Management and Solstice Camp-At-Home sessions are underway! We're grateful to be celebrating our final summer sessions of 2021 with this remarkable group of campers and volunteers. We can't wait to see what the rest of the week has in store for us. A very special thank you to our generous donors who have helped to make this summer season possible!

#campily #seriousfun #mooseontheloose #sicklecellcamp #solsticecamp #painmanagment #hematology

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Jul 20

EXPANDING OUR TEEN PROGRAMS, THANKS TO GENEROUS $5

EXPANDING OUR TEEN PROGRAMS, THANKS TO GENEROUS $56K GRANT: Teenagers sharing stories and creating connections can inspire of a world of life-changing possibility. This belief fuels the intentional programming behind our annual summer Solstice Camp, which kicks off virtually tonight!
 We are thrilled to announce this belief is also the inspiration behind a generous $56,380 grant we received from @generatorzfuture. This teen-led initiative asked more than 1,000 teenagers (or “Generators”) from across Southeast Michigan and Western New York to dream up how youth-based nonprofits could better serve teens. Organizations like North Star Reach stepped up with ideas to turn that teen insight into action.
 We are honored to be one of 11 nonprofits in Washtenaw and Livingston counties to receive funding. The grant will support a three-part initiative called “Find Your Place, People & Voice,” which includes Solstice camp-at-home programming, virtual teen camper meetups, and a conference dedicated to addressing adolescent mental health and wellness.

These free programs will focus on helping teens living with a chronic illness to gain independence as they transition to adulthood. THANK YOU, Generator Z, which is powered by Lakeshore Connections with support from the @rcwjrf. And THANK YOU to all the Generator contributors for believing in our mission and helping us to expand meaningful programs for our teen campers. Click link in bio to read the full story.

#GenZ #futurechangemakers #grantingbyteens #directthechangeyouwanttosee #thefutureisyours #donorsmakeitpossible #reimaginethefuture

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Jul 19

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Oh, banana🍌! This week we

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Oh, banana🍌! This week we’re featuring another one of our fantastic camp-in-a-box sticker designs. We can all agree that ‘Oh, Banana!’ is an all-time favorite camp song which is shown here being sung by our wonderful campers and volunteers during our very first summer in 2016. In the spirit of this beloved song about all things banana, we’d like you to share your favorite way to serve bananas. Whether that’s in a baked good, a banana split, or on your breakfast cereal, we’d love to hear your ideas!

To enter this drawing, comment below or send us a DM and share with us your favorite way to serve bananas! Anyone who plays will be entered into our giveaway drawing on Friday for a chance to win one of these super cool ‘Oh, Banana’ stickers (shown in our Instagram story)! This week, we will be announcing our winner LIVE on Instagram before our closing campfire! We look forward to reading your submissions!

#MoosenessChallenge

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Jul 16

How can you bring a little sunshine—and a smile

How can you bring a little sunshine—and a smile from our campers—on this rainy day? Vote to help North Star Reach receive $5K from @theboumagrouprealtors charity challenge. We’re currently in third place, out of 20 all-star local charities!!! VOTE ONCE A DAY by clicking link in our bio now through July 25 to help us win this generous donation, all in support of our programs for children living with serious illnesses and their families. PLEASE SHARE THIS POST AND ENCOURAGE YOUR FRIENDS TO VOTE FOR US AS WELL.🙏 💛

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Jul 15

This amazing group of humans right here! We are so

This amazing group of humans right here! We are so grateful they are going above and beyond this week to make camp magic happen for dozens of campers joining us for our Epilepsy (Camp Discovery)/Neuro-Oncology Camp-at-Home session. We appreciate you Lauren, Sarah, Sami, Tina, Melissa, Ashley P, Ashley V, Meiko, Abby, AJ, Katelin and Aisling! Thank you for making a difference in the lives of kids living with serious health challenges. #volunteersrock #epilepsyweek #neurooncologyweek #campdiscovery #loveourcampily

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Jul 14

Last night we welcomed a remarkable group of campe

Last night we welcomed a remarkable group of campers to our Epilepsy (Camp Discovery)/Neuro-Oncology Camp-at-Home session, our largest gathering of the summer season! We're grateful to be celebrating another wonderful week of offering kids with serious health challenges a place of belonging where they are free to be themselves. Special thanks to our incredible program volunteers and friends at @epilepsyfoundation_mi and @mottchildren Pediatric Brain Tumor Center for helping us to make this week possible. #campily #seriousfun #mooseontheloose #campdiscovery #donorsmakeitpossible

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Jul 13

“Max was over the moon to get his box today ahea

“Max was over the moon to get his box today ahead of participating in epilepsy camp! He immediately filled out the postcards to tell his friends from school that he’s attending camp. He was diagnosed with epilepsy in December and also carries a pretty much lifelong diagnosis of mild cerebral palsy. As a parent, it has been difficult to find things that he can ‘fit’ with, and I was so excited to learn about this opportunity. He’s so excited to make some new friends!”

