It’s that time of year! School is out and your kidney kid has nothing to do with his free time. Why not sign him up for Kidney Camp. There are several summer camps across the country catering to children with kidney disease. The summer camp experience is a rewarding opportunity for all children. Summer camp provides children with the opportunity to try new activities such as horseback riding, hiking, swimming and a chance to make new friends. This can be especially rewarding for kidney kids who are usually hooked up to a dialysis machine in their free time. As a parent with a special needs child, your concerns focus on both your child’s healthcare and the camp’s ability to provide the medical assistance needed should an emergency happen. The staff at these camps is more than willing to answer any concerns you may have. The medical staff at kidney camp is accustomed to handling and administering any necessary medicine. The summer camp experience is a rich American tradition with more than 140 years of history. Summer camp teach self-respect, self worth, self-esteem and leadership skills and build personal confidence. These are qualities every parent wants to see in their child. Below is a list of camps across the country. For more information, please contact the camps directly. Camp Holiday Trails June 24 – Aug. 10 400 Holiday Trails Lane Charlottesville , VA 22903 Phone: (434) 977-3781 Fax: (434) 977-8814 http://www.campholidaytrails.org/index.php
Camp Boggy Creek Aug. 6 – 11th 30500 Brantley Branch Road Eustis , FL 32736 Phone: 866-Go-Boggy or 352-483-4200
Camp Sunshine July 29 – Aug. 3 35 Acadia Rd. Casco , ME 04015 Phone: (207) 655-3800 Fax: (207) 655-3825
The Little Turtle June 24 – July 1 1300 4th Street, Suite 300 Santa Monica , CA 90401 Tel: (310) 451-1353 Fax: (310) 451-1357 http://www.thepaintedturtle.org/turtle/
Camp Aldersgate July 15 - 20 2000 Aldersgate Road Little Rock , Arkansas 72205 Phone: (501) 225-1444 Fax: (501) 225-2019 http://www.campaldersgate.net/default.aspx
The June Rusche Hamarah Camp for All July 1-6 6301 Rehburg Road Burton , TX 77835 Phone: (979) 289-3752 Fax: (979) 289-5046 http://www.campforall.org/index.cfm
Frost Valley YMCA June 24 - Aug 24 2000 Frost Valley Road Claryville , NY 12725 Tel: (845) 985-2291 Fax: (845) 985-0056
YMCA Camp Copneconic July 8-13 10407 N. Fenton Rd. Fenton , MI 48430 Ph: (810) 629 9622 http://www.campcopneconic.com/
Camp Okawehna 1633 Church Street , Suite 500 Nashville , TN 37203 Phone: (615) 342-0445 Fax: (615) 329-2513 http://www.dciinc.org/camp/camp.htm
Camp ChiMer Aug. 5-9 National Kidney Foundation of Kansas and Western Missouri 6405 Metcalf Avenue, Suite 204 Overland Park , KS 66202 Phone: (913) 262-1551 or (800) 444-8113 http://www.kidneyksmo.org/chimer.htm
Victory Junction Gang Camp June 26 – July 1 4500 Adam’s Way Randleman , NC, 27317 Phone: (336) 498-9055 Fax: (336) 498-9090
Camp Orkila July, 24 - 31, 2007 YMCA Camping Services 909 Fourth Avenue Seattle , WA 98104 Ph: 206-382-5009 or 206-382-5001 Fax: 206-382-4920 - FAX http://www.seattleymca.org/page.cfm?ID=0096 For more information on summer camps for kidney kids, log onto the American Camp Association Web site, www.ACAcamps.org. It has a complete list of summer camps across the country. ACA is a community of camp professionals with 6,700 plus membership. You can also contact the organization by phone by calling (765) 342-8456. This article originally appeared in the May 2007 issue of aakpRENALIFE. |