Camp Wapiyapi was established to provide at no cost, a respite for children with cancer and their families. Developed by the University of Colorado Medical students, our annual week long camp offers a safe and nurturing environment to allow the children and their siblings the natural freedoms of childhood. Through participation in a variety of group activities, campers learn that they do not face their challenges alone.

Camp Wapiyapi derives its name from the Lakota Sioux word for "healing". As these Native Americans realize, physical health is dependent on the wellness of the whole person and understanding how each of us fits into our communities and natural environment. Thus, many of the camp’s activities will focus on the beauty and wonder of the Colorado landscape, offering the children the ultimate playground. As each member of the Native American community played an integral role in the functioning of the group, it is our hope that the camp will establish an additional circle from which families may draw strength, support, and friendship.

Camp Wapiyapi organizes activities throughout the year. We hope that these opportunities will rekindle the hope and the joy that camp instilled in all of us – families, volunteer companions, and especially the children, because that is what Camp Wapiyapi is all about.

Each child is paired with a volunteer companion to develop a special on-on-one relationship. Camp is staffed by volunteer physicians and nurses available at all times for the children’s healthcare needs.