We can’t wait to welcome Max and more than 60 other campers to this week’s Epilepsy/Neuro-oncology Camp-at-Home session. Thank you, Betsy, for sharing your story and letting us know how much camp means to Max. What a great week we have planned!

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Jul 12

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Here at North Star Reach, we

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Here at North Star Reach, we love summer days full of sunshine but even when rainy days come along we always have a rain plan. Whether that's fishing from the Dining Hall porch or playing energetic games in the Hangar, we use our creativity and a dash of camp magic to ensure that the fun continues! With the increase in rainy summer days this year we've been enjoying our very own at-home rain plans! A few staff favorites include curling up with a good book and a cup of tea, playing board games with our families, and baking. Now we want to hear from you!

For this week's Mooseness Challenge simply comment below or send us a DM sharing your favorite thing to do on rainy summer days. Anyone who plays will be entered into our giveaway drawing on Friday for a chance to win a cozy camp t-shirt! This week, we will once again be announcing our winner LIVE on Instagram right before our closing campfire. We look forward to reading your submissions!
#moosenesschallenge

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Jul 8

We are so grateful to North Star Reach camper alum

We are so grateful to North Star Reach camper alum Dominic Weber for building this awesome shed for camp, located at our Outpost (home to our Yurts and a favorite sleep-under-the-stars camping spot).

Dominic, who has attended North Star Reach’s Cardiology and Solstice camps, built the shed as part of earning his Eagle rank, the highest achievement in Scouting. Thank you, Dominic, for giving back with such an important project for camp!

#communityservice #amazingcampersgivingback

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Jul 7

S’MORE CAMP CLUBS: Last week our S’more Camp C

S’MORE CAMP CLUBS: Last week our S’more Camp Clubs provided the opportunity to use our imaginations as we created unique works of art! A huge thank you to the creative community partners who led these amazing S’more Camp Clubs including “Clay Making & Cartoon Drawing” led by Jeni Sobbry and Tara Hardy with a special appearance by Angela Brown from @detroitpublictv. This club allowed campers to create unique clay sculptures, cartoon drawings, and play a fun and competitive game featuring Sid the Science Kid (pictured here). Our gratitude also to “Doodle Art” led by Nick Tobier at @umstamps who taught us multiple drawing techniques and about different perspectives and vanishing points! (pictured is the group showcasing their unique bug drawings).

Next week our S’more Camp Clubs feature “Theater Games” with @spinningdottheatre on Wed., July 14; Improv performer Mike Fedel on Thu., July 15; and “Gentle Yoga” with Aubrey Dowdy at @zion.well on Fri., July 16. Reminder: S’more Camp Clubs run all summer and they are offered free to all North Star Reach campers. Camper parents: click link in bio to register your camper today!

seriousfun #summerconnections

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Jul 6

“I love that Jillian is connected to camp. When

“I love that Jillian is connected to camp. When she has the t-shirt on, when she logs onto live sessions, she is with ‘her’ people. It brings me to tears every time. She truly is the spirit of mooseness.”

Thank you, Janel, for sharing what camp magic looks like for you and your family. We’re so glad Jillian, and more than 30 campers, joined us for our Cardiology camp-at-home summer session last week. We had a blast! To our supportive community, including donors and volunteers, thank you for helping to make a difference in the lives of campers like Jillian. #lovethemooseness

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Jul 4

Happy Fourth of July! Wishing all our camp friends

Happy Fourth of July! Wishing all our camp friends a safe and festive holiday. 🇺🇸 #summer2017fireworks #seriousfuncamp

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Jul 1

MAKING THE MAGIC HAPPEN: We would like to extend a

MAKING THE MAGIC HAPPEN: We would like to extend a huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers who have been essential in making our second Camp-At-Home session magical. We have been having such an incredible time with our campers this week! Thank you, Lucas, Megan, A.J., Abby, Ashley V., Nami, Alia, Tina, and Ashley P. for your dedication and passion in making a huge difference in the lives of our campers.

