SeriousFun Children's Network

Roundup River Ranch is proud to be a member of SeriousFun Children’s Network, formerly The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps,  founded by Paul Newman. We believe in taking fun seriously as we provide life-changing support for children with serious illnesses and their families – always free of charge. We encourage you to learn more about SeriousFun Children’s Network below.

About SeriousFun

Founded by Paul Newman, SeriousFun Children’s Network is a growing global community of innovative camps and programs creating opportunities for children with serious illnesses and their families to reach beyond serious illness and discover joy, confidence and a new world of possibilities, always free of charge. Known as The Association of Hole in the Wall Camps until April 2012, when the organization changed its name to underscore founder Paul Newman’s passionate belief in the power of taking fun seriously. SeriousFun Children’s Network is deeply rooted in the philosophy that all children deserve to simply be kids.

History Rooted in SeriousFun

Paul Newman founded his first camp on the premise that every child should have the chance to experience the life-changing adventures and meaningful friendships that go hand in hand with summer camp. In 1988 he opened The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a place where children with serious illnesses could go to simply be kids, reach beyond their medical condition and focus on fun. That remarkable concept sparked a revolution and has grown to include 28 initiatives offering year-round programming and reaching children around the globe.

SeriousFun Worldwide

From California to Vietnam, SeriousFun Children’s Network strives to serve more than 30,000 children each year through its camps and Global Partnership Programs, which have been skillfully adapated to fit different cultures and medical conditions. To date, more than 384,700 children and their families have been served by SeriousFun Children’s Network, including over 253,800 children from 50 countries.

The Impact of SeriousFun

An ongoing study conducted by the Yale School of Medicine that began in 2010 has surveyed and interviewed hundreds of SeriousFun campers and their parents. Results to date give scientific support to what our staff around the world have seen, heard, and known for years. Our camps do more than just give kids a great week, they have a lasting impact. By creating a place and a time where kids can connect with each other and with carefully trained and caring adults. SeriousFun camps encourage and enable kids to reach beyond the barriers of their illnesses to make important connections that foster resilience and support their growth in the face of challenge…restore their hope for the future…renew their spirit of childhood…and regain their sense of possibility.. It’s not just fun, it’s SeriousFun.

About the Founder of SeriousFun

Paul Newman is perhaps best known as a Hollywood legend and philanthropist of extraordinary fame. In fact his 1969 hit film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, was the inspiration for the name “Hole in the Wall Camp” from the movie’s Hole in the Wall Gang. Despite his celebrity, Paul Newman did everything possible to live his life as an ordinary person and derived deepest satisfaction from his quiet work in philanthropy. He was especially committed to the thousands of children served by the SeriousFun Children’s Network, one of his greatest philanthropic legacies, because his camps were places where kids could escape the fear, pain, and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and – as Paul put it – “raise a little hell.”

Roundup River Ranch Affiliation with SeriousFun

While Roundup River Ranch receives benefits from being a part of the broader network, Roundup River Ranch is a separate 501(c)(3) organization with a dedicated board of directors and staff. The organization is responsible for implementation of camp programming and fundraising to ensure sustainable operations and continued growth.

To learn more about SeriousFun Children’s Network, please click here.