Orange Beach, AL

WHAT TO KNOW

where

The Lodge at Gulf State Park

Address: 21196 E Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

The Lodge is on CST.

ARRIVAL/DEPARTURE

Volunteer arrival time: Saturday early afternoon

Volunteer departure time: 9:00am CST

COST

Price Per Room: $2600 minimum donation. This covers housing, food, and activities. Most rooms have bedding for up to 4 people. There are no rollaways available at this hotel. If you have more than 4 people serving in your family, please reach out to julie.h@whereskiesareblue.org about pricing.

Application Fee: $50 (non-refundable; covers background check)

Why is there a cost?

Every Blue Skies camp costs between $50,000 and $75,000 to make happen. Volunteer support typically funds about 25-50% of what it actually costs to host a retreat. If you know of a church, company, or individual who would be willing to help sponsor part of camp to bring hope, that would help immensely! We want families walking through pediatric cancer to experience camp completely free of charge—a place where they can rest, laugh, and reconnect. Your contribution helps make that possible. We work hard to keep volunteer costs as low as we can, and if you need help, we have a limited number of scholarships available. Just ask! If you are coming by yourself and need help finding a roommate to share the cost, let us know!

Fundraising Made Simple

We’ll send you an email with a link to your personal fundraising page and easy instructions to get started. Many volunteers share their page on social media or through email and letters as these are great ways to invite friends and family to join you in making a difference. Plus, it spreads the word about Blue Skies and the hope we bring to families.

Payment Details

Support is due one week before camp. (Check out our cancellation policy for details.)

The Impact of Your Volunteering

When you volunteer, you’re not just helping with meals or activities, you’re giving families a break from cancer. You’re creating space for laughter, rest, and joy during one of the hardest seasons of their lives. Parents get to breathe. Kids get to play. Families get to feel hope again.

Even if you can’t attend, you can still make an impact by sponsoring a volunteer or donating to send a family to camp. Every gift matters. Every act of service changes lives.

Local Volunteers

If you’re a local and live in the community where we host camp, we’d love your help too! You can join us for the week or help out at some of our activities. You’ll need to fill out an application with background check and references. And, we would sure appreciate your support in helping the children with cancer and their families attend at no cost. We can create a fundraising page for you! We ask that everyone who serves for the full camp raise or give $300/individual or $500/family.

schedule

Here’s an idea of what a day at camp looks like! You’ll get the full schedule about one month before camp. Our days are full of fun and togetherness! The festivities begin around 8am and we make every effort to wrap up by 9pm. Be sure to rest up before camp!