About Discovery Camps

Camp since 1984

From one summer week to programs all year long.

1984
The first Camp Discovery, under the American Cancer Society
2013
The American Cancer Society ends its camps; VisionWorks volunteers, led by Joey Cavazos, keep camp going
2015
The first family camp weekend, now Camp Ohana
2016
The first Camp Common Ground
2017
The first Camp Firefly and the first Holiday Party
2018
The first wish granted
2019
The first Camp Brave Hearts and the first ARCH trip
2022
VisionWorks becomes Discovery Camps

Our story

Camp Discovery began in 1984 under the American Cancer Society. When ACS ended its camps in 2013, the volunteers who had built VisionWorks, led by Joey Cavazos, kept camp going. Since 2022, we've been Discovery Camps.

The first Camp Discovery was sponsored by the American Cancer Society in 1984 and was held at YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow in Hunt, Texas, with approximately 50 campers. We have changed camp locations over the years as our number of campers grew, having also been hosted by Hermann Sons Camp in Comfort and Morgan's Camp in San Antonio. Today Camp Discovery is hosted at Texas Lions Camp in Kerrville, and 110 campers came in 2026.

In 2013, the American Cancer Society announced that it was no longer sponsoring pediatric oncology camps nationwide. ACS offered VisionWorks, the nonprofit our volunteers had built, the opportunity to place camp under its umbrella, and we accepted. Since then we have greatly increased our programming to include family camps, a bereavement camp, hospital camps and other programs for children and families facing cancer.

Over the years we found that the name VisionWorks did not capture the mission of our programs. To pay homage to our flagship program, Camp Discovery, we changed our name to Discovery Camps in 2022. Discovery Camps is the umbrella that covers all of the camp programs we provide.

Camp is a family, not a place.

Hope is Profound: 25 years of transformation at Discovery Camps — Hope is Profound | 25 Years of Transformation at Discovery Camps · 3:41 · Watch on YouTube

Why we do it

Empowering children and families facing pediatric cancer through transformative camp experiences that cultivate happiness, resilience, and family strength.

Our programs give children with cancer a fun and ordinary camp experience they may not be able to have at a traditional residential camp, while also fostering new skills, individual growth, and personal development. Our family programs let the entire family enjoy a relaxing weekend of camp activities and connect with other families who have shared a similar cancer journey with their child.

Our vision: A world where every child with cancer can experience the happiness, healing, and support of a compassionate camp community.

CompassionA caring place for every camper and family.

InclusionCamp for every child, whatever their background or ability.

ResilienceStrength that grows through hard times, together.

HappinessKids get to just be kids.

Our founder

Joey Cavazos

Founder and first Executive Director · 1984 to 2021

The forever experience

In the mid-1990s, at a Camp Discovery session held at Hermann Sons Camp outside San Antonio, a teenager named Renee was spending what she knew would be her last week at camp. One night that week, the oldest cabin slept out on the tennis courts under the stars. Joey was their cabin counselor.

Renee turned to him and said:

Joey, thank you for giving me this forever experience.

That line stayed with him for two decades. When Discovery Camps became its own organization in 2013, Joey changed the logo. Today, Camp Discovery's tagline reads: A forever experience.

It belongs to Renee.

The man who built it

Joey Cavazos went to college as a forestry major. He picked it because he wanted to work in the woods and not be around people. Anyone who knew him later in life finds this funny. He ended up being one of the most relentlessly people-oriented humans his community had ever seen.

Camp changed that.

In the summer of 1984, the American Cancer Society approached YMCA Camp Flaming Arrow in Hunt, Texas and asked for help launching a summer camp for children with cancer. The inaugural Camp Discovery was held that summer. Joey, then a college student working at Camp Flaming Arrow, helped put it together.

The kids he met that week became the focus of the rest of his life.

After graduating in 1985, Joey began his 25-year career with the Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department, eventually founding the Ropes Program and supervising the Gang Unit. Every year, without exception, he took a week off to come back to Camp Discovery. Cabin counselor. Ropes course coordinator. Volunteer camp director. Whatever the camp needed, he became.

