“Solaputi,” meaning “river where the waterfall descends” in the Ainu language, is the origin of the name “Takikawa (falling river),” a city in Hokkaido where the camp is located.
The Solaputi Kids Camp is a specially designed facility equipped with medical facilities so that children who are battling childhood cancer, heart disease and other incurable diseases and cannot easily leave the house, of which there are said to be approximately 200,000 in Japan, can enjoy a few days of camping experience. For the children and families who participate in the camp, those few days are a precious memory that will last a lifetime and give them the energy they need to continue their fight against and overcome their illnesses.

Although CBC had only been providing donations, we visited the campground in 2022　to cover their activities and introduced them on our company website (What “Solaputi Kids Camp,” a Place that Offers Invaluable Life Experience to Children with Serious Illnesses, Illuminates｜News｜CBC Co., Ltd.). Afterward, when we were wondering if we could do something more, we received an offer to participate in this event as volunteers. We solicited participants from among our employees, and as we received more applications than expected, the participating members were selected by lottery within the company. A total of 11 volunteers including CEO Masataro Doi participated in the event.

We held several meetings and planned the event from the preparation to the operation on the days of the event, considering what would please the participating children. During the event, the CBC team served authentic yakisoba and okonomiyaki (Japanese stir-fried noodles and cabbage pancakes), which delighted many participants. The event was a great success, and we are truly happy that the children and their families were able to have a heartwarming time.

This was the first time CBC undertook such a project, and while it was an extremely challenging attempt, we received warm encouragement from everyone and managed to complete the event successfully. Before the event, there were voices of concern about whether a few days’ stay at the camp would really leave a lasting impression on the children or would have any meaning to them. However, when we actually volunteered, we were able to understand the seriousness and sense of mission of the Solaputi Kids Camp staff. Also, looking at the truly satisfying smiles of the participating children and their families, all of us realized the importance of the “few days’ stay” and felt very happy that we were able to contribute to this, even if only a little.