The Sixth Annual Camp Colleen
June/July, 2026
How Camp Colleen evolved: Colleen, while a volunteer with Red Shoe Society (RSS), proposed the idea of a day camp for families staying at Ronald McDonald Houses (RMHC-CNI) as a distraction from hospital visits and worry. Red Shoe has posthumously honored Colleen’s proposal by creating an annual Camp Colleen.
This year, 2026, our sixth annual event was held across three cities totaling six RMH houses:
Chicago RMH houses on June 25 or Sep 9
Phoenix on June 25
Tucson on July 16
Preparations begin months in advance and involve Red Shoe Society’s Family Enrichment Committee who coordinates with the Ronald McDonald Houses participating in Camp Colleen. Menus are planned, shopping lists made, volunteers signed up, camp-themed decorations created and toy-filled backpacks prepared.
The camp dinner menu this year included roasted chicken legs with smoky grill rub, corn on the cob with cilantro lime butter, classic potato salad, watermelon salad and our famous campfire cupcakes. Colleen Cares (Gleason, Nadolny and Letto teams), Red Shoe Society, and Junior League of Chicago volunteers had purchased all ingredients to prepare the meals and brought their enthusiasm to the kitchen! They also decorated the dining area, dining tables and activity areas.
Everyone received a camp t-shirt and a backpack filled with goodies. More houses are including the full Camp Colleen experience for families to enjoy camp crafts in addition to the camp themed meal. The campers chose among several activities including tattoos, decorated bird houses, making bead bracelets and handmade frames with their picture too! An ice cream bar added more sweetness to top it all.
Scroll down to enjoy more pictures and smiling faces!
Colleen’s presence was felt throughout the day and many paused a moment at her memorial stone or enjoyed the nearby water ball fountain!
Lurie shared these thoughts, “We wanted to reach out to you and express our sincere gratitude for the incredible support you have given the Ronald McDonald House Chicagoland & Northern Indiana through Camp Colleen. We had such a great time at Camp Colleen this year. It was so fun to see the families enjoying the camp activities and having so much FUN! Those moments of fun and joy are possible because of Camp Colleen, and I love that they also reflect the lasting impact of Colleen's legacy.”
Here are some of the house volunteers whose work is greatly appreciated:
led by Christine Gleason
(additional volunteers in photo with
donation check below)
coming on 9/20/2026
led by Junior League Chicago
led by Mary Fran Nadolny
Christine and Mike, Colleen’s parents, share, “We are so honored to be able to continue Colleen’s dream with this wonderful event the past six years. The thankfulness from families every year is overwhelmingly touching. So many heartwarming moments and happy memories are what Colleen’s vision was all about.”
Arizona again hosted Camp Colleen in both Phoenix and Tucson. These locations served the camp menu and special thanks for Red Shoe Society of Southern Arizona for purchasing all ingredients to prepare the Tucson meals and their enthusiasm in the kitchen!
Camp Colleen in Arizona also distributed t-shirts, water bottles and knapsacks filled with camp goodies. Special thank you to Project Linus of Phoenix for supplying handmade blankets for the Phoenix camp. Activities included bracelet making, temporary tattoos, coloring wooden butterflies/snakes and a pretend campfire corner.
“Thank you so much for hosting such a wonderful camp-themed dinner; it was such a thoughtfully planned evening, and it brought so much joy to all of the families that attended. From the fun crafts to the generous giveaways, every detail reflected the care and creativity your team put into making the event special. My absolute favorite was the adorable campfire-themed cupcakes. I also loved the kids' play campfire area with the cushion tree stumps. It was such a creative touch and gave the children a fun place to play and use their imaginations. Thank you for your generosity, time, and kindness in creating such a memorable evening for the families staying at the House. Your thoughtfulness made a meaningful difference, and we are so grateful for your support.” - Jen Donnelly, Manager, Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central and Northern Arizona
“Thank you again for the MOST AMAZING night for our families. The kiddos who attended were talking non-stop about camp for several days after, and today one of the little girls is wearing her camp t-shirt. Thank you again for arranging this special event for our families. We can’t wait to see you all next year!” - Steffanie Wood, Director of Family Engagement, RMHC Southern Arizona
Phoenix, AZ led by Mary Titone
Tucson, AZ
led by Vickie Jahaske
3 generations of Colleen’s family and Red Shoe Society Southern Arizona!
Every Camp Colleen includes the traditional campfire cupcakes - Yummy! Here are some of the creative ways they were decorated this year.
Colleen Cares Organization was honored to deliver a $10,000 donation to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
More about Red Shoe Society and Ronald McDonald House Charities:
Red Shoe Society Chicago is focused to giving time, inspiration, creativity, and funds to help families with hospitalized children at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland & Northwest Indiana (RMHC-CNI) get better together. You can register to be a member of Red Shoe here if you feel called to be more involved.
The comfortable, caring spaces that RMHC-CNI create for families is beyond impressive. Guests are referred by social workers at the hospital. Once they stay at RMHC, they are there for the duration of their medical care. The average stay is nine days, but they come again for follow-up visits. Some families have been there for years. Sadly, they are often at 97% capacity with families during the most trying times in their lives. When a RMHC is full, they are offered a room at an area hotel. All of this work is 100% privately funded. McDonalds funds 30%, while the remainder comes from other corporations and individuals. Colleen Cares is honored to continue contributing to this mission and Colleen’s causes as a Red Shoe volunteer.
Camp Colleen is coordinated by Red Shoe Society Chicago and the Colleen Cares Organization. This year it was also supported by two Red Shoe Society groups - ‘Central and Northern Arizona’ and ‘Southern Arizona’ .
Colleen Cares Organization is grateful for all the volunteers and Red Shoe Society dedication in leading the coordination that makes Camp Colleen a reality.
Our camp timeline from previous years:
The first camp event was held August 5, 2021 at the Lurie Children’s Ronald McDonald House.
The second annual event was held August 4, 2022 and expanded to three additional RMH Illinois houses.
The third annual event included a new partnership with Project Linus and expanded to a total of five RMH houses, some on July 13, 2023 and at Lurie House on August 17, 2023.
The fourth annual event was held at the five RMH houses in the Chicago area on June 27, 2024.
The fifth annual event was held at the five RMH houses in the Chicago area on July 10, 2025 and expanded to ARIZONA with a camp event on July 13 in Phoenix and July 20 in Tucson.
