Group offers more than 50 programs for patients and their families

By Melissa Voss

The season of giving doesn’t stop around the holidays. In fact, organizations such as the Shining Stars Foundation work to give a sense of hope throughout the year to children battling and surviving pediatric cancer.

Established in 2001, the Foundation also works to support the families of those fighting cancer and other life-threatening illnesses across the country. Shining Stars offers more than 50 outdoor, social, and recreational experiences, including adaptive skiing, hiking, snowmobiling, rafting, biking, cooking, swimming, climbing and sailing.

After launching in Aspen, the services have also been offered in Winter Park and Denver.

By providing year-round recreational programming with the help of local volunteers, Shining Stars is the only Colorado non-profit to provide long-term care for children and their families.

Rosemary White, director of operations, emphasises that cancer is not just a battle for the child, but for the whole family.

“Some people do not realize the sacrifices that families make when a child has cancer. Maybe dad has to quit his job to take them to appointments, or mom stays at home to give 24-hour at-home care. We don’t see that side much. The parents do a lot of behind-the-scenes work. The whole family battles the disease,” White says.

Up to 80 new families are welcomed to the organization every year.

Numerous Shining Stars programs, such as the Aspen Winter Games and the Grand County Family Adventure, are created for patients and families with varying needs. Trained medical teams are able to aid patients with highly complex physical and medical challenges. The additional assistance gives all patients a chance to have a sense of normalcy. Evan, a child diagnosed with multiple blood disorders, shares that he has been able to do what he was told was impossible.

“I had been told I was hopeless. I was dying, in a wheelchair, and on oxygen. Shining Stars gave me hope. I went skiing – something I never dreamed was possible. Now my life has changed. I want to live all day, every day,” he says.

Parents also build a community among one another through programming, finding others to lean on for support.

“It is a club no one wants to be a part of, but to have that support is life changing for these parents. Finding someone who understands these struggles about health care … getting these families together in a vacation environment has been huge, ” White states.

The events and programs are made possible by in-kind donations, Shining Star’s four staff members, and a bevy of volunteers. Over 400 volunteers help out on an annual basis, which includes everything from an annual toy drive to adaptive ski instructors working the retreat in Aspen.

“We are always welcoming volunteers to help us navigate the different programs we run year-round. When you are working toward a cause you’re passionate about, there is a whole new sense of camaraderie. These people feel like my family now,” White says.

In 2025, Shining Stars is continuing to grow their range of programming for young adults who continue to battle cancer or have gone into remission. It has been Shining Stars’ mission for the past five years to connect with one another and form a community that gives them a sense of hope for the future.

“Getting these children out of their circumstances, even for a day, through recreation and community has been enlightening. It is necessary to have a community. To have these connections and experience the Colorado wilderness makes a difference in your general health. We want to show them what’s possible, not what they can’t do because of their diagnosis.” White says.

If interested in volunteering, or would like to learn more about services, email office@shiningstarsfoundation.org, or visit the website.