Camp Cocoon Marks 20th Anniversary

This past weekend, the PruittCares Foundation hosted Camp Cocoon, an annual weekend camp for children and adolescents who have experienced the loss of a loved one. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program.

This year, more than fifty campers were in attendance, joining the hundreds of children and families whose lives have been touched by Camp Cocoon over the past 20 years.

At Camp Cocoon, campers find joy after mourning. They learn how to cope with devastating changes in a caring environment, while enjoying a traditional camp experience and connecting with peers who understand what they are going through. In the words of one camper, “Camp Cocoon is a place where you can be open, you don’t have to hide your feelings.”

The theme of Camp Cocoon was, “Journeying through Grief.” In addition to camp activities such as swimming and roasting s’mores, campers had opportunities to share and reflect on their experience with grief, such as sewing memory pillows from clothing that belonged to their loved ones. The weekend concluded with the traditional live butterfly release, helping campers honor the memory of those who had passed.

The 2024 session of Camp Cocoon was hosted at the Athens Y Camps’ Camp Chattooga in Tallulah Falls from August 2-4.