Living with a diabetes diagnosis is a daily challenge, especially when those with the disease are children. Sitting out at recess due to low blood sugar, having to go to the nurse’s office for insulin and finger pokes, or not eating certain foods or special treats like everyone else are just some of the challenges they face.
Through specialized summer camps, youth with diabetes – up to the age of 19, are given the unique opportunity to meet other kids just like them in a safe and fun environment. These programs are led by trained staff and nurses who help campers gain confidence and independence in managing their diabetes.
Cammie Johnson with her fellow campers at her first visit to Camp Needlepoint.
Through the Community Foundation of Dunn County, the Cammie B. Johnson (CBJ) Kids to Camp Fund offers camp scholarships for young people who have diabetes to attend a diabetic camp program of their choice. Scholarship awards of up to $850 each are available for youth to attend a summer camp program for 2024. Past Kids to Camp Scholarships have been awarded for area youth to attend camps such as Camp Needlepoint in Hudson, WI, and the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp in Vernonia, OR.
Mark and Robin Johnson, along with their friends and family, established this fund in memory of their daughter, Cammie, who passed away just before her 21st birthday from complications of diabetes. Cammie had spent many summers at Camp Sioux in North Dakota as a child and went on to serve as a camp counselor and mentor for younger children experiencing the difficulties of living with diabetes.
The CBJ Kids to Camp Scholarship application is available on our website by clicking the button below. Applications are due to the Community Foundation at least (8) weeks before the scheduled date of the applicant’s chosen camp. Full and partial scholarships are available. There are no income requirements to apply. Approved scholarship awards will be paid directly to the camp to cover direct camp expenses for the attendee. Please contact the Community Foundation with questions at (715) 232-8019.