CHAMP Camp: Where Summer Camp Adventure Has No Limits
How Dormie Network Foundation is helping make summer camp possible for every child by partnering with CHAMP Camp.
For most kids, summer camp is a rite of passage filled with campfires, canoeing, and lifelong friendships. For kids with tracheostomies or ventilator dependence, summer camp usually isn't an option. CHAMP Camp changes that reality. For one week each June, campers ages 6 to 18 trade hospital routines for canoes, zip lines, and campfires, fully supported by a medical team that's there so kids can just be kids. Through specialized medical care and an inclusive environment, CHAMP Camp ensures that physical limitations never stand in the way of childhood magic, giving campers the freedom to safely explore the great outdoors.
Since 2023, Dormie Network Foundation has proudly partnered with CHAMP Camp to help make this extraordinary week possible. Through in-kind donations, DNF has helped raise $67,000 for CHAMP Camp over the past three years—enough to send 22 children to camp and create memories that will last a lifetime.
What Is CHAMP Camp?
Based in Carmel, Indiana, CHAMP Camp began in 1991, when hospital administrator, David Carter and child life specialist Nancy McCurdy set out to give children with tracheostomies and ventilator needs something rare: a real, overnight summer camp experience.
Now celebrating its 36th year, that founding vision remains as strong as ever. Each summer, CHAMP Camp gives children and adolescents with tracheostomies and those requiring technology-dependent respiratory assistance with immersive experiences like the chance to swim, canoe, and climb alongside their peers. Because many campers navigate unique physical challenges, including quadriplegia, the week is thoughtfully designed around fostering independence, building confidence, and creating the lifelong memories that every child deserves.
What Happens at CHAMP Camp?
A day in the life of a camper at CHAMP Camp is packed with fun, connection, and adventure. Camp takes place in Bradford Woods, Indiana University's Outdoor Center. The 2,500-acre campus, located between Bloomington and Indianapolis, has specialized facilities for therapeutic and experiential outdoor programs designed for people of all backgrounds and abilities.
Campers spend the night in cabins with a main room, two smaller adjacent rooms, and a large community bathroom. The cabins are designed to house 6 campers and counselors.
A typical day includes:
Morning: Breakfast, then head out with trail groups to enjoy the first activity of the day
Mid-morning: Rest and relaxation at the cabin
Early-Afternoon: Lunch
Afternoon: Second trail group activity, followed by “cabin time” to unwind with fellow campers and counselors
Evening: Dinner, then evening activity which could include campfire songs and skits, hayrides, talent shows, dances, and a special closing campfire
Campers enjoy a wide variety of activities within their trail groups, including creative arts, swimming, climbing, archery, canoeing, fishing, zip lining, paddle boating, pontooning, tower climbing, and camp-wide scavenger hunts. Each activity is carefully adapted to be fun, engaging, and memorable for every camper.
Providing this level of adventure requires extraordinary care. CHAMP Camp counselors are licensed healthcare professionals who double as friends and mentors. Many counselors are nurses, respiratory therapists, child life specialists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals. They are supported by dedicated volunteers and health discipline students. It's an impressive 2.5-to-1 counselor-to-camper ratio. This allows CHAMP Camp to ensure round-the-clock medical care without hovering, giving campers the genuine freedom to explore safely.
How Did CHAMP Camp Get Connected with Dormie Network Foundation?
The impactful partnership between CHAMP Camp and the Dormie Network Foundation (DNF) was sparked by a shared connection. Dan Lappin, owner of Lappin 180 and Dormie Network member, also serves on the CHAMP Camp Board of Directors. Recognizing a mutual commitment to changing lives, he bridged the gap between the two organizations in 2023.
“The Dormie Network experience is a great match for our donors because of the elite and unique opportunity it offers to our guests. We have a large population of recreational golfers who attend our fundraising event, and the Dormie Network experience has been a popular part of our live auction!” says Jamie Mitchell, Executive Director of CHAMP Camp.
How Has the Partnership Raised Money for CHAMP Camp?
CHAMP Camp doesn't charge families a fee to attend, which means every dollar raised matters directly to a camper's experience. With the average cost of camp exceeding $3,000 per child, funding is critical. In 2026, the camp served 27 campers, bringing the total seasonal cost to over $80,000.
“CHAMP Camp uses the funds raised through DNF as part of our direct camp budget. The funds raised through DNF contribute to our ability not to charge our families and to continue to provide this amazing experience for our campers,” says Mitchell.
The partnership has generated remarkable fundraising results over the past three years, with 100% of auction proceeds supporting CHAMP Camp's mission. Through DNF, CHAMP Camp has auctioned Dormie Network in-kind donations, allowing supporters the opportunity to bid on extraordinary golf experiences while directly funding life-changing camp experiences.
The impact has grown each year. In the first year of the partnership, CHAMP Camp raised $16,000. That total increased to $25,000 in 2024, and climbed again to $26,000 in 2025. Together, these experiences have helped generate more than $67,000 to ensure children with complex medical needs can experience the joy, independence, and adventure of summer camp.
What's Next for the CHAMP Camp Partnership?
“We have been so impressed with the opportunities that DNF has offered through our fundraising event. Our guests look forward to outbidding each other during our live auction to be the one who goes home with the Dormie experience,” says Mitchell.
The momentum of this partnership continues to grow. CHAMP Camp supporters can look forward to bidding on Dormie Network in-kind donations at the annual Silver Sneaker Benefit Ball on September 19, 2026, where DNF will once again donate a premier Dormie Network membership to help fuel the live auction.
“Each year we have partnered with DNF, we have received additional donations by those who have had the opportunity to experience Dormie Network. The generosity of DNF has a significant impact on our ability to provide this amazing camp experience for children with tracheostomies,” says Mitchell.
More Than a Summer Camp: CHAMP Camp Bridges Generosity and Unrestricted Joy
CHAMP Camp shows what's possible when generosity meets purpose. What started as a golf membership connection through one board member has grown into a multi-year partnership that helps dozens of kids each summer enjoy adventure and connection. Through the generosity of donors and strategic partners like DNF, CHAMP Camp continues to prove that every child deserves a summer filled with adventure and belonging.
To learn more, register a camper, or donate to their mission, visit CHAMP Camp online.
