Special Days Camps
Special Days Camps is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides medically-supervised camping programs for children with cancer and their siblings, serving 300+ campers annually at YMCA Camp Pendalouan through donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersDimondale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Special Days Camps does
Special Days Camps is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) charitable organization that operates medically-supervised residential camp programs for children diagnosed with cancer and their siblings. Founded in 1978 by pediatric oncologist George Royer and his wife Carole, alongside the Lemieux family, it is recognized as the second longest running oncology camp in the world and has earned the COCA-I (Children's Oncology Camping Association – International) 'Best Camp Program' and 'Gold Ribbon Camp' distinctions. The organization serves more than 300 campers annually across its portfolio of programs: Special Days Camp (for children with cancer), Partners Camp (for siblings, launched in 1983), Winter Camp, Villages (age-based cabin groupings), and a Staff in Training (SIT) leadership pipeline, all held primarily at YMCA Camp Pendalouan near Muskegon, Michigan.
The core operational technology is a clinically-supervised camp environment: on-site licensed physicians, nurses, and pharmacists (many drawn as volunteers from Michigan hospitals) can administer chemotherapy during camp sessions, supported by relationships with local medical facilities and emergency medical transport. Programming is adapted for mobility and medical needs, and health protocols operate under guidelines from the State of Michigan, COCA-I, and partner hospitals. Health Director Lynne Royer-Willoughby (RN, MSN, NP) — daughter of the founders — anchors medical continuity alongside Camp Director Tammy Willis and Executive Director Jim Carey.
The business model is a fully subsidized charitable program: no camper fees are charged, and funding flows from individual donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., AutoTrader.com), grants, and a calendar of community fundraising events including annual golf outings, Family Fun Nights, and the Wheelin' for a Cure events. Distribution is direct-to-family through online applications, with bus transportation provided from Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Lansing. The organization is volunteer-heavy, with roughly 12 employees supplemented by donated medical and operational labor, and operates exclusively in the Michigan market.
Special Days Camps firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Special Days Camps
- Legal name
- Special Days Camps
- Website
- https://specialdays.camp
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Special Days Camps is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides medically-supervised camping programs for children with cancer and their siblings, serving 300+ campers annually at YMCA Camp Pendalouan through donations, corporate sponsorships, and community fundraising events.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Special Days Camps industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pediatric Oncology Camp Services
- NAICS
- Recreational and Vacation Camps (except Campgrounds) (721214)
- SIC
- Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports) (EDAMALAA)
Keywords
Where Special Days Camps is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dimondale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Special Days Camps business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Contributions: Primary revenue source from individual donors, corporate sponsors, and grants. No camper fees are mentioned, suggesting the camp operates as a fully subsidized charitable program.
- Annual Golf Outing: Annual fundraising golf event generating revenue through participant fees, sponsorships, silent auctions, and donations. Event typically costs $110-$175 per golfer with various sponsorship tiers.
- Amazon Smile (Discontinued): Amazon Smile program generated 0.5% donation from purchases when users selected Special Days Camps as their charity. Program has been discontinued by Amazon.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Special Days Camps product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Special Days Camps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides medically-supervised residential camp programs for children diagnosed with cancer and their siblings. The organization operates summer and winter camp sessions at YMCA Camp Pendalouan near Muskegon, Michigan, with on-site medical staff including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who can administer chemotherapy. All programs are offered free of charge to families and funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants.
Product overview
Special Days Camps offers a portfolio of medically-supervised camp programs for children with cancer and their siblings. The core programs include Special Days Camp (for children diagnosed with cancer), Partners Camp (for siblings), Winter Camp (seasonal winter program), Villages (age-based groupings), and Staff in Training (leadership program). All camps are held at YMCA Camp Pendalouan near Muskegon, Michigan, and operate under Health Director Lynne Royer-Willoughby RN, MSN, NP with full medical staff supervision.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Special Days Camp: Main camp program for children who have been diagnosed with cancer
- Partners Camp
- Winter Camp
- Villages
- Staff in Training (SIT)
Products and services
- Special Days Camp The primary residential camp program for children who have been diagnosed with cancer, providing a traditional camp experience in a medically-supervised environment at YMCA Camp Pendalouan near Muskegon, Michigan. Eligible to children with cancer, free of charge, with on-site medical staff including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, on-site chemotherapy administration, mobility assistance, and adapted physical activities.
- Partners Camp A residential camp program for siblings of children with cancer, providing a dedicated traditional camp experience with programming and attention specifically for siblings, offered at no cost to families.
- Winter Camp A winter-season residential camp program held at YMCA Camp Pendalouan, offering traditional winter activities for children with cancer and their siblings, with medically-supervised support.
- Villages Age-based cabin groupings within Special Days Camp that organize campers into smaller communities for activities and experiences during the camp session.
- Staff in Training (SIT) A leadership development program for older campers and alumni interested in becoming future camp counselors, providing training and progressive responsibility within the camp community.
- Camp Application Services Online application system for families to enroll children (campers) and applicants to apply for staff positions for the summer camp sessions at YMCA Camp Pendalouan. Includes coordinated bus transportation from Detroit, Ann Arbor, and Lansing.
