After a successful debut summer in 2021, Camp Rainbow Gold will welcome Sunrise Retreats as the first lease group to host programs at their camp property Hidden Paradise, in Fairfield, Idaho.
“We were thrilled to move Camp Rainbow Gold camps to Hidden Paradise last summer, two full years ahead of schedule. It was a game-changer to get our kids back to camp and start to see the vision for our new home come to life,” said Elizabeth Lizberg, CEO/Executive Director of Camp Rainbow Gold. “Now, we’re excited and ready to offer that opportunity to other organizations.”
Idaho organization Sunrise Retreats is the first of those organizations. Sunrise Retreats offers widows 3-day retreats to find healing, rest, connections, understanding, tools, and hope. “Grief is a preciously intimate experience, but something magical happens when we come together in our healing,” said Marni Henderson, Founder and Director of Sunrise Retreats. “With a permanent place to host our events, like Hidden Paradise, we can focus on delivering life-changing experiences for our widowed community. Hidden Paradise will serve the needs of our current retreats and allow us to expand our services to more widowers and widowed parents with their children.”
During the pandemic, Camp Rainbow Gold rallied supporters, donors, and volunteers at Hidden Paradise and remodeled more than 14 buildings with new roofs, paint, ADA bathrooms, flooring, window coverings, bunk beds, and much more. Plus, miles of fencing, a new outdoor eating area, a wheelchair-accessible ropes course, bicycle trails, culverts for the creek, and a whole lot of repairs.
Camp Rainbow Gold welcomed more than 100 children to summer camp in July. “Our camps were smaller and a bit different with the new location and COVID precautions, but large amounts of fun, hope, and love were lavished on these kids. There’s nothing better than watching them taking part in archery, horseback riding, bike riding, and boating. Plus, the singing of silly songs, water games, art projects, and dances that make Camp so magical,” Lizberg shared.
Hidden Paradise is the first accessible and adaptable camp space in Idaho specifically for organizations serving populations with medical, physical, or emotional challenges. Camp Rainbow Gold purchased the property in 2019 with the vision to serve not only children with cancer but organizations throughout Idaho who also need an accessible space.
“We’re grateful to Camp Rainbow Gold for leading the charge, purchasing this property, and welcoming organizations like ours to be part of the Hidden Paradise story — serving Idahoans in need of a space for wellness and healing,” Henderson said.