Camp Hero

What Camp Hero does

Camp Hero is an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit founded in 2019 and headquartered in McKee, Kentucky, that provides 3-4 day outdoor therapy retreats in the Appalachian Mountains for mentally and physically wounded veterans, wounded first responders, and at-risk youth. Founded by Rocco Besednjak, a medically retired US Navy veteran and former police officer, and Lauren Besednjak, a Registered Nurse with 15+ years of pediatric experience, the organization operates from a mailing address in Lexington and a physical camp at 186 Viney Hollow Rd., McKee, KY, and has expanded to a second site in Arizona. Core offerings include the Camp Hero Kentucky Retreat Program (hiking, cave exploration, fishing, ATV riding, wildlife watching, campfire fellowship, and hunting with all lodging and food provided), the Nature Immersion Program, an Outdoor Therapy initiative tied to trauma and PTSD recovery, a Youth Mentorship Program for at-risk children, and the Building Memories documentary program.

The organization's underlying technology is intentionally low-tech and human-centric: nature-based immersion in the Appalachian outdoors delivered by a volunteer staff, with digital tooling limited to a Wix website, JotForm registration portals (Military Warrior, First Responder Warrior, General, Volunteer), PayPal donation processing, Constant Contact email newsletters, a CreativeSpring merchandise storefront, and Qtego-powered auction ticketing for the annual Benefit for the Brave fundraiser. The Nature Immersion Program and Camp Hero Arizona site are hosted on the Abacus.AI platform, but there is no evidence of proprietary AI or ML deployed in the service delivery model.

Camp Hero operates a purely donation-funded nonprofit business model with no paid staff and no fees charged to beneficiaries. Funding streams include individual and organizational donations via PayPal, the annual Benefit for the Brave event, deer permit auctions (including a $4,700 winning bid by Brandon Pittman for a Camp Hero Kentucky Deer Commission Permit), community fishing events, merchandise sales, and earned media-driven grassroots fundraising. The organization serves three persona segments — wounded veterans, wounded first responders, and at-risk youth — with primary emphasis on the first two, and distributes its services directly through self-serve online registration and volunteer-led on-site delivery within Kentucky and Arizona.

Name

Camp Hero

Legal name

Camp Hero

Website

https://campheroky.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Camp Hero is an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit that provides free 3-4 day outdoor therapy retreats in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky (and Arizona) for mentally and physically wounded veterans, wounded first responders, and at-risk youth, funded entirely by donations and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran and first responder outdoor therapy retreats

NAICS

Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214), RV (Recreational Vehicle) Parks and Recreational Camps (7212)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Therapy & Therapeutic Wilderness Programs (THAAAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Group Camping & Scout Camps (THAGAOAI), Adventure Base Camps (Trek/Climb/Expedition Camps) (THAGAOAG)

Keywords

• Outdoor therapy retreats
• Veteran support services
• First responder wellness
• Nature immersion programs
• Youth mentorship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mckee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Donations: Camp Hero relies entirely on charitable donations from individuals, organizations, and fundraising events to fund operations, lodging, food, and outdoor activities for beneficiaries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Camp Hero is an all-volunteer 501c3 nonprofit that provides fully funded 3–4 day outdoor therapy retreats at its Appalachian Mountain camp in McKee, Kentucky for wounded U.S. military veterans, wounded first responders, and at-risk youth. Retreats include lodging, food, and a range of outdoor activities (hiking, cave exploration, fishing, ATV riding, wildlife watching, campfire fellowship, and seasonal hunting) and are delivered at no cost to beneficiaries, funded entirely by donations, fundraising events, and deer permit auctions.

Product overview

Camp Hero is a 501c3 all-volunteer non-profit organization offering outdoor retreat experiences for wounded veterans and first responders. The core offering is the Camp Hero Kentucky Retreat Program providing 3-4 day getaways in the Appalachian Mountains. This is complemented by the Nature Immersion Program for focused nature therapy, an Outdoor Therapy initiative based on scientific evidence, and a Youth Mentorship Program teaching outdoor skills to children. The organization also hosts the annual Benefit for the Brave fundraising event and documents healing journeys through the Building Memories Program. Registration is facilitated through an online forms platform supporting multiple registration types including military, first responder, general, and volunteer registrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Camp Hero Kentucky Retreat Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Fully funded 3-4 day retreats including all lodging and meals at no cost to wounded veterans and first responders

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kentucky Wounded Heroes (KWH)foundationalOthersKentucky Wounded Heroes was the organization that introduced founder Rocco Besednjak to the therapeutic benefits of outdoor experiences for wounded veterans. KWH provided outdoor experiences that inspired Rocco to create Camp Hero. While not a formal partnership, KWH's model influenced the founding and mission of Camp Hero.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Peers

• Samaritan's Purse Operation Heal Our Patriots:

Direct peers

• Travis Mills Foundation: Nonprofit that hosts retreats at a dedicated veterans retreat center for 'recalibrated warriors' and their families. Directly comparable as a retreat-focused veteran support organization using a dedicated property to deliver programming to wounded veterans.
• Outdoor Recovery: Nonprofit wilderness therapy program that uses outdoor immersion to support healing from trauma, addiction, and PTSD. Comparable as a nature-immersive therapy retreat, though it focuses more broadly on addiction and mental health rather than exclusively on veterans and first responders.
• Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing: National nonprofit using fly fishing and associated outdoor activities as therapeutic recreation for wounded veterans. Directly comparable as it delivers nature-based healing programming to the same beneficiary population, including through retreat-style events.
• Kentucky Wounded Heroes: Kentucky-based nonprofit that organizes outdoor experiences for wounded veterans. Directly comparable as the model organization that inspired Camp Hero's founding and operates in the same state serving a similar population through outdoor programming.
• Heroes' Adventures: Nonprofit providing outdoor adventure experiences to wounded, injured, and ill service members and veterans. Directly comparable as an outdoor adventure retreat provider for the same wounded-veteran audience.
• Higher Ground: Sun Valley, Idaho-based nonprofit offering therapeutic recreation and retreat programming for wounded veterans, active duty military, and their families. Directly comparable as an outdoor therapy retreat nonprofit serving the same wounded veteran population through structured multi-day programs.

Broad incumbents

• Soldier On: National nonprofit focused on preventing veteran homelessness and supporting at-risk veterans with transitional housing and services. Comparable as it serves the same wounded veteran population with multi-faceted support services, though its model centers on housing rather than outdoor retreats.
• Wounded Warrior Project: Large national nonprofit providing a wide range of programs and services to wounded veterans including physical wellness, mental health, and engagement programs. Comparable as a major veteran-services organization that overlaps with Camp Hero's mission but operates at far greater scale across many program types, not just outdoor retreats.

Emerging players

• Team Rubicon: Veteran-led nonprofit that organizes disaster response and community service missions led by military veterans. Comparable as it engages veterans in service through outdoor and community-based activity, but its primary mission is disaster response rather than healing retreats.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CampHeroKentucky
• Instagraminstagram.com/camp_hero_ky

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Camp Hero