When the American Cancer Society discontinued its national funding for pediatric oncology camps in 2013, Camp Discovery was in danger of shutting down. Joey's response was simple:

No. That is not going to happen. It is too important.

VisionWorks, a nonprofit Joey and other volunteers had quietly built years earlier, was ready. Joey, recently retired from law enforcement, became its first Executive Director. What he built next is the organization that now runs eight programs: Camp Discovery, Camp Brave Hearts (funded and running within seven months after a camper asked Joey if he could bring camp to the hospital), Camp Ohana, Camp Firefly, Camp Common Ground, ARCH, the Holiday Party and Wishes Granted.

In 2022, VisionWorks changed its name to Discovery Camps to reflect everything Joey had built.

The legacy continues

Joey was diagnosed with Lynch Syndrome in 2013, a genetic condition that made him susceptible to multiple types of cancer. Over the next eight years, he was diagnosed with five different cancers, caught early each time and treated surgically. He never went through chemotherapy or radiation. He used to tell his family he felt survivor's guilt: he was called a cancer survivor, but he saw what his campers went through, and it didn't feel like the same word should apply.

In April of 2021, a small seizure led to a different diagnosis. Glioblastoma. The family was told to expect about eighteen months.

Joey passed away six weeks later, on May 17, 2021.

In July of that year, Camp Discovery was held without him for the first time in 37 years.

It happened anyway.

Volunteers came back. Campers came back. New volunteers signed up, and most of them, then and now, were former campers themselves. The hospital programs continued. The family weekends continued. The programs Joey dreamed of expanding kept expanding.

Discovery Camps exists today because Joey built something that didn't depend on him being in the room. He built it to outlast him. And the community he gathered (campers, families, volunteers, donors, partners) chose to keep building.

Camp Discovery is still a forever experience. Renee's words still anchor the work.

Jennifer Cavazos on a bench at camp, in a Camp Ohana shirt — Joey's Legacy: Five Years · 1:41 · Watch on YouTube

Make a gift in Joey's memory

The Cavazos family, four people standing arm in arm on a hilltop at camp at sunset.

Joey Cavazos smiles from the driver's seat of a camp golf cart.

Joey Cavazos in a tie-dye shirt leads a game on the camp field.

Counselors perform a skit on a rock outcrop for a group of campers, in an older camp photo.

Board of directors

9 volunteers who govern Discovery Camps. Tap a name to read their story.

Officers

Leah DabaghianPresidentCertified Child Life Specialist

Leah is a Certified Child Life Specialist with over 20 years of experience working with children and families at several San Antonio Children’s Hospitals. She is a graduate of Baylor University and has been dedicated to helping children and families cope with challenging healthcare experiences. Her work with Pediatric Oncology patients connected her with Camp Discovery in 2002, where she served as program director for 10 years.

Currently Leah works as a Certified Child Life Specialist at Baptist Children's Hospital at North Central in San Antonio. She is married to her husband Rob, and together they are raising three girls, Brooklyn, Sydney, and Savannah.

Karen TorgesVice President & SecretaryCommunity Engagement Director, CHC: Creating Healthier Communities

Karen Torges “KT” currently serves as Vice President of the Board for Discovery Camps. She has over thirty-five years of experience in non-profit management, strategic planning, relationship and project management, and collaborations. She has worked extensively with volunteer groups at the local, state and national level on multiple public health issues.

KT helped initiate Camp Discovery and had the pleasure of working directly with the program for its first sixteen years. She’s been engaged as leadership with the Discovery Camps board for the past nine years and is proud of the expansion of this important effort to reach and serve more special children and their families.

Karen currently serves as Community Engagement Director for CHC: Creating Healthier Communities, a nationwide nonprofit that works to bring communities, non-profits and businesses together around a shared commitment of better health and wellbeing.

Emad GuirguisTreasurerFounder, SimpliBookkeeping

Emad Guirguis founded SimpliBookkeeping in 2019 with one goal in mind, to help companies and organizations grow and focus on what they do best. He takes on the work that most do not have the time to do and because of his dedication and niche to help small companies and organizations, many continue to grow and flourish.

