Orange Beach, AL
The Lodge at Gulf State Park
Saturday, September 19 - Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Thank you for signing up to bring hope and Blue Skies to families at Orange Beach!
Are you ready for some fresh air and sunshine? We are too! Please read the information below - everything on this page is here to help you get ready for camp!
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: TBD
Volunteer departure time: TBD
COST
Adult volunteers: $1200/adult (based on two adults/rm) ($1,900 for a single)
(There is a non-refundable application fee of $50/application to cover the cost of the background check.)
Students: $100
If you need help with funding, a limited number of partial scholarships are available. Email us at info@whereskiesareblue.org.
Be on the lookout for an email from us with the link to your fundraising page! Let us know how we can help you personalize it to your family!
Support is due one week before camp. See cancellation policy below.
Your support helps make it possible for our guest families to come to camp at no cost. Our goal is to bring down the cost of camp for volunteers. Costs continue to rise, but we are doing all we can to hold and hopefully decrease the volunteer expense. If you need help with funding, don't hesitate to contact us. We also have a limited number of partial scholarships available.
We ask volunteers to use the Blue Skies online personalized giving campaign (Givebutter). Our staff will send you super quick and easy instructions for you to create your personal page. When volunteers self-fund their trip, we ask that they reach out to their friends and family through social media, calls, letters, etc. allowing others to know about their trip to Blue Skies so they can pray, learn about Blue Skies, and have the opportunity to give directly to send a child with cancer and their family to camp. So many people are unable to serve at camp yet want to help and are glad to support others who can serve in their place!
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!
FaceBOOK GrouP: JOIN TODAY!
Click here to join the Orange beach official Facebook group that will be a great way to get to know one another and hear updates before camp starts!
GET YOUR CAMP T—SHIRT
Each person coming to camp is able to purchase one discounted camp shirt. Use this code, VOLUNTEER2025, to get your shirt at a discounted price of $20. All orders must be made online through our store (Click here to order) and will be at camp ready for you. Orders must be submitted by September 5th.
YOUR ROLE
Volunteers will serve caring for the families for camp and preparing for our activities. You/your family will be paired with guest families to help them feel welcome and host them throughout camp and befriend them. Volunteers will also help with setting up Good Morning Blue Skies and evening activities; setting up chairs/umbrellas on the beach; and serving/cleaning up meals.
meals
Blue Skies will provide most meals. We’ll have "grab and go" donuts and bars each morning as well as snacks and bottled water at the beach. Lunches and dinners will be served picnic-style at the resort with the exception of a few dinners served off-site.
housing
At our Orange Beach camp location, guests and volunteers will be staying in hotel rooms at the resort. Each family will have a queen/queen hotel room at the resort. (That means mom, dad, and all the kiddos are sharing a room together which may be the greatest challenge and sacrifice at camp but also one of the greatest rewards and fondest memories you'll make as a family). There is peace and blessing when we sacrifice for the good and benefit of others for His namesake.
travel
The nearest airport to Orange Beach is Pensacola (PNS) Airport which is 26 miles away. Other nearby airports include Mobile (MOB) (48.3 miles), Valparaiso (VPS) (63 miles), Gulfport/Biloxi (GPT) (90.3 miles) and Panama City (ECP) (106.5 miles).
what to pack
You won’t need much! Pack casual clothes, bathing suits, flip flops, along with your toiletries, and a beach chair/umbrella if you like. Remember to bring all of your family's routine medications like Advil, Tylenol, bandaids, etc. along with any prescription medications, medical supplies, equipment and swim diapers if you have little ones.
We will provide:
Beach towels (provided by the resort)
Snacks and bottled water at the beach and pool
Sand toys, sand buckets, rafts, and pool toys
guidelines
Please review our guidelines for volunteering at camp by clicking HERE. We ask all volunteers to abide by these guidelines to ensure we all have an incredible week together!
podcast
Click here to hear Melinda’s heart behind the ministry and the hope Blue Skies brought to the Dryden family as they join Christy Nockels on her podcast!
volunteer manual
Click here to view our volunteer manual with lots of helpful information!
Guest family welcome letter
Click here to read a welcome from Melinda to our guest families to learn more about Blue Skies!
Cancellation Policy
If for some reason you are unable to attend once your application has been accepted, you are required to raise/give the full amount of volunteer support due to find another volunteer/volunteer family (approved) to take your spot.
