Camp Koru

Rediscover your life beyond cancer.

What is Camp Koru?

Camp Koru is a free outdoor adventure camp that helps young adult cancer survivors (ages 19-39) find healing and renewal beyond cancer.

Participants, alongside other survivors, receive the tools, instruction, and encouragement required to take on a new challenge. The week is spent learning a new sport, accessing deep vulnerability, exploring the outdoors, and more, all while connecting with fellow survivors. 

Camp Koru is a retreat run by survivors, for survivors. Our camp counselors are previous campers who have returned to lead and share their knowledge, experience, and inspiration with other survivors. 

Through this shared experience with peers, survivors learn to address fears, face life's challenges, and ultimately find their own potential beyond cancer.

Watch the video to learn more!

“I started living again, thanks to that camp. Before, I was just living in fear of death. But now I live in hope for life.”

— Jolina “Kala” Ruckert, Camp 39

What to expect

Group photo of young adult survivors smiling on the beach at Camp Koru.

  • Weeklong ocean/beach based camp experience

  • 2024 trips take place in beautiful Costa Rica (passport required)

  • Learn to surf!

  • Connect with a group of 10-15 other young adult survivors

  • Open up and access deep vulnerability

  • Express yourself through creative mediums

  • Explore and adventure in a new place

  • An alcohol and substance free experience

  • An experience for survivors, run by survivors. Camp Koru has a comprehensive staff team of survivors, PK alumni, licensed therapists, professional chefs, medical staff, and trained yoga instructors.

What’s the cost?

It costs us $2,000 to send a survivor to camp, but Camp Koru is FREE to survivors, thanks to the generous donations of our many supporters! However, it is up to each participant to pay for their travel to and from camp. 

In an effort to relieve the concern of travel costs and to give participants a chance to pay it forward, Project Koru has a travel fundraiser guide to help you out.

Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation also works with us to award travel scholarships.

What’s next?

For survivors:

  1. Apply to Camp Koru.

  2. Check out our guide to engaging supporters for more information on covering travel expenses.

  3. Sign up for our mailing list and follow us on social media to stay in the loop!

For supporters:

  1. Share this page with a survivor in your life.

  2. Make a donation to help us serve more young adult survivors.

  3. Sign up for our mailing list (on the bottom of this page) and follow us on social media to stay in the loop!