Support Experience Camps: Baystate Half Marathon

Resources such as Experience are vital. My brother and I (and my mom of course) lost my father very suddenly when I was 3 and my brother was a baby. There were not resources like this amazing nonprofit. I run on October 20th, just a few days after what would have been my father’s 66th birthday. When I run the Baystate Half Marathon, I will be raising money for Experience Camps. Why does this program matter? Approximately 6.3 million children in the U.S. will experience the death of a parent, sibling or primary caregiver by the time they turn 18. Grieving youth are more likely to endure mental health challenges, poor academic performance, and negative long-term physical and financial outcomes than their non-grieving peers. Left unaddressed, childhood grief can undermine a child’s future.

However, with the proper interventions and an ecosystem of support around them, grief can lead to remarkable resilience.

Experience Camps is an award-winning national nonprofit that transforms the lives of grieving children through summer camp programs and innovative, year-round initiatives. Through compassion, connection, and play, we allow grieving children to embody a life full of hope and possibility. By amplifying their voices, we are creating a more grief-sensitive culture.