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.

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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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Sep 23

UPCOMING CONFERENCE NEWS ✨: We are thrilled to s

UPCOMING CONFERENCE NEWS ✨: We are thrilled to share the 2nd Annual “Serious Support: Family Care Conference” schedule. The two-day virtual conference (Oct. 6 & 7) is designed to help parents and caregivers of children with serious illnesses learn from professionals, and from one another. Check out the link in our bio to see the impressive lineup of presenters, including practitioners from @waynemedicine, @devoschildrens, @mottchildren, @epilepsyfoundation_mi, as well as family practice psychologists, social workers, spiritual counselors, wellness providers, artists, and caregivers from the North Star Reach community.

Thanks to generous donors, the conference is free and open to the public. You can attend one, some, or all the keynote presentations, panels, and breakout sessions. All are welcome and we’d be grateful if you would share the conference information with families, caregivers, students, and/or clinicians and professionals who might be interested (Continuing Education Credits are available upon request for those in attendance). Follow link in bio to view the complete schedule and register today!

#parentshelpingparents #serioussupport #familycareconference

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Sep 22

We’re only 10 days away from North Star Reach's

We’re only 10 days away from North Star Reach's first ever Interstellar 5K Trail run, taking place at our beautiful 105-acre camp on October 2nd. Walk or run along the scenic trail winding through the woods and along the waterfront at camp. A virtual option is also available. See link in bio for additional info and registration details. Just 40 more spots available and your chance to take home some out-of-this-world race hardware. A cosmic thank you to our event sponsors Y-mAbs Therapeutics, Inc., @reinhart.charitable.foundation, @zingermanscommunity, @healingnotesfoundation, WACKER, @deltadentalmi, and Lavey Insurance! Thank you also to our amazing event volunteers: We are fully staffed and ready for a great race day!
#lovethemooseness #donorsmakeitpossible #moosetronauts

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Sep 20

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: In recognition of #SickleCell

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: In recognition of #SickleCellAwarenessMonth, our challenge this week salutes those working hard to find a cure for this inherited blood disorder and to improve the health of children and adults afflicted with sickle cell anemia, including our partners at @sicklecellmichigan, @scdai, @advocatekids and @luriesicklecell. To play this week, simply comment below or share an emoji to cheer on #sicklecellwarriors. ❤️🥰

Anyone who plays will be entered into our giveaway drawing this Friday. Along with the chance to win a cozy camp T-shirt, you’ll be sending a little love to the many sickle cell warriors gathered around our virtual campfire. (Photo: Sickle Cell Camp 2019) #sicklecellawarenessmonth #sicklecellstrong #sicklecellnow

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Sep 17

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE WINNER: Join Katie as she shar

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE WINNER: Join Katie as she shares the winner of this week's Mooseness Challenge!

To learn more fun ice breaker activities, be sure to check out our Fall Camper Meetups! For more information and to register visit the link in our bio!

#moosenesschallenge #fallcampermeetups

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Sep 16

We are honored to be one of the charity partners f

We are honored to be one of the charity partners for @epicraces Probility Ann Arbor Marathon. Interested in volunteering? We'd love your help staffing a water station along the racecourse or other volunteer support roles on the day of the event on Sunday, Oct. 24.

For more details, please email NSR's Louisa Artelt at louisa@northstarreach.org.

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Sep 14

FALL CAMPER MEETUPS: Our virtual Fall Camper Meetu

FALL CAMPER MEETUPS: Our virtual Fall Camper Meetups have officially begun! Last night our middle and oldest groups had a blast getting to know one another and tonight we kick off our youngest and Solstice groups. Our Camper Meetups are a wonderful place for campers to come together and feel comfortable being themselves; all while gaining a sense of belonging among peers who have had a similar journey. Whether a camper wants to play an energetic game or quietly participate, our facilitators are skilled at meeting campers where they are at while encouraging them to grow and have fun!

Camper Meetups take place every other week September-December for one hour. To find out more information and to register, visit the link in our bio today!

#campconnection #campermeetups #campily

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Sep 13

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Whether we’re together in p

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: Whether we’re together in person our through our virtual platforms, it is always wonderful to connect and learn about one another. If you’ve experienced our camp programs before, you know that we love to do this by kicking off our sessions with some fun ice breaker activities! A few of our staff favorites include ‘This or That’, ‘Would You Rather’, and ‘Two Truths & A Lie’. With our virtual Fall Camper Meetups officially starting tonight, we see a whole lot of ice breakers in our near future!

For this week’s Mooseness Challenge, we want to know what is your favorite ice breaker activity? Who knows, maybe our facilitators will even use your favorite during one of our camper meetups! To enter our challenge this week, simply comment your guess below (or send us a DM) telling us what your favorite icebreaker game is. Anyone who plays will be entered into our giveaway drawing on Friday for a chance to win a cozy camp t-shirt! We look forward to your submissions!