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves more than 300 campers annually
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Special Days Camps
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Special Days Camps technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Special Days Camps partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- USA Hockey / National Team Development ProgramminorSDC night at USA Hockey Arena where a portion of ticket sales and Chuck-a-Duck sales support Special Days Camps.
- Western Michigan University Greek LifeminorRaised $20,989 for Special Days Camps during Greek Week 2025. Represents student volunteer and fundraising support.
- Two Trackers Four Wheel Drive ClubminorOrganizes Wheelin' for a Cure events to raise funds for Special Days Camps. Multiple annual events including Gas Pedal Customs at 28th Street Metro Cruise.
- Cynthia Kay & Company Media ProductionsminorDonated video production services to create a promotional video for Special Days Camps, capturing testimonials from campers, volunteers, and staff.
- Team Kendal KidzcoreDedicated donor organization raising funds for Special Days Camps. Hosts annual concerts and other events. Made $25,000 donation in 2015. Donates to both camp support and pediatric cancer research.
- YMCA Camp PendalouancoreProvides the physical camp facility for Special Days Camps' summer programming. Located near Muskegon, Michigan. Essential infrastructure partner enabling the camp experience.
- Michigan HospitalscoreVolunteer medical staff come from Michigan hospitals. Medical team operates under guidelines provided by partner hospitals and consults with campers' physicians for care direction.
- Local Medical FacilitiesminorRelationships with local medical facilities for emergency situations. Emergency medical transport available at all times during camp operations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Special Days Camps competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Camp Quality USA: A nationwide network of summer camps specifically for children with cancer and their siblings. Closely comparable in target population, sibling-inclusion model, and volunteer-driven nonprofit structure; broader geographic reach than Special Days.
- Hole in the Wall Gang Camp: Founded by Paul Newman in 1988 to serve children with serious illnesses including cancer. Operates a residential camp program with on-site medical care; directly comparable in mission and medically-supervised pediatric oncology programming.
- Special Love / Camp Fantastic: Virginia-based nonprofit providing Camp Fantastic and other programs for children with cancer and their families. Directly comparable mission, medically-supervised residential camp model, and family-inclusive approach.
- Camp Mak-A-Dream: Montana-based oncology camp serving children, teens, and young adults with cancer. Directly comparable medically-supervised pediatric oncology programming and free-to-camper, donation-funded nonprofit model.
- Camp Sunshine: Retreats in Maine for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Directly comparable medically-supervised, family-inclusive model with on-site medical staff; serves pediatric oncology among other conditions.
- SeriousFun Children's Network: Founded by Paul Newman, SeriousFun is a global network of camps serving children with serious illnesses including cancer. Directly comparable medically-supervised camp model and pediatric oncology focus, but operates at significantly larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
- Camp Simcha: Chai Lifeline's Camp Simcha and Camp Simcha Special serve children with cancer, serious illnesses, and disabilities. Directly comparable medically-supervised residential camp for pediatric oncology patients, family-inclusive model.
Broad incumbents
- Ronald McDonald House Charities: Provides housing and supportive services for families of seriously ill children receiving medical treatment. Comparable in serving the pediatric oncology family ecosystem, but addresses lodging during treatment rather than recreational camp experience.
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital / ALSAC: Major pediatric oncology institution that also operates camps and family programs. Comparable end-beneficiary (children with cancer) but vastly larger scale and broader clinical mission; competes for the same donor dollars.
Others
- Children's Oncology Camping Association – International (COCA-I): The umbrella association that awarded Special Days its 'Best Camp Program' and 'Gold Ribbon Camp' distinctions. Not a direct competitor but the governing trade body that defines standards and convenes peer oncology camps globally.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Special Days Camps social profiles
Digital presenceSpecial Days Camps compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Special Days Camps financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Special Days Camps leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Special Days Camps funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Special Days Camps M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Special Days Camps
What does Special Days Camps do?
Special Days Camps is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides medically-supervised residential camp programs for children diagnosed with cancer and their siblings. The organization operates summer and winter camp sessions at YMCA Camp Pendalouan near Muskegon, Michigan, with on-site medical staff including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists who can administer chemotherapy. All programs are offered free of charge to families and funded through donations, corporate sponsorships, and grants.
Is Special Days Camps a public or private company?
Special Days Camps is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Special Days Camps founded?
Special Days Camps was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Special Days Camps based?
Special Days Camps is headquartered in Dimondale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Special Days Camps make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Contributions are the primary driver. The others are annual Golf Outing and amazon Smile (Discontinued).
Who are Special Days Camps's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Camp Quality USA, Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Special Love / Camp Fantastic, Camp Mak-A-Dream, Camp Sunshine, SeriousFun Children's Network and Camp Simcha. Broad incumbents are Ronald McDonald House Charities and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital / ALSAC. Children's Oncology Camping Association – International (COCA-I) is listed as an others.
Does Special Days Camps have an API?
No public API is recorded for Special Days Camps.
What industry is Special Days Camps in?
Special Days Camps's product category is Pediatric Oncology Camp Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMALAA, Multi-Activity Enrichment Camps (Academic + Arts + Sports). Its NAICS code is 721214 and its SIC code is 7000.