Join us at all YMCA locations on May 30, May 31, and June 1 for lemonade, activities, and raffle ticket sales—all in support of Camp Chief Hector YMCA!
For nearly a century, Camp Chief Hector YMCA has been a place of growth, resilience, and belonging. From building confidence to forging lifelong friendships, thousands of youths and families have experienced life-changing moments here. Now, YMCA Calgary invites you to help secure the future of Camp Chief Hector YMCA by joining their Love, Camp campaign. This $17 million initiative marks an important step in ensuring the camp's impact continues for many more generations. With $12.6 million already raised, only $4.4 million remains to reach the goal.
Camp Chief Hector YMCA has been in operation since 1930. Established in collaboration with Chief Hector Crawler and Walking Buffalo of the Stoney Nakoda Nation, the camp began as a small initiative and quickly became a life-changing experience for youth. Over the decades, it has expanded its programs, facilities, and mission, emphasizing leadership, resilience, and inclusivity. Today, it continues to honour its shared history by fostering reconciliation efforts and providing a space for youth to flourish in nature, building skills and memories that last a lifetime.
At Camp Chief Hector YMCA, guests of all ages disconnect from technology, explore nature, and build confidence through fun programs and activities in a supportive environment. Each camper learns leadership skills and enjoys personal growth. Studies show that outdoor youth programs like this lead to increased self-esteem, social skills, and emotional resilience.
Through Love, Camp, YMCA Calgary is focused on upgrades to enhance the camping experience while making it accessible to everyone, regardless of background or ability. This final fundraising push will enable the refurbishment of traditional tipi structures in collaboration with the Stoney Nakoda First Nation, improved facilities, and expanded multi-season offerings to serve even more Albertans year-round.
Thanks to the support already raised, significant improvements have been made at Camp so far, including 63 new yurts, state-of-the-art high ropes courses, universal washrooms, and updated staff housing. These initiatives ensure the camp remains a safe, inclusive, and welcoming space.
Supporting Love, Camp is about securing a space where youth can discover who they are, take on challenges, spend time in nature, and grow into happy, healthy adults. Camp Chief Hector YMCA serves as a reminder that the best learning often happens outdoors, under open skies, and surrounded by a community that believes in each camper’s potential. Join YMCA Calgary in this campaign by donating through www.welovecamp.ca
Support the next 100 years of Camp
This Spring, each YMCA Calgary location will be hosting its own unique raffle and in-branch activities during our special Love, Camp days, offering exciting prize packages you won’t want to miss. You can choose to support the raffle at your local branch or pick the prize package that excites you most—like our WestJet Flight Voucher— or stop by your YMCA branch to enjoy some lemonade and camp activities May 30 to June 1. Either way, you’re helping build the next century of camp magic.
Every ticket purchased supports Love, Camp. Every dollar helps more kids experience the life-changing power of camp.
Join the fun, make an impact, and win big!
Click here to explore the Love, Camp raffles!
Once again, we hope to see you at one of our YMCA locations on May 30, 31, and June 1, where you can enjoy lemonade, fun activities, and support Love, Camp through our exciting branch raffles!
Learn more online and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
This blog post was originally posted in Rocky Mountain Outlook, May 15, 2025.