Also, if you are interested in joining our virtual Fall Camper Meetups, there’s still time! Simply, follow the link in our bio to register today.

#moosenesschallenge

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Sep 9

You’re invited! Yes, you! 👋 Join our friends

You’re invited! Yes, you! 👋 Join our friends at @seriousfun_camps on September 26 for a star-studded virtual celebration of our global camp community, featuring SeriousFun campers and celebrity friends Julianne Moore, Lyle Lovett, Octavia Spencer, Catherine O’Hara, Aimee Mullins, Rupert Friend, Renée Zellweger, Trisha Yearwood and more.

Click link in our bio to register to watch for free. We hope to see you there! ✨ #weareseriousfun

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Sep 8

We are less than a month away from our first ever

We are less than a month away from our first ever Interstellar 5k Trail Run/Walk and spots are filling up fast! Be sure to race on over to our registration page and sign up because on September 15th the registration fee will increase by $5 for both in-person and virtual options! To register visit the link in our bio. Also, keep an eye on our Instagram Story, today, for some fun announcements from Colleen!

Anyone interested in volunteering for the Interstellar 5k can follow the ‘Volunteer Signup” link in our bio to sign up! If you have any questions about volunteering, simply reach out to Coach (mike@northstarreach.org)!

#interstellar5k #moosetronauts #trailrun #puremichigan #pinckney #5k #northstarreach

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Sep 7

FALL VIRTUAL CAMPER MEETUPS: Looking for a meaning

FALL VIRTUAL CAMPER MEETUPS: Looking for a meaningful way to connect with camp friends? We have great news! Registration for our fall virtual Camper Meetups is still open! These fun-filled meetups will take place every other week during the fall (Sept – Dec) and are free of charge. Campers will be placed with their peers of similar ages/developmental abilities to experience exciting games and activities led by an amazing team of seasoned camp staff and volunteers.

To learn more and to register, follow the link in our bio!

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Sep 6

On this #LaborDay, we give thanks to all the amazi

On this #LaborDay, we give thanks to all the amazing teams working behind-the-scenes to make the world beautiful for the rest of us. At North Star Reach, we are especially thankful for the all-star team of Jeff Boots, Jo Ellen Soesbee, and Jess Bloom, who maintain our buildings and grounds, whether that's putting in the dock in the spring, plowing snow in the winter, mowing lawns in the summer, and so much more. Rest assured camp will be ready for our campers when we can safely welcome our campily back to our campus. #happylaborday #superheroes

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Sep 2

FALL CAMP UPDATE: We are incredibly disappointed

FALL CAMP UPDATE: We are incredibly disappointed to announce the cancellation of our in-person Fall Campily Retreats. Unfortunately, counties surrounding North Star Reach and most counties across the state of Michigan are experiencing an increase of COVID-19 cases and have now crossed into the High-Risk threshold. As you know, safety is number one in our High-Five Contract and the safety of our campers, families, volunteers, and staff is our highest priority. Following the guidance of our Medical Director with consultation from the Medical Advisory Board and input from North Star Reach leadership, the difficult decision to cancel in-person programming for the fall has been made.

Our program team remains committed to providing the highest quality virtual experience and is already working on offering virtual Fall Family Camp programming (more details to come). Also, registration is currently open for our virtual Fall Camper Meetups and our virtual Parent & Caregiver Support Groups. We hope that these programs will help provide support, community, and connection to the members of our campily. You can read more from Director of Camping, Patrick Smith, on our blog (link in bio).

We are grateful for your understanding and patience as we continue to learn and grow together through this pandemic. North Star Reach is committed to keeping the mooseness alive and we continue to look forward, with great anticipation, to a time where we can return to the camp home we are all so fond of.

#practicingresilience #lovethemooseness

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Aug 31

PARENTS & CAREGIVERS: We are happy to announce tha

PARENTS & CAREGIVERS: We are happy to announce that registration for our virtual 2021 Fall Parent & Caregiver Support Groups is officially open! Three support groups are offered and will cover a variety of topics including Hope & Healing, Self-Care, and an Open Discussion. These support groups are open to any parent or guardian that is caring for a child with a serious medical diagnosis so be sure to share with anyone you believe may be interested. We look forward to welcoming back former group members as well as newcomers! To learn more about the three support groups and to register, follow the link in our bio!

#support #community #campily

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Aug 30

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge,

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: For this week’s challenge, we’re playing a game called “Close Up.” We’ve zoomed into a photo taken at camp and it’s your job to figure out where it’s at! We’ve given you some clues with a riddle below:

Another Mooseness Challenge, are you ready for your quest?
When visiting this activity area, you may choose to take a test
SPF is important here so be sure to reapply
There’s also a shaded seating area for those who wish to stay dry
It’s important to not run here, be careful, take it slow
Make sure you have your buddy when you hear the whistle blow
You’ll want to bring a towel and maybe some goggles too
There can only be one winner--tune in Friday to see if it’s you!