As part of a growing industry and company, he strives and continuously supports his clients and their networks. By helping these businesses and organizations with a sound structure and basis, it has led to stability and growth for them.

Directors

Dr. Maria Falcon-CantrillPediatric Hematologist and Oncologist

Dr. Falcon-Cantrill grew up in Converse, Texas and graduated from Judson High School. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of the Incarnate Word and her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. She also completed a residency in Pediatrics and a fellowship in Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at the UT Health Science Center. Dr. Falcon-Cantrill is currently a Pediatric Hematologist and Oncologist at Methodist Children’s Hospital in San Antonio. She started volunteering at Camp Discovery as a camp physician in 2010.

Keaton FriebergAttorney and partner, Texas Suits Law

Keaton Frieberg is an attorney and a partner at Texas Suits Law. Keaton wears many hats, as he is also an owner of “To The Moon Moving” based in New Braunfels, Texas. Keaton earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Mexico, and attended St. Mary’s University, where he earned his Juris Doctorate. Keaton is deeply engaged in his community and passionately invests his time in mentoring high school students in San Antonio. He serves as a mentor in a “Shark Tank”-style class, where he helps prepare students for the intricacies of the startup process.

Don GregoryCamp Discovery volunteer since 2004

Don has been involved with Camp Discovery since 2004. At the time, he was working with a San Antonio based company that was very supportive of the camp. Part of his job was to volunteer at Camp Discovery. The job was temporary but the relationship with Camp Discovery will be for a lifetime. The first 10 years were spent as a cabin counselor with Red Boys (7–8 year-old campers). After that, Don moved to the job of preparing previous campers to transition to the role of cabin counselor. Currently he is overseeing Digital Discovery, a camper photography experience. Over the years, he has served on the planning committee for Camp Discovery and is honored to sit on the board of directors of Discovery Camps. Don lives in the Round Rock, TX area with his lovely wife Ruth.

Holly KubaneyPediatric Nurse Practitioner, Austin

Holly brings over 25 years of pediatric oncology expertise to Discovery Camps’ Board of Directors. As a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Dell Children’s Blood & Cancer Center in Austin, she provides comprehensive care for children and adolescents with cancer and blood disorders. Holly’s dedication to pediatric oncology extends beyond her clinical practice: she serves in leadership roles with the Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses and the Children’s Oncology Group, and has co-authored manuscripts published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, Oncology Nursing, and the Journal of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing.

Holly’s connection to childhood cancer camping began in 1993 when she volunteered as a camp counselor in Northeast Ohio. She has served as a Camp Discovery provider for the past three years and believes deeply in the transformative power of the camp experience. “I believe that every child who has had or has cancer should have a camp experience,” Holly shares. She earned her Master’s degree from Kent State University and Bachelor’s from Case Western Reserve University. Holly is particularly interested in supporting Discovery Camps’ marketing initiatives and expanding community awareness throughout the greater Austin area.

Howie NestelFounder and President, Sharkmatic Advertising

Howie Nestel has been creating an extraordinary life by serving through non-profit leadership and philanthropy in his position as Founder and President of San Antonio-based Sharkmatic Advertising over the past 30 years. He has provided sales and marketing services to more than 1,500 companies nationwide including Coca-Cola, DuPont, MTV, and Procter & Gamble, as well as to prominent local and regional businesses including Brake Check, Methodist Healthcare, and The Wash Tub.

Marketing is Howie’s professional passion, but he has also launched and owned more than 20 small businesses. These enterprises provided a range of services including meal prep, video production, screen-printing, and automobile brokering. Howie is a proud father of 3 children. He is fluent in English and Spanish. He graduated from the University of Texas Business School in Austin and has lived and worked in Canada, Central America, Europe, Israel, Mexico, and the United States.

In addition to running Sharkmatic, Howie holds leadership positions with numerous non-profit organizations and has donated his time, his talents, and collaborated with more than 100 nonprofits. Of all his charitable endeavors, Howie is very proud of his legacy of launching and leading the largest annual collection drive for the homeless in San Antonio, called Gotcha Covered, which is now celebrating its 28th year.