#loveourcampily #volunteersrock #cardiologyweek

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Jun 30

The camp magic continues as we kick off our Camp-A

The camp magic continues as we kick off our Camp-At-Home Cardiology session! We're grateful to be celebrating another wonderful week of connection and friendship with this remarkable group of campers and program and medical volunteers. Thank you to the generous donors who have helped to make our Cardiology Camp-At-Home session possible.

#campily #seriousfun #mooseontheloose #cardiologycamp

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Jun 30

S’MORE SUMMER FUN: We are grateful to Jeni Sobbr

S’MORE SUMMER FUN: We are grateful to Jeni Sobbry, a longtime camp volunteer and supporter, for bringing one of this week’s terrific S’more Camp Clubs to our campers. As an early learning specialist at Detroit Public Television, Jeni will help to facilitate the “Clay Making & Cartoon Drawing” club tomorrow (7/1), from 3:30-4:30 PM (EST). Jeni, at right, is pictured here with Gabe, a fellow program volunteer, and Heather, a Solstice camper, during the summer of 2019. Camper families: you can still register your camper today for the Detroit PBS Kids/Michigan Learning Channel club and the other free programs this week (Storytelling this afternoon and Doodle Art on Friday) by clicking link in bio. #seriousfun #communitypartnersmakecampmagic #volunteersuperheroes

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Jun 28

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: At North Star Reach, one of o

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: At North Star Reach, one of our all-time favorite songs is ‘Little Green Frog’ shown here being sung by our wonderful campers and volunteers during the summer of 2018 before entering the dining hall. We love this song so much we recently made a special sticker to showcase our froggy friend! To enter this week’s Mooseness Challenge drawing, we'd like to see you display your love for the ‘Little Green Frog’ song in one of the following ways:

You can comment below with an emoji that displays the “mmm ahh” frog expression, share a photo of you doing your best ‘Little Green Frog’ impression, or send us a video of you singing the ‘Little Green Frog’ song! Annie, one of our beloved former SAS members can be seen here doing her best ‘Little Green Frog’ impression. Be sure to check out our story for our heartfelt congratulations to Annie on a special occasion that she celebrated this weekend.

Anyone who participates will be entered into our giveaway drawing for a chance to win one of these super cool ‘Little Green Frog’ stickers. Tune in this Friday to find out the winner of this week’s challenge!

#MoosenessChallenge

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Jun 25

Welcome back to another #moosenesschallenge winner

Welcome back to another #moosenesschallenge winner! This week we had another “Close Up” challenge, where we zoomed into a photo taken at camp, and it was your job to figure out where it was taken!

The answer was our Waterfront Bench, and on the back of the bench it says, “Enjoy the Little Things!” Find out who our lucky winner is! Tune in next week for another Mooseness Challenge. 🌈

#moosenesschallenge #waterfront #campforkids #seriousfunchildrensnetwork

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Jun 24

“Asher received his camp at home box this mornin

“Asher received his camp at home box this morning and is SO excited for cardiology camp next week! We are still pretty isolated due to covid so this will be such a great way for Asher to connect with others.”

Thank you, Lindsey and Asher for being an incredible part of our campily. We can’t wait to welcome you and all our campers to our upcoming Cardiology Camp, kicking off next Tuesday evening. #lovethemooseness

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Jun 23

S’MORE CAMP CLUBS: Our thanks to the incredible

S’MORE CAMP CLUBS: Our thanks to the incredible trio of community partners who kicked off our summer season of S’more Camp Clubs last week, hosting some terrific clubs, including “Make Your Own Museum,” led by Kim DeBord at @ypsi_artscenter (pictured is a fantastic postcard museum one of our campers, Kai, who has an impressive collection). Our gratitude also to Heroes Circle for the wonderful introduction to martial arts, led by instructors Richard Plowden and Peter Davenport, and to Aubrey Dowdy at @zion.well for the relaxing yoga session. Reminder: S’more Camp Clubs run all summer and they are offered free to North Star Reach campers. Camper parents: click link in bio to register your camper today! #seriousfun #summerconnections @kidskickcancer

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