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Roundup River Ranch Gives Children With Serious Illnesses Chance To Get Outside

EAGLE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- The Roundup River Ranch in Gypsum provides free camp experiences to children with serious illnesses. It's one of several camps nationwide.

Roundup River Ranch
Roundup River Ranch (credit: CBS)

Clea Newman-Soderland's father, actor Paul Newman, helped bring the Roundup River Ranch camps to life.

"The mission is basically bringing children with serious illnesses and their families out to camp to give them a chance to be a kid and as my dad would say, 'Raise a little hell,'" said Newman-Soderlund.

Roundup River Ranch
Roundup River Ranch in 2016 (credit: CBS)

"It really is an amazing thing. Bringing them all together so that they can be around other children like them, brings them out of isolation, removes them from the isolation of their illness and gives them a chance to build confidence. It's an amazing place," said Newman-Soderlund.

CBS4's Matt Kroschel visited the camp in 2018 after the ranch raised more than $3 million with generous donors through its capital campaign. That campaign helped complete its brand-new, multi-use building named "DJ's Junction."

ROUND UP RIVER RANCH 6VO_frame_57
(credit: CBS)

The building includes new administrative offices, six bedrooms to provide much-needed accommodations for medical volunteers and other staff, a classroom to support camper activities and adventures, a walk-out lower level program space, and more room to be used in the future by campers, volunteers, and staff.

ROUND UP RIVER RANCH 10PKG_frame_2002
Roundup River Ranch (credit: CBS)

LINK: Roundup River Ranch

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