Okizu is a nonprofit organization that operates Camp Okizu, a summer camp and peer support program for children with cancer and their families.

Okizu is a nonprofit organization that operates Camp Okizu, a summer camp and peer support program for children who have (or had) cancer, as well as their families.

Okizu's mission is to provide recreational, respite and peer support programs to meet the needs of all members of families affected by childhood cancer.

Our programs are available--free of charge--to any child who has (or had) cancer, as well as their parents and siblings. The majority of our participants live in the northern California area.

Each year we offer the following programs:

Oncology Camp--week-long camp sessions for children aged 6-17 years old who have cancer, or are cancer survivors.

SIBS (Special and Important Brothers and Sisters) Camp--week-long camp sessions for children aged 6-17 years old who have (or had) a brother or sister with cancer.

Family Camp--weekend programs for children with cancer of any age, their siblings and parents. Two sessions each year are specifically for bereaved families, and two include separate discussion groups in Spanish.

Teens & Twenties--weekend programs for older teens and young adults who either have cancer themselves or have a sibling with cancer.

Bereaved SIBS--weekend programs for teenagers who have lost a brother or sister to cancer.

15th Annual Art Inspiring Hope Gala
Saturday, March 28, 2009
San Francisco, California

John H. Bell is the founder and chairman of Okizu. He recently retired after many years as the owner of Golden Bear Travel, one of the San Francisco Bay Area's largest wholesalers of ocean cruises. He founded Okizu to provide camping programs to children with cancer and their families, and continues to provide the vision and direction for the operations of the camp.

Dr. Michael Amylon is Camp Okizu's medical director. He recently retired from his position as a pediatric oncologist in charge of the bone marrow transplant unit at Stanford University's Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital. He is responsible for organizing and supervising all volunteer medical personnel at camp.

Suzanne Randall is the Executive Director of Okizu. Previously, she was Vice President of Administration at Golden Bear Travel. She has been involved with Okizu since 1989 and has held several different roles, from volunteer counselor to Camp Director. She has been the Executive Director and Camp Director since 1999.

Art Ablin, M.D.
Professor Emeritus, UCSF

Michael Amylon, M.D., Board Vice Chairman
Professor of Pediatrics, Emeritus, Stanford University School of Medicine

John H. Bell, Board Chairman
Chairman, Okizu

Matthew Casey
Vice President, Wealth Strategies, Northern Trust, NA

Mouli Cohen
Philanthropist and Entrepreneur

Deborah C. Crudo
Executive Director, Landor Associates

Peter Crudo
Chief Operating Officer, Gilardi & Co.

Timothy P. Crudo
Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office

Jana DuBois
Senior Staff Counsel, California Department of Health Services

Richard J. Gallivan
Managing Director, Lehman Brothers

Julian Guthrie
Journalist, San Francisco Chronicle

James Halow
Principal, Calera Capital

Kent Jolly, M.D.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, The Permanente Group

George McCullagh
Senior Vice President and Regional Sales Manager, Wells Fargo

Chris Mullin
Executive Vice President for Basketball Operations, Golden State Warriors

Suzanne Randall, Board Secretary
Executive Director, Okizu

Hunter Spencer
Vice President, Sun Brite Industries

Daniel N. Swisher, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer and President, Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Marin Charitable Foundation
May and Stanley Smith Foundation
Sonoma Paradiso
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Lowell Berry Foundation
Davison Bruce Foundation
William H. Donner Foundation
Genentech
Capital Group
The Cancer League, Inc.
FedEx Corporation
Woodlawn Foundation
Sutter Health
Kaiser
Sidney E. Frank Foundation
Insurance Industry Charitable Association
KOA Care Camps
Silva Watson Moonwalk Fund
Downey-Short Foundation
American Cancer Society
Dean and Margaret Lesher Foundation
Safeway
Autodesk, Inc.

Okizu is the only oncology camp in northern California, and one of only a handful nationwide that provides programs specifically addressing the unique needs of siblings of kids with cancer. We focus on serving the entire family, since childhood cancer profoundly impacts each family member in different ways. Our programs are available to families regardless of whether their child is recently diagnosed, is currently undergoing treatment, has been cancer-free for years, or lost their battle with cancer. This comprehensive approach enables us to serve the whole family and to address their specific needs at every stage of their journey.