Our Story

Read about the history of Camp Promise, the creation of “Pigasus,” and meet Jett Foundation’s camp directors!

Camp Promise, a program of Jett Foundation, was started in 2009 when many summer camps were closed due to the H1N1 (aka “swine flu”) outbreak. These cancellations were last minute, swift, and nationwide, leaving many would-be campers (and volunteers) without a camp option that summer. Partnering with Jett Foundation, our volunteers put together a weeklong, overnight, replacement program called Camp Promise – West. In its inaugural summer, Camp Promise welcomed 27 campers and 35 volunteers to camp in Vaughn, WA.

Since then, Camp Promise has grown in size and location. In 2012, Camp Promise expanded to the East Coast, opening Camp Promise – East. And, in 2015, Camp Promise opened its third site, Camp Promise – Rockies in Colorado.

In 2022, Camp Promise – Arizona and Ohio (18+ only) were added to the map. In 2024, Camp Promise SoCal (18+ only) and Camp Promise – Southeast in South Carolina were also added!

Camp Promise Directors

Niki Benfield

Camp Promise Operations Director

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Meghan Houston

Camp Promise Program Director

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Regional Site Directors

Jackie Becker

Camp Promise – Ohio

Jackie has lived in Cleveland her whole life and her family are big sports fans. She and her husband have four adult children and their first daughter in-law: Max & Ally, Derek, Grant, and Lauren, along with Barclay, their quirky rescued boxer/terrier. They are very engaged as a family with soccer and scouts. Jackie feels blessed to work with Jett Foundation and offer Camp Promise in Ohio.

Jodi Wolff

Camp Promise – Arizona

Jodi is native Midwesterner who traded snow shovels for saguaros almost 20 years ago and calls Arizona home. She is a devoted disability advocate and specializes in the transition to adulthood for youth with neuromuscular diseases. She is passionate about creating spaces where people with disabilities feel included, supported, and celebrated.

Meet Pigasus!

Pigasus is our flying pig logo. Pigasus symbolizes both where we came from and where we are going, and tells our story in 3 parts:

Pigasus is a visual representation of how Camp Promise initially came to be. The 2009 outbreak of H1N1 flu, also known as “swine flu,” forced the cancellation of many camps nationwide. As this was the initial impetus for starting Camp Promise, our logo represents our inaugural summer of camp when pigs flu (flew). Admittedly, this may be where our love for puns originated!
Between the conception of Camp Promise and the first week of camp in 2009, we had only six short weeks to build a leadership team, find a wheelchair accessible facility, fundraise, recruit volunteers and campers, and plan a week’s worth of camp activities. It took a lot of magic to deliver that first session of camp, but having Pigasus as our logo symbolizes the efforts for when the odds of pulling off camp seemed as likely as pigs flying.
Pigasus also illustrates Camp Promise’s continued commitment to making the impossible possible. We take it upon ourselves to adapt the world to our campers’ needs and abilities; no task is too small and no request is too hard. At Camp Promise, we embrace challenges and our goal is to achieve the things most others might doubt, the things to which others might say “when pigs fly.”

Pigasus is VERY important to us and we treat Pigasus like our pet: Pigasus goes where we go (our forms, t-shirts, and even to camp). Pigasus is legally part of our family (yes, it’s trademarked!), and as much as we love costumes, we don’t ever dress up Pigasus. Pigasus always faces left and is always this exact shade of pink. If you want to use our logo, please contact us for our branding guidelines.