To enter our challenge this week, simply comment your guess below (or send us a DM) of where you believe this picture was taken. We’ll reveal the location of the photo during our drawing this Friday afternoon. Anyone who plays will get a chance to win a cozy NSR camp t-shirt.

We look forward to your submissions!

#moosenesschallenge

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Aug 27

Join Monica and her adorable co-host to find out t

Join Monica and her adorable co-host to find out the winner of this week's Mooseness Challenge!

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Aug 27

A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER: Wow, what a great way to st

A PLACE LIKE NO OTHER: Wow, what a great way to start our Friday, with thanks to Doug Marrin at @thesuntimesnews for the terrific spread about camp, including a chance for two staff members to share the ways North Star Reach campers have transformed their lives. "The campers have taught me the most precious things are found in the seemingly small moments of life,” says Program Director Colleen Triezenberg.

Whether you're a camper, parent, caregiver, volunteer, donor or staff, the resilience and courage that make up our extraordinary community positively changes all of our lives. Visit link in our bio for the full article.#loveourcampily

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Aug 26

This year, for the first time, we launched an exci

This year, for the first time, we launched an exciting new series of open-enrollment clubs called our ‘S’more Camp Clubs’! During the summer, campers who had registered for any of our summer sessions were invited to take part in these unique and memorable virtual opportunities. The intention of these camp clubs was to assist our campers in experiencing 's'more' connection with their camp friends and amazing community members all while learning new skills and abilities throughout the entire summer camp season.

We were thrilled to offer a new element of virtual programming and to partner with some talented guests from the community. These guests included instructors from Heroes Circle, @zion.well and @ypsi_artscenter --all of whom dedicated their time to two of our summer sessions. We also had the pleasure of connecting with @detroitpbskids and the @michlearning, @umstamps, @spinningdottheatre, Improv Workshop with Mike Fedel, and @insideoutliteraryarts.

As an organization we strive to find new opportunities that allow campers to connect with their peers and community on a deeper level. We feel so incredibly grateful to all these amazing individuals and local businesses for assisting in creating a summer full of creativity, growth, and, of course, a whole lot of camp magic!

#SmoreCampClubs #Community #Campily

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Aug 26

We're celebrating more joy for kids with serious h

We're celebrating more joy for kids with serious health challenges, thanks to a generous $10,000 grant from @joyinchildhood. What a treat today for our team (Ami, Lisa, Colleen and Coach) to welcome our new camp friends from Dunkin' Joy (Arun, Nick and Josh) and share our gratitude with them for this wonderful gift. 🧡 🍩 #JICFgrantee #joyinchildhood #donorsmakeitpossible

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Aug 24

FALL VIRTUAL CAMPER MEETUPS: We are excited to ann

FALL VIRTUAL CAMPER MEETUPS: We are excited to announce that registration for our virtual Fall Camper Meetups is officially open! Camper Meetups are an opportunity for campers to gain a sense of belonging, develop friendships, and have fun playing games and trying new activities! Last season was full of fun, laughter, and games including a wacky scavenger hunt that our youngest group absolutely loved (pictured here)!

Fall Camper Meetups will meet every other week during the months of September to December via Zoom. All meetups are free of charge and are exclusively for participants who have previously attended a North Star Reach in-person or virtual summer or family program. Participants will be placed in groups with their peers of similar ages/developmental abilities and are supervised by a minimum of two trained adults. For more details about our Camper Meetup schedule and to register, visit the link in our bio!

#CamperMeetups #LoveTheMooseness

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Aug 23

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: A friend is always happy to s

MOOSENESS CHALLENGE: A friend is always happy to see us, they comfort us on bad days and celebrate with us on good days. They enjoy spending time with us whether we’re playing a game of catch or going on a long walk. And sometimes our very best friends also have paws and a tail!

This Thursday is National Dog Appreciation Day and for this week’s Mooseness Challenge, we are taking a moment to celebrate our beloved canine friends. To enter, simply comment below or send us a DM sharing a little bit about your dog. You can even send us a photo of your furry friend! Here you can see some staff and volunteer four-legged friends including Mila, Roree, Simon, Remmie and Rooney! Anyone who plays will be entered into our giveaway drawing on Friday for a chance to win a cozy camp t-shirt! We look forward to reading your submissions!

#NationalDogAppreciationDay #MoosenessChallenge #BestFriends

Get in touch!

EMAIL

info@northstarreach.org

PHONE

FAX

North Star Reach Camp

1200 University Camp 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 Camp 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