CAMP is the heart and soul of KT’s Kids. CAMP stands for Children with Adapted Mobility Play and was founded by Dr Lisa Thornton, a Pediatric Rehabilitation physician. She spent years caring for children from marginalized communities, often hearing their dreams of becoming athletes, despite the physical challenges they faced. Back in those days many children would say, “I want to be like Mike!”—aspiring to follow in the footsteps of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan. Yet, for these children, those dreams seemed out of reach. There were few programs that could accommodate their needs, and even when they existed, high costs, lack of accessible transportation, and parents’ work schedules made participation nearly impossible.
Dr Thornton envisioned a transformative program dedicated to empowering children with disabilities through sports and play. CAMP was the result of that vision and gave children in under-resourced communities in and around Chicago the opportunity to experience the joy of athletic participation. In a world where so many doors are closed to them, CAMP opens a space that is free, inclusive, fully adapted, and deeply affirming.
KTs Kids is a story that began in 2003 at the Liars Club. Four friends, Katie Augustyn, Herb Rosen, Michael O’Connell, and Mike Cook, were sitting together one evening. Katie, who was working at a local hospital alongside Dr. Thornton, told the others how much of an impact CAMP was making on the children who needed it most. And right there, in that moment, they shared a spark—a desire to do more, to lift up these children and help CAMP grow. From that simple conversation, KT’s Kids was born to fund all that CAMP could offer. It wasn’t just a conversation; it was the beginning of a movement. A movement driven by love, by friendship, and by the commitment to make a real difference in the lives of these incredible children.
