WHAT THE HECK IS
​Hi!
I’m Dunk, founder of Camp Good Buddy.
What is Camp Good Buddy you ask? That is a great question! If I were a betting man, I would say that there are a few hundred people out there who each have their own personal take on what Camp Good Buddy has meant to them. One camper in an interview about his camp experience said, “Camp was like fun magical gnarly skate rat camp was the best.” And that’s a direct quote. Others were more eloquent. I love all of the different collective experiences our camp community has shared, and they have solidified our intentions for what Camp could and would become. Our focus for Good Buddy is as follows:
Everything we have done to build camp has been with the intention of building meaningful friendships with the kids of the skateboarding community and serving them in the best ways we know how. You may think, “Simple”. To that, I would say, “Yes.” and also, “No.”
Whether you know it or not, the state of things in the youth of America is brutal. It’s full of confusion, chaos, depression, anxiety, this, that and the other. In all honesty, I am concerned and even scared for what they are facing. And on the large scale, in honesty, I don’t know what to do, other than to be a buddy.
So that is what we are doing. Camp Goodbuddy exists in order to create a framework for kids to connect with leaders in their own community. In order for any positive change to happen in the lives of our kids, we need a team that is dedicated to being engaged with them. We are a faith based organization and as such, saw no better way to engage with kids, than to partner with skate churches that exist all over America. We provide these skate ministries with an opportunity to bring their friends to a paradise in the mountains of Colorado. At our campus kids are completely and utterly free to be themselves, away from the responsibility and chaos of everyday life. Each day is packed full of fun events, meals and free time to just be kids. We have 3 skateparks for RIPPING, nightly bonfires that would blow your socks off, and a team of volunteers who truly, truly care about the well being of kids. It’s a safe place for kids to open up, have fun, be vulnerable and GO CRAZY on a skateboard. 5 days of glorious rebellion against the monotony of everyday life. Camp Goodbuddy is for the people.
With no intent of bragging, it is truly incredible what has come from those intentions. Over the last two years, we have seen hundreds of people come together around this cause, and the mission is being accomplished. Our first season was chalked full of incredible stories. Girls getting to share about struggles they had never felt comfortable with speaking of before, kids getting to know themselves and see just how valuable they are, friendships being built from all over the country, and mentors getting to speak positively into the lives of kids they have been walking with for years. IT WAS INCREDIBLE. Wish you could’ve been there.
So...what’s next?
We want to keep doing what we are doing. There are too many hurting kids out there to stop now. Our goal is to equip leaders in our national community of skaters and non-skaters alike, to walk through life in a way that leads our kids towards emotional, mental and spiritual health. Our team is amped up and ready to run with this.
Camp Goodbuddy is only the beginning. It’s a big wide world, and we’re not ready to give in to the way things are.