Jaime C. SepulvedaBroker-Owner, Strategic Property Management

Jaime C. Sepulveda is a San Antonio–based real estate investor, broker, and community leader with nearly two decades of experience helping families and investors build long-term stability through homeownership and real estate. Jaime is the Broker-Owner of Strategic Property Management, where he oversees hundreds of single-family rental homes across the greater San Antonio and Boerne area. He is also a founding partner of SkillSet Homes, an investment group focused on revitalizing neighborhoods through thoughtful renovation, responsible ownership, and long-term community stewardship.

Beyond business, Jaime is deeply committed to giving back. He is actively involved in multiple local nonprofits and service organizations, including Boerne 100, the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks Ranch, and youth leadership programs such as EarlyAct and Interact. His work often centers on creating opportunities for young people, first-time homebuyers, and families who may not otherwise see a clear path forward.

Jaime brings a unique perspective to the Discovery Camps board, blending financial strategy, operational leadership, and a heart for service. He believes that when young people are given access, mentorship, and belief in their own potential, it can change the trajectory of an entire family for generations. Jaime lives in the Boerne area with his wife Kathy and their son, and he considers community service not just something he does but part of who he is.

Staff

Three people run eight programs, with hundreds of volunteers beside them.

Jennifer CavazosExecutive Director

Jennifer began volunteering at Camp Discovery in 1990 as a cabin counselor, spending more than a decade in the Red Girls cabin with the 7–8 year old girls. After taking several years off from volunteering at camp to raise her own children, she returned as a Camp Discovery volunteer in 2016 in the program office. Jennifer had worked as the part-time administrative assistant for Discovery Camps since 2013, assisting the Executive Director with the administrative duties required to provide our programs. In 2021, Jennifer assumed the role of Executive Director after the death of her husband Joey, who had been the founding Executive Director of VisionWorks (now Discovery Camps).

Jennifer is a retired pharmacist and a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy. Her pharmacy career spanned over 33 years, working in both retail and mail service pharmacy practice. In January 2025, Jennifer earned a Master of Science degree in Nonprofit Management with a concentration in Camp Administration from Gratz College.

Zeff GomesDirector of Operations

Zeferino “Zeff” Gomes, a U.S. Army Veteran, has worked as a Medical Laboratory Scientist for 35 years. He has worked for several hospitals and clinics across the United States and overseas, most recently in the Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Lab at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Due to his career as a soldier and working in the hospital environment, he understands the values of having a serving mentality. “Working with children and their families has brought me more joy, success and accomplishment than any other job ever could.”

Over the years, Zeff has held a variety of roles for Discovery Camps. He began as a cabin counselor for the 7 and 8 year old Red Boys in 2005, then he progressed to head counselor, planning committee member, and eventually Camp Discovery Co-Director. In 2019, he gave up his job in the Lab and has been the full-time Program Director for Discovery Camps since then.

Heather Donnella, MA, LPCDirector of Special Programs

Heather is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of Special Programs at Discovery Camps. She has been involved with Camp since 2015 where she began by volunteering on the ropes course. She officially joined the team in 2019 during the first year of their in-hospital program, Camp Brave Hearts.

Heather received her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Texas State University in 2021, and is a practicing psychotherapist at a private practice in downtown San Antonio. Heather strongly believes in the benefits of camp, and loves being able to utilize her background in mental health to emphasize the naturally occurring therapeutic component that camp has to offer.

Accountable to every family and donor

Accredited, inspected and transparent. Every program is free for families, and every gift is accounted for.

Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency · 2026Our finances, leadership and results, published in full on our Candid profile.

American Camp Association accreditedCamp Discovery meets ACA's standards for health, safety and program quality.

COCA Gold Ribbon accreditedThe Children's Oncology Camping Association's highest standard for camps serving kids with cancer.

Legal name: Discovery Camps, Inc.
EIN: 74-2924336
Financials: Form 990s on Candid
Camp licensing: Texas DSHS Youth Camp Program

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