History

In the spring of 1984, a group of health professionals who worked with children with cancer at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston got together to explore the possibility of organizing a summer camp experience as a way to provide additional psycho social support for those children.  A proposal was written and physicians from the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology endorsed the idea.  The task force gathered information from other camps to learn more about planning and implementing a successful summer camp program.  In January 1985, after a newspaper article was published about the dream of The Rainbow Connection, the camp received its very first donation and the dream began to gain substance.  Finally on June 30, 1985, the dream became a reality as The Rainbow Connection opened its doors and took 19 young children with cancer to summer camp for the very first time.  Since that summer, The Rainbow Connection has continued to provide exciting summer camp experiences to children with cancer.  In 1987, the program expanded to include Teen Excursions.  In 1991, the camp was opened to siblings.  In 1995, the first week long family camp was held in Estes Park, Colorado.