Camp Good Mourning

For Children Who Grieve

Camp Good Mourning is an annual day camp, sponsored by Altru Health System. When a loss occurs that impacts a child, the effects run deep. Parents, while dealing with grief of their own, may feel incapable of responding to the symptoms of their grieving child.

Your child may be experiencing:

• Fear
• Lack of feelings
• Guilt and shame
• Depression
• Anger
• Preoccupation with death
• Regression
• Withdrawal
• Acting out
• Anxiety
• Irritability

Altru’s Camp Good Mourning provides an environment in which children ages 5-18 years old can express their feelings for the loss of a loved one. Look for registration to be open each spring annually, with the camp to be held in the summer.

Professionals and trained volunteers facilitate group sessions and activities to help children and teens express their feelings, learn healthy coping strategies and share experiences with other children who have lost a loved one due to death.

For information about Camp Good Mourning, reach out to Courtney Caron, camp coordinator, at ccaron@altru.org. For information on how to support Camp Good Mourning, please contact the Altru Health Foundation at 701.780.5000.

Camp Good Mourning 2023

Camp Good Mourning will be held Saturday, June 10, 2023, from 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. at Turtle River State Park. Pre-registration for the camp is required. No fees for campers this year. Registration deadline: May 15, 2023.

This year's camp will be held, rain or shine, at Turtle River State Park with sign-in starting at 9 a.m. (space to be determined closer to the event). Each camper will be provided with a Camp Good Mourning t-shirt, drawstring bag and water bottle. Weather permitting, the camp will be held outdoors, but appropriate space indoors is available, if needed. Activities planned include art, music therapy, nature walk, smores and recreational activities. Snacks, beverages, lunch and supper will be provided for your campers. Every year, Camp Good Mourning is brought to a close with a memorial service. Parents and/or guardians are invited to join in, starting at 4:30 p.m. During the service, the names of all the loved ones are read and a tree is planted in memory of them. After the ceremony, families and guardians are invited to stay and have supper with their camper.

Please dress your child appropriately for the weather that day with a sweatshirt or light jacket, if needed. Please apply bug spray and sunscreen on your child.

Check back for more details as the event gets closer.

History of Camp Good Mourning

Camp Good Mourning began the summer of 1998 at Park River Bible Camp near Park River, N.D. Altru’s Hospice led a grief support group for children in the Grand Forks area for six years before creating the camp. Designed to combine both fun and grief support for kids, the first camp was an instant success. With COVID, we took off the past couple of summers, but we are so excited to get started back up!